On their eighth studio album Moonstruck Man, New Zealand rock ’n’ roll veterans deliver a riff-fuelled collection of heavy rock, psychedelia and garage-punk attitude. Available now via Hellsquad Records on limited-edition white vinyl, standard black vinyl and CD.
Listen/Purchase now: https://linktr.ee/thedatsuns
“It roars out of the gates with a series of rockers before settling into a mid tempo groove with the Bowie-esque ‘Into The Heart’, groggy gem ‘Tightrope’ and ‘False Friends’, a psych-tined fusion of The Doors and Wings. Come for the riffs, stay for the ballads.” – UNCUT
“They deliver a master class in retro rock like it’s no big deal… The band Dave Grohl once called the future of rock’n’roll have still got it.” – Classic Rock
“Cambridge’s finest – and only – dirty rock’n’roll band… drop another celestially-titled riff-driven single with fuzzy guitar inclinations and more of that blow-torch guitar” – NZ Listener (Run From The Sun)
“crunchy heavy psych riffage” – Undertheradar (Run From The Sun)
“Tis a tune bedazzled & besotted; moonstruck, indeed.” – HEAVY Magazine (Moonstruck Man)
With decades of rock ’n’ roll behind them, New Zealand’s The Datsuns have never been ones to follow the rules. Today, the band celebrate the release of their eighth studio album, Moonstruck Man, a full-throttle collection of heavy riffs, scorching guitars and psychedelic detours that finds the band doing what they do best: making unapologetic rock ’n’ roll entirely on their own terms.
Out now via Hellsquad Records, Moonstruck Man draws on the spirit of ’70s hard rock, classic heavy metal, garage punk, desert rock and psychedelia, the album is packed with driving rhythms, fuzz-drenched guitars, soaring vocals and the kind of raw, unrestrained energy that has defined the band throughout their career.
The album singles release to date include the title track which is a gloriously rambling slice of ’70s-inspired rock, loaded with wailing wah, scorching guitars, high-register vocals and flashes of prog and glam-rock eccentricity. ‘Run From The Sun’ takes things into heavier, more hypnotic territory, combining bluesy basslines and killer fuzz riffs with the expansive, dreamy atmosphere of desert rock. Meanwhile, ‘Glide Like A Ghost’ brings a high-energy collision of classic heavy metal, psychedelic rock and modern stoner rock, driven by raw, heavy guitars, swaggering desert-rock riffs, punchy garage-punk attitude and sharp, witty storytelling.
Today the band have released a video for ‘Glide Like A Ghost’ directed by Marc Swadel, marking his third collaboration with The Datsuns. A musical multi-hyphenate whose extensive credits include The Chemical Brothers, Duran Duran, Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave, Portishead, The Stone Roses, Thurston Moore and Crowded House, Swadel brings a distinctly hands-on, analogue approach to the project.
Determined to create something that couldn’t be mistaken for AI, Swadel took inspiration from the 16mm stop-motion aesthetic of Derek Jarman, crafting a wonderfully atmospheric visual world. Shot across the bridges and backstreets of cold, dark London, the video captures a suitably ghostly landscape where, as Swadel puts it, “ghosts do roam”.
WATCH: The Datsuns – ‘Glide Like A Ghost’ (Official Video)
Created across three countries, Moonstruck Man was recorded at several studios throughout Sweden, including Studio Gröndahl, Gold Halo, Kiki’s Castle, Livingstone Boudoirs and Riddarborgen.
The Datsuns’ current line-up features Dolf de Borst on lead vocals and bass, Christian Livingstone on guitar and vocals, Phil Somervell on guitar, and Adam Lindmark of Swedish hard-rock band Dead Lord on drums.
With Moonstruck Man, The Datsuns reaffirm their place as one of New Zealand’s most enduring and uncompromising rock ’n’ roll exports.
THE DATSUNS
Moonstruck Man
Out Now: https://linktr.ee/thedatsuns
1. Electric Highs
2. Glide Like A Ghost
3. Moonstruck Man
4. Run From The Sun
5. Into The Heart
6. Tightrope
7. Ugly Leather
8. False Fiends
9. Going Nowhere
10. Double Vision
11. A Last Echo
FOLLOW THE DATSUNS ONLINE:
WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / YOUTUBE / BANDCAMP
