Nation of Language

Previous praise for Nation Of Language: 

"They've delivered a true modern-day classic of the synth-pop genre." - NME ★★★★★

“A Way Forward is Nation of Language at their best and boldest.” - Gigwise 8/10

The synth-pop band combine mannered singing, retro-styling and high seriousness to highly impressive effect”  - Financial Times ★★★★ 

“There are nods to the early 80s, like Depeche Mode." - BBC6 Music, Steve Lamacq 

“Shades of OMD and Depeche Mode in the Brooklynites’ wonderfully solemn piece of retro electro-pop.”  - The Times 

“It offers a subtle reminder that these art-school Brooklynites might have equally fond memories of 2000s indie-dance artists like Cut Copy, Bloc Party, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as their ’80s luminaries.” - Pitchfork 

"'Across That Fine Line' brings a whole new level of confidence to their ‘80s-inspired sound.” - Consequence

 “Let’s just call it. It’s the Album of the Year.” - KEXP

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From Brooklyn, Nation Of Language have made a name for themselves creating music from another lifetime. From signing to PIAS mid-campaign, selling out a UK tour months in advance, to the release of their album A Way Forward which came out last year to critical acclaim from NME (5 Stars), Financial Times (4 Stars), Gigwise, Pitchfork, Mojo, Stereogum, SPIN, and more.

Today they return with new single ‘From The Hill’, soothing vocals over a synth-pop dream. It’ll be part of a 7” that will be released on 9th December and will include vinyl exclusive track ‘Ground Control’.

On the track singer Ian Devaney said, “'From the Hill' is a song reflecting on times when friendships fall apart over romantic entanglement, accompanied by the sensation that you're somehow watching it happen from above with a more zoomed-out perspective. It can feel at times like certain parts of life are a story with which you're just following along - the characters enter, they play their role, and then they leave. Often it'll feel sudden and catch you off guard, and other times you’re able to see that it's the only way things could have played out despite what you may have wanted.”

He adds, “For us, we’re in a moment right now where it feels good to get this out into the world. It’s one that didn't really feel like it fit the vibe of A Way Forward, nor is it any real indication of where the next record is likely heading. When that situation arrives we like to use these 7” releases to step outside the larger framework that the albums provide and just release a track that we love, so this is us doing that once again.”

After four years of releasing the odd single, the band were desperate to make a full album but due to financial constraints it wasn’t possible. It was only when Ian Devaney and Aiden Noell from the band decided to get married, they had the idea for people to give them wedding presents in the form of donations so they could finally record debut album Introduction, Presence. Everything that came after, was due to their own hard work, and the success of this album meant they were able to record A Way Forward. Guitarist Alex MacKay joined in 2022.

A Way Forward captured the trials and tribulations of modern life  — from the simplest forms of human connection to surviving a world in which political corporate machines spew a stream of digital pollution through every device. While much of the sounds on first album Introduction, Presence garnered comparisons to the synth-punk sound of the 80’s, with this new set of songs the band delved heavily into the Krautrock pioneers and electronic experimentalists of the 70’s for inspiration in the studio, stretching their boundaries in new and different ways. 

The band have had outstanding support from The Times, DIY, NME, Pitchfork, BBC6 Music, CLASH, Gigwise, Consequence and more. Previous single ‘This Fractured Mind’ was on the BBC6 Music A-List for 4 weeks, with ‘A Word & A Wave’, ‘Across That Fine Line’,  ‘Wounds Of Love’, and ‘The Grey Commute’ being tasters of the album. A Way Forward has also received an incredible 5 Stars from NME, and an 8/10 from Gigwise, as well as doing a live session for KEXP.