Written By Wolves is definitely a growing force at the grown-ups table in Aotearoa’s music scene. This band is claiming ever expanding levels of kudos and a burgeoning support that’s elevating them to the top very quickly indeed. Their Sophomore album The Lighthouse is about to drop, marked by a show on 2nd August at Auckland’s Powerstation, co-headlining with Capital Theatre. For deets on that see elsewhere on this site.

The album in general is aiming at the concept of what brings one from dark places: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual – and title track/promo single The Lighthouse is essentially the embodiment of the concept in one single track. From the EPK: “The title-track is the embodiment of the entire concept, the crux of the story. It is the turning point and the moment of realisation that we don’t have to go through these things alone. That it is not weakness to allow someone or something to help us find our way back home, but in fact strength. That these are very normal struggles that everyone goes through – and if everyone is experiencing these same struggles and trying to find their way back home, then we’re never really alone at all. It is about finding your lighthouse, and realising that while it might not always be obvious, it is always there and the light is always on.”

The band is made up of Michael Murphy on vocals, Davie Wong on guitars, Karl Woodmans on drums, and percussionist Oli Lyons. Together the band has put together a thoughtful, emotive song, tempo held in check and accompanied by a gorgeously shot B & W promo video care of Director Nick Kozakis and Director of Photography Dillon Pearce. Some great actors play out the concept, and it runs really nicely, interspersed with introspective solo performance shots of the band members. Really professional work, the vid – and the song – will stand up against anything, from anyone, anywhere.

Vocally I find Michael Murphy to be reminiscent of Jason Kerrison, although that’s just to give you some notion of the timbre we’re listening to. Murphy is by no means a copy-cat. Great vocalist, a great performance in tenor. We’ve got some low key guitars and percussion under some warm strings. Equally warm and riding at a well balanced level is our bottom end. In all it’s a well worked track as far as the studio goes, and composition-wise it lacks for nothing.

As a slow number I expect to hear this on radio a lot, and I will lay down some green oblongs in favour of it getting high rotation on Juice TV and other vid channels. If you’re a fan of Written By Wolves already I say no wonder, as this is a great track. If you’re not on board yet, give this one a listen. You’ll find four musos who know their craft, and know how to compose a commercially valid song that can span a very wide genre gap indeed.

Place at the grown-ups table well and truly proven. Great song, highly professional. Come on, let’s join the Wolfpack!