Ahead of the release of his second album, Animals, August Gilde – singer, songwriter and Yorkshire Dales cabin-dweller – unveils its lead single. Released on the 20th October 2023 on Priory Lane Records, “Animals” is an unadorned, deceptively serene recognition of our animalistic compulsion to be individual, to the point of holding extreme opinions just for the sake of it.

Produced by Tali Trow (Miranda Lee Richards) and featuring gorgeous pedal-steel playing by Stephen Barlow (Pixie Lott, Gemma Hayes), it’s Gilde’s first new music since his acclaimed 2021 debut, A Different Kind.

Gilde, who lives and makes music in a log cabin at the top of a hill in rural North Yorkshire, explains:

“I was thinking about the natural divide of people – everyone’s divided, no one’s wrong, everybody’s talking loud. People will argue about anything, and even if something is proven, there will still be people who make it their business to be against it for no other reason than to be different.  This got me wondering why. I came to the conclusion it was an animal instinct. Then I applied it to other scenarios in which what we see in society is also us acting on animal instinct.”

Despite the fretful subject matter – “Everyone fights and no one’s wrong…they all come to feed at sundown…animals,” Gilde sings over feathery guitar accompaniment – his warm, enveloping voice draws you in. Barlow’s pedal steel adds a high-lonesome bluegrass accent, as the song unhurriedly makes its point. It’s very special.

The video was conceived and performed by Ukrainian sand artist Kseniya Simonova, who creates striking animations by drawing entirely in sand on an illuminated board. Her abstract rendering of “Animals” involves elephants, and a snail, among other things, but that description doesn’t do it justice – it demands to be seen. “We agreed she would draw her interpretation of the song. It’s not as I imagined it!” Gilde laughs. “But it was great to see someone else’s interpretation.”

As the first taste of Gilde’s new album, which is due early 2024 “Animals” portends intriguing things from a singular artist.

Written by Caroline Sullivan