Humanist has shared new single ‘Brother’ – a Dave Gahan sung tribute to Mark Lanegan.
The track features a rousing vocal from Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan and is a moving tribute to the late, great Mark Lanegan with whom Humanist’s Rob Marshall collaborated on the albums Gargoyle and Somebody’s Knocking. Commenting on the track Rob Marshall says: “One week after Lanegan’s departure, Ed Harcourt reached out to me regarding one of the musical ideas I’d shared. He reminisced about Mark’s habit of affectionately calling his closest allies ‘Brother’. Which is what he always called me too. This endearing term hinted at a camaraderie akin to a tight-knit family. The song became ‘Brother’. Listening back for the first time, immersed in the music, emotions surged and memories flooded my mind. Initially overwhelmed, I was moved to tears by the sheer power of it all. Dave Gahan, being another of Mark’s longtime friends, seemed the perfect fit for the vocals, and after hearing the track he completely agreed. The track came further to life as more of Mark’s former comrades came into the picture: Isobel Campbell’s haunting cello, Sietse van Gorkom’s stirring strings – all intertwined in a cathartic symphony of remembrance and reverence. It’s a humble tribute to a colossal soul, but it feels undeniably fitting.”
Rob Marshall: One week after Lanegan's departure, Ed Harcourt reached out to me regarding one of the musical ideas I'd shared. He reminisced about Mark's habit of affectionately calling his closest allies 'Brother'. Which is what he always called me too. This endearing term hinted at a camaraderie akin to a tight-knit family. The song became 'Brother'. Listening back for the first time, immersed in the music, emotions surged and memories flooded my mind. Initially overwhelmed, I was moved to tears by the sheer power of it all. Dave Gahan, being another of Mark's longtime friends, seemed the perfect fit for the vocals, and after hearing the track he completely agreed. The track came further to life as more of Mark's former comrades came into the picture: Isobel Campbell's haunting cello, Sietse van Gorkom's stirring strings – all intertwined in a cathartic symphony of remembrance and reverence. It's a humble tribute to a colossal soul, but it feels undeniably fitting.
The opening line, 'I have died a million thousand times,' I thought, 'Wow, if anybody can sing that line with genuine conviction, it's Dave because of his history. He's such a genuine and gentle character. I don't know what he was like in the '80s and '90s, but he's somebody that is essentially a superstar. For somebody who can stand in front of a crowd and sing to that amount of people and then hold a very normal conversation afterwards, it's quite staggering, really. He holds onto his ego with the grip of a beast. He's a very, very nice guy.
DIGITAL RELEASE
DIGITAL SINGLE
1Brother 04:51
VIDEO RELEASE
Brother
Release 11 June 2024
Written by Rob Marshall, Ed Harcourt
Produced by Rob Marshall
Video by Bella Union
AUDIO | RELEASES
PRODUCTION DETAILS TRACK
"Brother" 04:51 • Producer: Rob Marshall, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Programmed By, Vocals, Drum Programming: Rob Marshall, Written: Rob Marshall, Ed Harcourt, Cello: Isobel Campbell, Drums: Scott Pemberton, Strings: Sietse Van Gorkom, Mastered: Charlie Francis, Mixed: Chris Sheldon, Art Direction: Kate Louise Smith (Magnificent Artist Management)
