WOLF & CUB

‘Close to the Edge’ is the second taste of Wolf & Cub’s LP, NIL released on Friday 20 November 2020 via Part Time Records / Remote Control.

Like previous single ‘Blue State’, ‘Close to the Edge’ is a searing piece of music which shows the band continue to lean toward a revelatory heaviness over previous psych-rock offerings. The screaming intro attacks the listener from the get-go, pounding drums and a guttural grunt setting the tone for the opening line - "I think we both want the same thing / but it’s so hard to be sure / with all this noise that just gets in the way / to take us further away from the point."

“’Close to the Edge’ is a commentary on a communication breakdown" states Joel Byrne, “it’s essentially the soundtrack to a really bad argument, in particular the kind that tend to be carried out over social media. The main riff (and overall track) is intentionally a bit nasty and vulgar because it represents the uglier side of people’s personalities that tend to come out in the heat of the moment, particularly when their opinion or ego is challenged.”

The accompanying video was directed by David Robinson-Smith who the band have previously worked with on the gripping video for previous single, ‘Blue State’. Shot in the NSW coastal town of Budgewoi, ‘Close To The Edge’ is a perfect visual cinematic compliment to the chaotically visceral track. Judiciously choregraphed, the music video expertly captures the physical representation of two people arguing with their egos/bodies.

‘Close to the Edge’ is the second taste from Wolf & Cub’s upcoming fourth album NIL, and their first long-form release since 2013’s Heavy Weight. Produced by the band and released on Byrne’s own label Part Time Records, NIL was recorded in Sydney at a variety of locations across a protracted timeframe. The album is crushing in its intensity as Wolf & Cub embrace the freedom that comes with starting again and the confidence that comes from experience. “My measurement for Wolf & Cub’s success in my late-thirties is significantly different from what it was at the beginning of our career,” says Byrne. “There’s no burden of expectation here.”

Byrne makes it clear that Wolf & Cub in 2020 is entirely comfortable with their place in the musical landscape: “I think we all saw Heavy Weight as something that had more commercial potential than anything we'd done. When it didn’t live up to those expectations it kind of derailed us. NIL is the result of us going against every instinct that was behind Heavy Weight. It’s liberating: this time it feels like we’re only answering to each other.”