THE BELLWETHER SYNDICATE – “WE ALL RISE”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
In the world of pop music and culture, there are two icons who are well known for undergoing continual and sometimes drastic change, both in terms of their appearance and their ever-changing sound and style. You guessed it – David Bowie and Madonna. Rest assured, they are not the only chameleons in the field of music. One would only need to look at William Faith of The Bellwether Syndicate to find yet one more.
“Who is William Faith?”, you may ask. Having gone through aesthetic transitions that are much more radical than either of the aforementioned pop stars, the music he’s been involved in has been somewhat less surprising – after all, in the realm of independent music, artists are mainly making music due to passion rather than dollars. A former member of seminal goth acts Christian Death, Mephisto Walz and Shadow Project, William Faith is also co-founder of Faith & The Muse while these days, he also tours with The March Violets and Conflict. Still quite a lot of diversity among these dark and loud artists.
But let’s focus on today, which gives rise to the opportunity to present the latest single from his current band The Bellwether Syndicate. “We All Rise” is the third single from their Vestige & Vigil album, coming in late April via Sett Records (North America) and Nexilis Records (Europe). A steady beat, perfect alt-rock backdrop, tight delivery and confident vocals creates a driving and addictive propulsion that sweeps the listener away willingly. This is a stream of consciousness that should resonate with the masses with words so relevant to the time we are living in: “We rise above our station. We eclipse the light of nations. We reveal the farce for all to see”. With their superb songs – this one switching up from post-punk to alt-rock and back again through this song – it is clear that The Bellwether Syndicate is full of brilliant surprises.
Based in Chicago, Faith is joined by Sarah Rose Faith a.k.a. Scary Lady Sarah, Philly Peroxide, Stevyn Grey and Corey Gorey in forming one powerhouse sound outfit.
“’We All Rise’ is both an acknowledgement of and a call to the inner courage we all possess, which gives us the resolve and the strength to go against the prevailing system and try to build the world that lives in all of our hearts and minds. It is said that inside every cynic there is a wounded idealist, and we see this everywhere; the armor we’ve acquired to protect our dreams. This song is about drawing on that courage and believing again; daring to dream again”, says William Faith.
This single follows the band’s single “Beacons”, its ‘set adrift’ narrative supported by liquid, chorused guitars and distress-signal bass and synth before kicking into a full steam ahead chorus, with chiming, glorious guitars chasing the pulsing beat and soaring vocals all the way home. Earlier, the band released the glam-noir lead track “Dystopian Mirror”, a relentless assault of hard-edged guitars, buzzsaw synths and tribal beats accompanying a guided tour through the realm of mental instability.
Six years in the making, the Vestige & Vigil LP was produced by William Faith, whose credits include Jarboe, Clan of Xymox, Bootblacks and Autumn, and Chad Blinman (Face To Face, Faith and The Muse, Jarboe). Recorded by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago and mixed by Blinman at The Eye Socket, this album arrives nine years after their debut The Night Watch EP and four years since releasing the single “Republik”.
“We All Rise” will be available from all fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where both of the earlier singles can also be obtained. On April 28, the full ‘Vestige & Vigil’ album will be released in multiple formats.
Credits
Written and performed by The Bellwether Syndicate
Produced by William Faith & Chad Blinman
Recorded by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago
Mixed by Chad Blinman at The Eye Socket
Additional programming and treatments by Chad Blinman
Mastered by Josh Sebek
William Faith – Vox and guitars
Sarah Rose Faith – Vox and guitars
Corey Gorey – Guitars (live)
Philly Peroxide – Keyboards and percussion (live)
Stevyn Grey – Drums (live)
‘Dystopian Mirror’ video filmed by William Faith & David Staudacher
‘Beacons’ video filmed by William Faith & Sarah Rose Faith
Videos directed by William Faith
You can also enjoy several select past offerings from The Bellwether Syndicate:
The Bellwether Syndicate
[Single]
(Sett Records/Nexilis Records)
Release Date: February 24, 2023