Photo: Press
Yak have announced a brand new double a-side single 'Heavens Above' / 'Semi-Automatic', recorded with Pulp’s Steve Mackey and set for release on 28th October on Octopus Electrical Records. You can hear 'Heavens Above' on Gigwise now below.
It's every bit as untamed as the dirty garage/psych rock debut album Alas Salvation and shows all three members pushing themselves to their physical, and emotional brink whilst keeping a solid catchy groove.
Pulp aren't the only famous fans of the band. After putting out a few singles with Fat Possum Jack White discovered them and put out their first EP on his label, Third Man Records. Meanwhile, The Last Shadow Puppets had them on tour but that didn't quite go to plan with the band refusing to tour with them again.
We had a quick chat with Oli Burslem today to learn more about this single and things in general. Check it out below
What attracted you to working with Steve Mackey?
On a personal level we hit it off from the start and then after working together we realised we had similar tastes and ideas of what we wanted from a rock and roll record.
What has he taught you?
To not be too precious and to experiment and not be to caught up by any rules and to embrace now.
I know it's open to interpretation but how would you describe the overal theme and feel of this track?
A satanic bombastic sermon of love and happiness...... Rev. Al Green
If you were to file this track next to three bands who would they be?
Alphabetically, Yaj yal yam. Spiritually, Spiritualized / Yoko-Lennon / Silver Apples / Suicide / Elvis Presley / Now That's What I Call Music 2016 / Alex Ferguson audiobook /
How are album number two plans coming along?
It's not coming along. These are the last couple of tracks we are doing from yak mk1 and before we head off, getting crew cuts and becoming travellers. That said we don't hang about so I imagine we will have fresh tracks some time next year.
What can we expect from the tour? Anything new in terms of stage set up?
We always like to expect the unexpected. Every stage will be different. No pyrotechnics are planned
Tell us about Octopus Electrical Records….
It's our label which we named after a plug on a French cocktail cabinet we used as a bedside table. I once sold it to Pete Doherty at Spitalfields market but he couldn't fit it in his jag so I kept it.
Yak will play the following tour dates. Check here for more ticket information
Sep 16 Levitation Festival Angers, France
Sep 17 Hop Pop Hop Festival, Orleans, France
Sep 22 Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
Sep 29 Witloof Bar, Brussels
Sep 30 La Cartonnerie, Reims
1 Oct Festival Detonation, Besancon, France
2 Oct La Temps Machine, Tours, France
4 Oct La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
5 Oct La Romandie, Lausanne, Switzerland
6 Oct Klaus, Zurich, Switzerland
7 Oct Sarraglio, Milan, Italy
8 Oct Covo Club, Bologna, Italy
10 Oct Orange House (Kranhalle), Munich, Germany
11 Oct Flex Café, Vienna, Austria
12 Oct Klub 007, Prague, Czech Republic
13 Oct Privatclub, Berlin, Germany
15 Oct V11, Rotterdam, Netherlands
16 Oct ACU, Utrecht, Netherlands
19 Oct Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, UK
20 Oct Think Tank, Newcastle, UK
21 Oct Broadcast, Glasgow, UK
22 Oct All Years Leaving Festival, Birmingham
24 Oct Picture House Social Club, Sheffield, UK
25 Oct Dublin Academy 2, Dublin, UK
26 Oct O2 Academy 2, Liverpool, UK
27 Oct Scala, London, UK
