Brutus Share New Single “What Have We Done” & Announce European Tour Dates

  • Phinky posted
  • News

The boundary-breaking Belgian trio Brutus have today shared their new single, What Have We Done. It comes ahead of the release of their upcoming third studio album, Unison Life, that is being released via Hassle Records and Sargent House on October 21st, which they will support with a UK headline tour next month. What Have We Done represents Brutus at their very peak. A constantly evolving journey of a song, it grows in stature from the plaintive elegance of Stefanie Mannaerts’ opening verse through to the climactic catharsis that emerges as coruscating post-rock guitar rise to the surface. Powered by the vulnerability of Stefanie’s voice, its lyrics capture the struggle of being trapped within those self-defeating patterns of repeated behaviour. The accompanying video for the song features footage from two of the band’s favourite festivals, Rock Herk and Lokerse Feesten, and the phenomenal audience reaction stands out throughout the visual.

‘What Have We Done’ started with just the guitar, the Moog synth (playing the bassline), and one verse of the lyrics. But we felt this was something special that we needed to take the time to get right. When we continued working on this song, there was this unspoken pressure to go further musically, dig deeper and go the extra mile to finish the track. For some reason, this new piece of music felt like both a turning point and an intersection. In our history of being a band, this feeling came only a few times before, with the songs ‘Bearclaws’, ‘Justice de Julia II’ and ‘War’. Key songs such as these are challenging, but also feel like coming home at the same time. They define who you are as a band. The song embodies what was going on at the time of writing, in the middle of the pandemic. It is about suffering for too long and you have had enough. The verse echoes the mutual feeling we sometimes have as humans with too much going on in our heads and getting stuck in the same loop.” (Stefanie Mannaerts)

Brutus

Recently previewed by the songs VictoriaLiar and Dust, the Unison Life album explores the idea of striving for a life of total contentment, but knowing that the biggest obstacle is being held back by your own shortcomings. Musically, however, it’s fiercely focused with the band eager to exceed their potential. From playing with new ideas, to doggedly perfecting stronger melodies, and experimenting with a wealth of new equipment purchased online, they held themselves to the highest of standards. Their dedication paid off, as Unison Life is the purest expression of the Brutus sound to date.

Brutus

In addition to the band’s upcoming UK tour, Brutus have just announced a European tour which commences next spring. The band’s biggest headline show to date at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels has already sold-out months in advance, leading to the addition of extra shows now being announced across Europe.