PREMIERE: Sugar Army – ‘Battles’

Returning to the scene refreshed and inspired, Perth rockers Sugar Army have delivered an intriguing change of pace with the second single from their forthcoming album, Beast.

It’s been a while between drinks for the WA force, but the experimental edge of Battles is proof that time away was exactly what they needed to top the efforts of their sophomore record, 2011’s Summertime Heavy.

Vocalist Pat McLaughlin says Battles sets the tone of what’s to follow, and if the rest of the band’s third album contains similar tight-riffs and powerful choruses, that’s an exciting prospect indeed.

“Battles only came together at the very end of the recording process. We had done a lot of experimenting up to that point and were looking for some comfort, something that we could really sink our teeth into. It feels super fresh and meaty,” McLaughlin says.

The new tune blends fuzz and psychedelic rock with ease, while its film clip – once again pieced together by drummer James Sher – is an immersive and engaging 3D-rendered environment that blurs the lines between reality and fiction.

Beast will drop August 5 independently.