Following a visit to South Africa in December 2022, and a sold out tour across the UK and Europe in June, Beatenberg have released their first single of 2023, “Don’t Call Her Over To You”.
The song is another playful take on the record-breaking band’s global approach to pop music which they have been busy exporting since 2022 after a four year hiatus.
Made up of Matthew Field (vocals and guitar), Robin Brink (drums), and Ross Dorkin (bass), the trio are based between London and Berlin, and one of South Africa’s much loved exports.
Upon the release of their debut album The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg in 2014, the album became a showcase for the possibilities of pop music, exploring sounds from around the world.
In South Africa, their debut broke radio chart records, won numerous awards which led to worldwide touring with performances on Later with Jools Holland and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. This exposure led to signing a deal with Island Records UK with whom they released their second album, 2018’s ’12 Views of Beatenberg’.
In 2021, Matthew Field “put out two terrific solo EPs that allowed him to experiment within the Beatenberg universe while also carving out a lane of his own” (Pitchfork).
The following year, the band reformed to release On The Way To Beatenberg EP via independent label Leafy Outlook. It scored 8/10 on ‘The Line of Best Fit’ with Pitchfork writing Beatenberg were sounding “wiser, softer, and as virtuosic as ever.”
2022 saw them play sold out stadiums across the UK supporting George Ezra, and their first sold out headline tour of Europe and the US, culminating in a performance at SXSW in March 2023. In June 2023, they sold out Village Underground in London two months in advance.
“Don’t Call Her Over To You” is the first single of more music to be released this year, with a fully formed Beatenberg comeback on the cards. The single offers fans yet another example of the band’s simultaneously profound and catchy songwriting supported by elegant production and unmistakable groove.
Matthew Field from Beatenberg comments on the track
“The song was written across a significant period of time – like an old building; if you look at it closely you can discern three separate sections dating to three different periods. The title line occurred to me when I was thinking about the effects of emotional reliance on someone, and how what is given freely should maybe not always be taken as freely.”
The band describes the single as essentially representing a set of core values and approach to music making and their sound, both in writing and sonically, which is neither old or new. The goal is always to present songs in the best way possible and stay out of the way of its inherent musicality and ability to communicate something ineffable to those who take the time to listen to and feel it.
You can stream / download the track HERE.
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