James Bay has shared a new single co-written by The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers – listen to ‘Easy Distraction’ below.
The collaborative, upbeat guitar anthem serves as the second preview of Bay’s fourth studio album ‘Changes All The Time’, which is out on September 20 via Mercury/EMI (pre-order here).
“For every mistake, I’ll give you my hand/ Just promise to hold it wherever we land,” the musician sings in the soaring track’s breakdown before it builds up to a reverb-drenched solo.
“The song is about realising too late that someone means so much to you, but you still want to show them and let them know,” Bay explained. “It’s exploring how, in the face of adversity we can still reach out, we can still connect.”
As for working with Flowers, the artist said: “I found out from a mutual friend that Brandon was interested in writing with newer artists, so I jumped at the chance and went to work with him in Park City, Utah over in America.
“It was an unbelievable experience and insight into writing with one of my heroes. I hope we get to do more!”
Watch the official lyric video here:
Bay has called The Killers “one of his biggest inspirations”, with ‘Easy Distraction’ marking his first collaboration with Flowers.
The new team-up appears to have been in the works for some time. Speaking to NME in 2020, Bay explained: “[Flowers] invited me into the studio and we wrote and demoed a song.”
He added: “The insight I got from working with him was incredible, and to be in his presence watching him work and write music the way he does is something I’ll never forget. He is a consummate pro and deserves the legendary status he already has.
“I brought a melody to our session and he said, ‘Fuck, it’s like a straight-up Beatles melody right there’. I was like ‘OK, so Brandon Flowers is comparing a melody I wrote to The Beatles’ – it was surreal! It was a very cool moment.”
The lead single from the forthcoming ‘Changes All The Time’ arrived last month in the form of ‘Up All Night’, featuring Noah Kahan and The Lumineers. Bay’s previous album, ‘Leap’, was released in 2022.
The singer-songwriter is due to embark on a UK and Ireland headline tour next February. See the full list of dates below, and find any remaining tickets here.
James Bay’s 2025 UK and Ireland tour dates are:
FEBRUARY
01 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
04 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
05 – O2 Academy, Leeds
07 – O2 Apollo, Manchester
08 – O2 Academy, Birmingham
10 – 3Olympia, Dublin
13 – OVO Arena Wembley, London
In other news, The Killers are currently in Las Vegas for their ‘Hot Fuss’ 20th anniversary residency. The band released a euphoric new single called ‘Bright Lights’ earlier this month.
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