Glasgow four-piece Delta Fire released “Eyes Burn Gold” on April 3rd, their second single following their debut “Lady Danger.” The band – Kieron McManus and Liam McLaughlin sharing vocal and guitar duties, Aidan Spencer on bass, and Andrew Knox-Watson on drums – recorded at Chem19, the historic Scottish studio where Franz Ferdinand, Deacon Blue, and Lewis Capaldi have all worked. Engineer Derek O’Neil, who handled the debut, returned for this one. The studio’s vintage and analogue gear is all over the sound. Liam takes lead vocals here, which was a deliberate choice to show a different side of the band, and the fantasy-realm lyrical territory – sand glowing, warlocks, floodgates of madness – gives the track an epic sweep that sits somewhere between the Elden Ring soundtrack and psychedelic rock anthem.
The production on the song is great – the bass is so warm and in your face. It perfectly envelopes you while the melancholic vocals take the lead. This is reminiscent of Scorpions’ melodic sensibilities. It’s very somber, yet it sounds bigger than life, with this kind of timeless sadness and introspection. It’s what it feels like to wallow and simmer in your own wounds, going on a ride all alone.
Delta Fire are a year into this lineup and already gigging hard across Scotland – BLOC+ on March 31st, Printhouse in Ayr on April 10th, Metro in Saltcoats on April 18th, and a summer of UK shows and festivals in the works. With an album on the way and two singles already showing genuine range, they’re worth getting ahead of.
