The Libertines are back, this time with their brand new song, ‘Night Of The Hunter’, offering a glimpse into what’s in store with their forthcoming album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, slated for release on 8th March.
On top of this, fans can also expect an extensive UK tour featuring the seminal British indie group.
Co-songwriter and frontman Pete Doherty describes the inspiration behind the track, “We got the title from Charles Laughton’s directorial debut Night Of The Hunter starring Robert Mitchum as a preacher with ‘LOVE’ and ‘HATE’ tattooed on his knuckles. The song’s about not staying ahead of the law. This fella doesn’t really know why his mate’s dead, but he’s got a feeling his mate had it coming to him. He fucked with the wrong people, and he stole something he shouldn’t have, and he got stabbed.”
READ MORE: ★★★★☆ The Libertines at Wembley Arena review | A nostalgic sense of occasion
He continues, “So, he’s angry and hurt and he has to go and get revenge, so he does and that’s it for him, basically. Once he has stabbed the lad who stabbed his mate, that’s it for him. He lashed out in revenge and he knows they’re coming to get him and he’s not even going to try and run because he knows he’ll just be running forever.”
Carl Barat, co-founder of the band, adds a behind-the-scenes take, “I started writing a riff and it ended up sounding a bit like Swan Lake, and everyone went, ‘Yeah!’ Then we got Peter’s theremin player in which took about a day to get in tune, then he played that sequence and it worked beautifully.”
Barat reflects on the theme, “The idea of getting carted off for ten years is horrendous… the condemned man dies 1000 times.”
It’s the second single to be released from the forthcoming album, after ‘Run, Run, Run’ in October.
Accompanying the new song’s release is a video directed by Alex Brown, set in Cliftonville, Margate. The visual storytelling complements the song’s intense narrative. Tune in below!
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