[Cover photo credit to Kaitlin Jade Photos]

UK-based Indie project Arms & Hearts has released new single “Apologists.” It hails from their sophomore album The Future is Not Bright to be released October 10th, 2024 through Thousand Islands Records (CAD) Mt Crushmore Records (US), Never Meant Records (IRE) and UTB Manchester (UK).

Frontman Steve Millar says of the song:

Writing ‘Apologists’ was a form of catharsis. Born out of rage towards someone I used to know, it started as a very personal song, and in many ways it still is. Ultimately it’s about needing to hold people, particularly those you’re closest to, to account for their actions – especially when they’ve hurt people.

Manchester-based Steven Millar started Arms & Hearts as an acoustic project in 2015. Since then they ’ve released their debut album The Distance Between, and toured the world, playing alongside the likes of Carl Barat, Nervus & Chris Farren, as well as playing at major festivals such as Fest (Gainsville, USA) Pouzza (Canada) & Manchester Punk Festival.

Infused with synths and effect-laden guitars, The Future is Not Bright marks a genre shift for Arms & Hearts while sticking close to “wit and grit” in their lyrics, which are described as “both personal and inherently political”.

The Future is Not Bright explores “everything from the realities of identity, death, love, injustice, struggles with mental health and (metaphorically!) wanting to murder your boss.” Despite this, it continues “insisting on optimism in a cultural climate that demands cynicism and misery.”