Northern Ireland ensemble Lonesome George are releasing their new single 'The Lying Devil' tomorrow, July 15th, but Hot Press are sharing an exclusive premiere of the atmospheric track below.

Using low whistle, mandolin, bodhrán and guitar, the outfit carry a tastefully reserved arrangement as the story unfolds, before leaning into their traditional roots with a reel woven into the song's latter half.

A band of songwriters and traditional musicians from Belfast with a talent for weaving activism and social philosophy into their wholesome and engaging version of folk-fusion, the summer of 2021 sees the group steadily releasing tracks from their new album as we wait for live music to re-enter the building.

'The Lying Devil' is a meditative and calming track, with songwriter Myles McCormack expressing the inspiration behind the song: the Catholic Church and the spiritual confusion of young Irish generations.

"Born out of frustration with the churches influence in the country, the song expresses a common philosophy among younger generations, of atheism or disillusionment. The lyrics describe a scene in which someone is threatening hell and damnation (the lying devil) and culminate in the succinct chorus “Hell, my hell is heaven as well...” in which the chords become suitably dark or light depending on the words."

"Whilst being essentially critical of the churches role in todays world, 'The Lying Devil' ultimately lands on a tone of acceptance and compassion around how everyone is entitled to their own belief and interpretation of these indescribable things," McCormack adds.

Songwriters Joe Campbell-McArdle and Myles McCormack approached traditional music at the same time and have
learned alongside one another as friends.

The pair are joined by Stephen Loughran, a flute player and prolific composer, and Dermot Moynagh, whose contemporary style on the bodhran has brought him all round the world and established him as one of the best percussionists in Belfast.

Lonesome George was the last of his species; a Pinta island (one of the Galapagos island's off the coast of Ecuador) tortoise. As the band's namesake, he exists as a symbol of resistance, a legacy of a time gone by, the last of his kind.

"We imagine him to be a kindred spirit. He is a proud, majestic creature, gentle yet strong, hardy and a survivor. In honour of him and all other survivors, we celebrate the symbols which represent a grassroots struggle against global capitalism and the destruction of this beautiful Earth by the forces of profit!"

Listen to 'The Lying Devil' below:

For more information on Lonesome George, check out their website.

Photo credit: Sophie McAteer