London quartet Colouring might not be adopting the pop sensibilities of The 1975, but they have taken a page out their recent tourmates’ ambitious song-crafting.
On “White Whale,” the latest track from Colouring’s upcoming sophomore EP Heathen, the band is experimenting with an expansive sound. According to singer and chief songwriter Jack Kenworthy, it’s an idea they had been toying with for quite some time before 1975 drummer and producer George Daniel stepped in.
“We were ready to give up on [“White Whale”] in truth,” Kenworthy says. “It was only when George got his hands on it that he managed to pull it over the finish line.”
As huge as the song sounds, it’s no wonder that the band needed some extra hands on deck. The rhythm section benefits from Daniel’s percussion proclivities, as the song maintains a gripping tension throughout with a mix of frenetic electronic drums and organic mouth sounds that could best be described as syncopated gasps. The song becomes a full-on avant garde piece when the guitar melody lifts it to a meaningful crescendo halfway through.
“For the four of us, ‘White Whale’ is about the pursuit for some magic but also finding beauty in imperfection,” Kenworthy tells Billboard.
As the finished product suggests, the band has succeeded in capturing just what they have been looking for. “White Whale” will be featured on the band’s upcoming Heathen EP, due out Aug. 25 via Interscope Records. Check out the full track, exclusively on Billboard, below: