Internalising turmoil at the stairs of our hallowed institutions
Fuss favourites, Go Barefoot, have released a new single following the release of their video for ‘Hail’ less than a month ago.
‘Clouds Of Rain’ presents a mature evolution for the band both sonically and thematically. Sonically, the tracks feels like a natural shift into the tropical prog waters of Foals Total Life Forever. While the band has always had an affinity with the lore of South Africa in the themes they explored, ‘Clouds Of Rain’ sees them probe the sensitive subject of the #FeesMustFall protests which started in 2015 and were revived in 2016.
While the issues at hand may have not affected the group as heavily as those who were at the heart of the protests, the fact that Go Barefoot decided to explore the matter in their art speaks volumes of their psyche. Especially where a considerable amount of people in their circumstances chose to turn the blind eye or react without empathy. ‘Clouds Of Rain’ was written shortly after the re-emergence of the protests in 2016, and while the track offers no tangible solutions to the issue at hand, it presents a cathartic moment from which they emerged enlightened and more conscious of the ills of all those who aren’t acknowledged in our society.
In a press release, Go Barefoot had this to say about ‘Clouds Of Rain’:
The title of the song was extracted from the refrain: “Those aren’t clouds of rain. Cover your mouth and nose again!” This captures the ongoing rhetoric between students who initially were struck by the aggression that they faced from the authorities when the intention of the protests was peaceful. The protests were a wake-up call to the reality of the broad variety of experiences that South Africans live out on a daily basis; concealed, ignored and safeguarded. It was a time for reflection on our identity, heritage, privilege and an opportunity to acknowledge the position in which people live, work, study and struggle. The song enabled a process of reflection on who we are as individuals and how that defines the music we have and continued to compose as well as the appropriateness of what, how, where and to whom we perform.
Listen to ‘Clouds Of Rain’ which is part of the album the band is currently producing below.
