Captain We’re Sinking | photo by Jess Flynn | courtesy of the artist
PREMIERE: Captain, We’re Sinking share “Water,” the second single from The King of No Man
Scranton cornerstones Captain, We’re Sinking are prepping the release of The King of No Man, their third full-length set for a June 23rd release via Run For Cover Records. The alt rock / punk outfit previewed lead single “Trying Year” earlier this month, and today we have the premiere of its follow up “Water.”
Over a near-constant bed of crashing percussion and on-edge guitar rhythms, frontman Bobby Barnett expounds on the impermanence and ever-changing nature of friendships as we grow older – “friends become strangers,” he sings. Where the punchy “Trying Year” was laden with hooky riffs and a golden-age-of-emo 2000s kinda vibe, “Water” comes from a deeper, more art-rock angle. The song swells and recedes with a subtle swing and Barnett’s dramatically agile vocals, evoking a sense of sea legs – that unstable, ground-less feeling that can occur after being on a boat, similar to the dizzying lack of control we sometimes feel over the trajectory of our own lives.
About writing the song, Barnett tells us:
“Sometimes the more straightforward songs are the toughest to write and play. This song came together quickly, but minor things changed each time we played it. Leo originally wrote it on piano, so I think he had a pretty specific idea in his head on what it should sound like. We wanted a song in 3/4 time, but not too swingy. We wanted the song to drive and chug along. I think the bass and drums really do that.”
Stream “Water” below and preorder The King of No Man via Run For Cover Records here. Tickets and information for the band’s June 23rd release show at Everybody Hits can be found here. Captain, We’re Sinking will also hit the Chameleon Club in Lancaster on July 20th during a tour with The Menzingers.