DRONES are back with their first single since the release of their highly conceptual album âExiledâ, which was out in 2018. âJosephineâ is a deeply personal journey into vocalist Lois McDougallâs past unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
âGrowing up in Britain with its normalised binge-drinking culture, I never thought much about the fact I was relying on alcohol to feel relaxed and to have fun. It wasnât until recently that I was forced to tear myself away from it and realised how badly alcohol had been affecting me and my relationships. I wasnât in control and was abusing myself with alcohol to try and suppress my depression. People started referring to the intoxicated me as âJosephineâ. At first this was funny. Josephine was a clown. But thereâs nothing funny about self-abuse. This song is about me realising that. Alcohol can be great, but if you donât feel like you can say no to it, itâs time for a change.â
Lois McDougall
The accompanying music video for the hard-hitting single is an out-of-this-world claymation that features intricate models of each band member, crafted by animator William Davies, embarking on a journey to another world. The band have also enabled a virtual situation where you can walk around the Planet Josephine that appears in the video. You can login, chat with other fans and walk your characters around the environment on Topia.
In addition to this release, Drones announce the departure of guitarist Rob King. King, who wrote and recorded on the band’s upcoming record, made the difficult decision to leave owing to other personal commitments.
Taking his place permanently is Tom Thain, who performed with the band during the Upset About To Break Tour in 2018. “Rob has been a huge asset to this band and his performance style has come to define Drones’ sound,â says drummer Mitchell Thomas. âWe all remain the best of friends and, although we are incredibly sad to see him go, we wish him the very best with all his future endeavors. We’d like everyone to join us in welcoming Tom aboard. He will be taking the reins on guitar duties and is already smashing it in rehearsals!”
The London-based band have been building a name for themselves with their powerful, high octane live shows and unique punk-fueled post-hardcore stylings. From playing underground squats to appearing on festival stages, Drones are more than ready to hit the road again when the current climate allows.
The band have already supported the likes of Marmozets, Neck Deep, Gallows, Funeral For A Friend, Mallory Knox, Young Guns and H2O, as well as playing Download festival and packing out their own headline shows. Dronesâ new album is set for release February 2021 via Thousand Islands Records in North America, and Lockjaw Redcords in UK/EU.