As MY LIFE STORY gear-up for the release of their first album in five years, today (15 January) they are pleased to share its electrifying opening track: “Running Out Of Heartbeats”.
Mixed by Ben Hillier, who has notably produced a number of Depeche Mode albums, this exhilarating, electronica-skewered anthem pulses and whirrs with a kindred mechanised groove and futuristic sheen.
Inspired by a quote from astronaut Neil Armstrong, new single “Running Out Of Heartbeats” finds chief songwriter Jake Shillingford in a philosophical mood and theorising on how love, life, and how we live it, could be playing with our human hearts and our overall longevity.
As Shillingford explains of the track:
“On returning from the moon and on his withdrawal from public life Neil Armstrong allegedly said: ‘I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine’. Finite Heartbeat Theory suggests we get roughly 2.5 billion beats throughout our lives. I wanted to explore if we can put a value on each heartbeat. Do we lose more through the palpitations of love, or leading a dynamic life? Or are we wasting our heartbeats by taking the easy life?”
Pairing lyrics laced with an ebullient, uncontainable sense of discovery, and arrangements that glisten with a fresh feeling of unlimited possibility; “Running Out Of Heartbeats” is evidence of a band who five albums and over three decades into their career still believe the sky’s the limit.
“Running Out Of Heartbeats” will feature alongside fellow singles “Numb Numb Numb”, “Tits & Attitude” and “I’m A God”, on upcoming album ‘Loving You Is Killing Me’ (out 9th February, via Exilophone Records/Republic Of Music), alongside six brand new tracks. Pre-order it here.
‘Loving You Is Killing Me’, follows the release of MLS’ last critically acclaimed album ‘World Citizen’, which was released in 2019 and their first for some 19 years. The new album discusses themes of empathy, profaneness, vaingloriousness, coercive behaviour and naturism. With the upcoming record taking its title from the current single, frontman Jake Shillingford says:
“Loving You is Killing Me is a lyric taken from the album’s opening track ‘Running Out of Heartbeats’. Despite its pessimistic inference, I like to think that it’s more generally about investment in relationships. Is there a price to pay for unconditional love?”
The record, published by Mute Song, has been written and produced by Jake alongside Nick Evans and mixed by Ben Hillier (Blur, Patrick Wolf, Nadine Shah, Peter Perrett, Depeche Mode). The full track listing for ‘Loving You Is Killing Me’ is as follows:
1. Running Out of Heartbeats 6. Naked
2. I’m a God 7. B-side Girl
3. Numb Numb Numb 8. Identity Crisis
4. Tits & Attitude 9. The Urban Mountaineer
5. Bubblewrap 10. Wasted
Originally founded in 1984 by charismatic frontman Jake Shillingford, My Life Story, rose to fame as a pioneering force of the Britpop movement. Working with the legendary Giles Martin (The Beatles) on their debut album ‘Mornington Crescent’, the band would go on to score six UK top 40 singles and a top 40 album. Across their career the band have worked with the likes of Morrissey to The Pogues, Marc Almond to Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. Performing on the Glastonbury Pyramid stage and at Reading Festival four times, they notably supported Blur and Pulp and are one of the only bands to headline over Oasis. Taking an extended hiatus from recorded music in 2001, My Life Story returned with the critically acclaimed, fan-funded album ‘World Citizen’ in 2019.
My Life Story will be back with the new album ‘Loving You Is Killing Me’ on 9th February 2024. The record will be followed by a small UK tour that includes two shows at the prestigious London venue the 100 Club on Oxford Street, their first London appearances in over 2 years. In addition, Jake has just announced a run of intimate instore shows in the week of the album’s release whereby he will be performing a short acoustic set and signing albums at independent record shops across the country. All scheduled dates are as follows:
MY LIFE STORY – UK TOUR DATES 2024
FEBRUARY
INSTORE SHOWS
9th Feb – SOUTHAMPTON Vinilo – 7pm
Sat 10th Feb – LONDON Sister Ray – 12pm
Sat 10th Feb – WALTON ON THE NAZE Format – 6pm
Sun 11th Feb – LEEDS Vinyl Whistle – 7pm
Mon 12th Feb – LIVERPOOL Phase One – 7pm
Tues 13th Feb – KINGSTON Banquet – 6pm
Wed 14th Feb – SOUTHSEA Pie & Vinyl – 1pm
Wed 14th Feb – BRIGHTON Family Store – 6pm
HEADLINE DATES
Thurs 15th – ST. ALBANS – The Horn
Fri 16th – BRIGHTON – Hope & Ruin
Sat 17th – LONDON – 100 Club (Sold Out)
Thurs 22nd – BIRMINGHAM – Hare & Hounds
Thurs 29th – BRISTOL – Louisiana
MARCH
Sat 2nd – LONDON -100 Club
APRIL
Fri 5th – ALDERSHOT West End Centre
Fri 12th – STROUD – Sub Rooms
Tickets on sale now here
