The Indie Dancefloor and Life After Heart Surgery | Circa Waves’ Kieran Shudall gives us a track-by-track breakdown of American Dream

Kieran Shudall walks us through American Dream, from indie nostalgia to the life-changing moments behind its creation.

Circa Waves - press shot credit Polocho

Circa Waves return in cathartic form with Death & Love Pt.1, a nine-track powerhouse set to release on 31st January. Frontman Kieran Shudall channels everything from euphoric nights out to the harrowing reality of heart surgery into their most ambitious work yet. The album comes paired with the band’s biggest-ever UK tour, which kicks off in February and wraps with a monumental hometown show in Liverpool on 1st March.

Crafted as both a coping mechanism and a love letter to life’s resilience, Death & Love Pt.1 blends the wistful nostalgia of Circa Waves’ early days with a renewed intensity born from personal trials. Songs like the explosive opener ‘American Dream’ and the infectious ‘We Made It’ prove they’re still masters of the indie anthem, while tracks like ‘Hold It Steady’ and ‘Blue Damselfly’ delve into raw emotional territory. Self-produced by Shudall and engineered by Matt Wiggins (Adele, Glass Animals), the album is a celebration of survival and a rallying cry for music’s ability to inspire.

“I needed this record to process what I went through,” Shudall explains. “It’s about finding light in the darkest places and hopefully inspiring others to do the same.”

Here, Shudall takes us through the album track by track, uncovering the stories and moments that shaped Death & Love Pt.1.


Circa Waves Death & Love Pt.1
Circa Waves Death & Love Pt.1

American Dream

I wrote ‘American Dream’ about our first trip to America as a band. It seemed like a right of passage and I almost thought that we would kinda just be a successful band there right off the bat. I soon realised how hard it was and how hard it was going to be. Weirdly I still have that American dream of being a big band in the states. I think all English bands do. Not many achieve it and that makes it all the more enticing.

Like You Did Before

A song about the dance floor. A look from someone and you know you’re about to fall in love that night. I wrote it with all of those 00s indie bands I loved in mind. I wanted it to feel fast and aggressive but still feel like you could scream the words across the room to the person you’re falling for.

We Made It

A tale of a friend going through grief with some moments mirroring my own life. I wanted it to feel like no matter how hard life gets there’s still a sliver line, there’s still hope. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to write something that felt at home in a festival field here.

Le Bateau

Another tale of the indie dance floor. Named after a sweaty rock club in Liverpool. A few more 80s synth and Springsteen-type storytelling going on here. 

Hold It Steady

This was written after my heart operation. It’s paying homage to my wife and how strong she was through the whole thing. She held my hands steady when they were shaking. It’s a song about not being ready to die. To put it plainly.

Let’s Leave Together

A classic Circa Waves tune, all built around a little whistle hook I made one day. I wanted a summery playful record for the album. Some thing that fits in the car when you’re driving with the windows down. Again it’s about wanting to leave a place with my partner because I feel most at home with just me and her.

Blue Damselfly

This is a track I wrote in the heart hospital. I was overwhelmed and had just been told I had a 1 in 100 chance of dying in the operation. I was freaked out and scared to leave my family behind. My guide in the song is my wife, represented by a blue damselfly. 

Everything Changed

This was written after the operation, about how my world had shifted. I felt strangely positive and happy and buzzing for life. I had a second chance.

Bad Guy Always Win

I wanted to end on a raw indie banger, something fun and full of guitars. It’s a bitter tune about how I feel there are a lot of shitty people in the world. It’s a bit of a cathartic song I needed to get off my chest. But then ends in a mellow and quiet fashion with me accepting the world as it is.



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