Exclusive Track Premiere: ‘Since We Were Kids,’ Arthur Beatrice

Until the release of their debut EP Carter in 2013, British four-piece Arthur Beatrice kept the details of the band shrouded in mystery. In 2014, the band released Working Out, and now, their sophomore record, Keeping the Peace, is due out on May 27. Here, we are pleased to debut the LP’s third single, “Since We Were Kids,” which begins as a minimalist song but soon swells into a multi-layered composition, supported by strings played by the London Contemporary Orchestra.

“This weird dislocation of achievement and excitement that you feel as you get older was something that was keenly felt after the first record came out,” Elliot Barnes explains, before adding, “I wanted to look at writing about stuff that wasn’t normally the subject matter of pop songs.”

Barnes and his brother Hamish joined Ella Giradot and Orlando Leopard to form Arthur Beatrice in 2010, but the four musicians have been playing in bands together since they were about 14 years old. The song reflects their journey thus far, as well as the fact that, while accomplishments (such as putting out a record and signing to a label) can be checked off a to-do list, it doesn’t mean anything has necessarily changed. “It was easy to become disillusioned and dejected,” Barnes continues. “Matching this notion of ambition, but feeling flat about the fruits of your labors, with the pop of the vocal line felt right; the situation was still oddly positive, not just negative or depressing.”

Arthur Beatrice’s musical style has drawn comparisons to fellow U.K. bands The xx and The Sundays, with standout features including soulful vocals and a highly produced sound that incorporates multiple instruments over minimal, persistent drumbeats—and Keep the Peace continues this effort. “We wanted ‘Since We Were Kids’ to be catchy, but not toe the line of pop homogeny with big piano, big vocals, and big strings,” Barnes says. “We wanted the song to represent what we were trying to achieve with the record: a little of everything we want Keep the Peace to be, and a little of everything that led us to this point in our journey.”

KEEP THE PEACE WILL BE RELEASED ON MAY 26, 2016. FOR MORE ON ARTHUR BEATRICE, VISIT THE BAND’S FACEBOOK.