Reviews
Album review: Cold Years – A Different Life
Aberdeen’s Cold Years display flashes of brilliance and quiet ambition on their third album, A Different Life…
Watch the video for Cold Years' ace new single, 62 (My Generation's Falling Apart).
Aberdeen punk rockers Cold Years have unveiled an incredibly important new single and accompanying video, 62 (My Generation's Falling Apart).
The standalone track is based on the 62 per cent of Scotland who voted to remain in the European Union – and yet are being forced to leave because of Brexit.
"With 62, we are venting frustration at how bleak things are right now," says vocalist and guitarist Ross Gordon. "Our generation is spiralling out of control, because there’s no real future for us to look forward to. Our country has been torn in half. Sixty-two per cent of Scotland voted to remain in the EU, and we don’t want our country dragged out by any of those opportunistic morons who are tearing apart a nation. We have never been a political band, but I just don’t think we could have stood by and said nothing.”
Read this next: How Brexit could jeopardise the future of live music
On top of the release of 62, Cold Years sent letters to Tory MPs – plus local journalists and UK political commentators – who voted to enable a no-deal Brexit against their constituent's wishes. Brilliant work, guys.
Cold Years' new effort follows fellow UK mob Haggard Cat's bold political move to entomb themselves for 24 hours straight as a metaphor for the impact Brexit is going to have on touring musicians.
“Locking yourself in a box is a stupid idea. As is Brexit,” frontman Matt Reynolds said ahead of the stunt. “It’s intentionally doing something we know is stupid and not in our best interests and puts us at risk. As touring musicians, we can see that the outlook for playing in mainland Europe post-Brexit is bleak, and potentially not even viable for developing artists. We really wanted to demonstrate our feelings on the matter and put across how isolating Brexit is going to be for everyone in Britain, but from our perspective as musicians in particular, by isolating ourselves physically with bricks and mortar.”
Read this next: Skunk Anansie’s Skin: “Brexit is a disaster”