KEN Mode’s Latest Single “These Wires” Takes Aim at Post-Pandemic Traumas
It should go without saying, but the COVID-19 pandemic we’re still reeling from might have left society in a worse state than before. Such is the result of having yet another one of those history changing, “once in a 100 years” events, but here we are. And just like so many artists around the world who are now using that pain and frustration to fuel their art, KEN Mode feel they’ve now released that traumatic event’s “anthem.”
Their latest single, titled “These Wires,” trades in the band’s signature righteous rage and furious anger for a more muted, yet powerful statement. Sure, there’s still that fire in its belly later on in the song’s nearly eight minute runtime, but a roaming bassline and spoken vocals take center stage as vocalist Jesse Matthewson asks “why would anything feel right again?” People are still reeling from that shit and like many artists out there, KEN Mode have obviously also been affected by it.
“Do you get the sense that a lot of people have been fundamentally damaged by the pandemic? The psychological fallout of this event is going to be seen for years to come, and this is its anthem.”
The subject is nothing new for KEN Mode, as their previous full-length album NULL was based explicitly on and molded by the darkest days of the pandemic. According to the band, their upcoming ninth album VOID is a companion to NULL, with the former album being inspired by the same events and written around the same time frame. While NULL highlighted the chaos and shock of the pandemic’s early days, VOID is all about “the disappointment and sadness that followed.”
VOID will release on September 22, but you can preorder your copy today. KEN Mode are also on tour in Europe at the moment, but they have some upcoming North American dates as well. Be sure to check the full list of dates below.
Tour:
Sep 24 – Porto, PT @ Amplifest
Sep 26 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 w/Fange
Sep 27 – Lille, FR @ L’Aéronef w/Fange
Sep 28 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephémère w/Fange
Sep 29 – Angoulême, FR @ La Nef w/Fange
Sep 30 – Clermont-Ferrand, FR @ La Coopérative de Mai w/Fange
Oct 1 – Yverdon-Les-Bains, CH @ L’Amalgame
Oct 2 – Karlsruhe, DE @ Jubez w/Fange
Oct 3 – Dresden, DE @ Ostpol w/Fange
Oct 4 – Wroclaw, PL @ Klub Łącznik w/Fange
Oct 5 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree w/Fange
Oct 7 – Aalborg, DK @ 1000 Fryd w/Fange
Oct 8 – Aarhus, DK @ HeadQuarters w/Fange
Oct 10 – Liege, BE @ La Zone w/Fange
Oct 11 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat w/Fange
Oct 12 – Bruxelles, BE @ Le Botanique w/Fange
Oct 13 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
Oct 14 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall w/Lingua Ignota
Oct 31 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre w/Baroness
Nov 3 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile w/Baroness
Nov 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre w/Baroness
Nov 6 – Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall w/Baroness
Nov 7 – Calgary, AB @ The Palace Theatre w/Baroness
Nov 10 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina
Nov 11 – Winnipeg, MB @ Good Will Social Club w/Tunic
Dec 1 – Denver, CO @ Decibel Metal & Beer Festival
