Photo Credit: © Dougie Souness
Scottish rock band Anchor Lane will release their new single Dead Run via R7 Records on Friday January 17th. The single is taken from the band’s eagerly awaited debut album released on Friday January 31st.
Dead Run is a heavy, pounding rock track that touches on the subject of addiction. The song was written by the band and rock legend Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty) who also lends backing vocals to the chorus.
“When writing Dead Run, Ricky and I explored lyrics we had written about people in our lives who had struggled with addiction,” says Anchor Lane’s lead singer and frontman Conor Gaffney. “It was a special moment when we realised that we’d both written lyrics at different times which worked so well together and that really gave us a strong foundation to build on.”
“Because the writing session with Ricky had gone so well and we all felt really connected to the track, we thought it was only right that Ricky’s vocals appear on the recording,” says bassist Matthew Quigley. “We are so happy with the finished track and having Ricky on there really adds something.”
Ricky said, “Anchor Lane are everything a rock band should be. They have attitude, ability, swagger and most importantly songs… their passport to a very bright future is assured.”
Dead Run was recorded at Vale Studios in the Midlands with renowned rock musician, writer and producer Toby Jepson (Wayward Sons, Gun, Little Angels).
“Toby really wanted to capture the power and energy of the track,” adds drummer Scott Hanlon. “We recorded every take fully live with minimal overdubs. By the end we were exhausted but it was worth every take.”
The release is accompanied by the official music video, which will premiere at 10am on Friday 17th of January on the Anchor Lane YouTube page. The video was directed by James MacKenzie (Papersailor, Dead By Monday, Black Dove, Medicine Priests) at various locations around Glasgow.
“The guys were great to work with and so creative. I think we managed to create a little masterpiece,” says James.
“For the video we wanted to touch on the subject matter of addiction but find a way to keep it a little lighter,” explains lead guitarist Lawrence O’ Brien. “We came up with the idea of bringing it back to childhood, where the worst reliance you could have was on your beloved teddy bear. We enjoyed the idea of it being a problem that an adult hadn’t outgrown. Throughout the video the problem gets bigger and harder to hide but in the end the character finds a way to escape it.”
Dead Run is released on Friday January 17th, 2020. Pre-Order & Pre-Save Dead Run: https://slinky.to/deadrun
Their eagerly awaited debut album, Casino, is packed with immense sounding up-tempo tracks it showcases the band as exceptional rock musicians and skilled songwriters.
The album was written by singer Conor Gaffney, guitarist Lawrence O’ Brien, bassist Matthew Quigley and drummer Scott Hanlon in Glasgow and recorded at Vale Studios in the Midlands with renowned rock musician, writer and producer Toby Jepson.
Casino is a sonically exhilarating album from the band who take influences from Royal Blood, Nirvana, Soundgarden and The Foo Fighters.
On working with producer Toby Jepson, Conor said, “We learned so much from Toby. His ability to take a song and flip it on its head was so inspiring to us.”
Toby said, “Before I commit to working with a band, I need to get a sense of whether they have a genuine vision and something to say. When I heard the demos I knew there was some intuitive and intelligent writing going on.”
Rock legend Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty) co-wrote two tracks on the album. Hook-driven opener Blood & Irony which features intoxicating howling vocals that showcase Gaffney’s prowess as a frontman and the incredibly catchy stadium-rock Dead Run which also features Warwick on backing vocals.
Despite being in their early twenties, there’s a maturity to Anchor Lane’s song writing. They don’t shy away from tackling difficult subjects as Casino’s themes include toxic relationships, addiction and the death of a close friend.
First single Fame Shame condemns modern society’s fascination with social media and reality television. Scott said, “It’s about waking up to the fact that while you’re watching someone else’s life on the internet your own life is passing you by.”
The album’s title is a metaphor for the ever-changing music industry explained Matthew, “We called the album Casino because in this industry you either go all in or you leave the table. We gladly left our jobs to concentrate on writing the album. It’s a high-risk high-reward gamble but we’re here for the right reasons.”
Toby Jepson adds, “When I met the guys, they said ‘We want to change the world, we want to write something that makes a difference.’ They’re ambitious with strength of character and real vision. This is their first album and judging by the material they’ve come up with so far, they have a very big future.”
Anchor Lane came to the public’s attention with the release of their EP New Beginning. They toured incessantly scoring notable guest spots with Cheap Trick, Eagles of Death Metal and Tremonti. The band have garnered an impressive reputation as a thrilling and dynamic live act and have notched up appearances at rock festivals including Download, Isle of Wight, Stone Free, Belladrum and Hard Rock Hell. Fame Shame the first single from their debut album Casino was released to wide acclaim in October 2019.
Casino will be released 31st January 2020 by R7 Records on CD, digital and Limited Edition 12” inch vinyl picture disc.
Casino – Track Listing
01. Blood & Irony
02. Fame Shame
03. Voodoo
04. Casino
05. Clocks
06. Stone Cold Hearted
07. Shell Of Me
08. Flatline
09. Dead Run (featuring Ricky Warwick)
10 Honey
ANCHOR LANE LIVE DATES
INFO AND TICKETS: ANCHORLANEMUSIC.COM
Sat 25th January: Bradford, Nightrain – Anchor Lane & support
Sun 26th January: Giants Of Rock, Minehead
Wed 29th January: Swansea, The Bunkhouse – Anchor Lane & support
Thu 30th January: London, Black Heart – With Scarlet Rebels & Revival Black
Sat 15th February: Bathgate, Dreadnought Rock – Anchor Lane & support from Quiche & PYRO
REVIEWS OF ANCHOR LANE’S DEBUT ALBUM CASINO, RELEASED FRIDAY JANUARY 31ST
“Ballsy Scottish rockers Anchor Lane stir things up on impressive debut, each song on Casino adds a little extra spice” – Planet Rock
“The best debut album I’ve heard in years… full of passion with something to say, this album is a game-changer and there’s not a fault to be found, you won’t hear a better album in 2020” – The Moshville Times
“With Casino, Anchor Lane have hit a home run” – Black Velvet
“Chock full of tasty tunes, one of the most consistent and impressive albums in a while” – The Rockpit
“Packed with immense sounding up-tempo tracks, Casino showcases Anchor Lane as a genuinely interesting force to be reckoned with” – Velvet Thunder
“Casino rocks from beginning to end. It gets better with every listen and demands to be played loudly” – Rockfiend Publications
“With a debut as good as Casino, the sky is the limit. Arena tours beckon” – Metal Planet Music
