Special Interest have unveiled a brand new single, ‘(Herman’s House)’.
The track, which is out digitally today (May 19), marks the New Orleans group’s first new material since they signed to Rough Trade last year, and follows on from 2020’s breakthrough album The Passion Of, which featured among tQ’s favourite albums of that year. You can watch a video for the new cut above.
‘(Herman’s House)’ is centred around the story of Herman Wallace, one of the Angola Three – three Black revolutionaries who were held for decades in solitary confinement while imprisoned at Louisiana State Penitentiary. During Wallace’s imprisonment, he became close with an artist, Jackie Sumell, and the two collaborated to create Wallace’s dream house, taking four years and hundreds of letters to design it.
Speaking in a statement about Wallace’s story and its influence on the track, Special Interest vocalist Alli Logout and guitarist Maria Elena said: "Despite the sadistic torture they endured, they continued their fight towards Black liberation behind the prison walls. This song bears witness to our wonder and desire to dismantle the oppressive systems that hinder our possibilities towards true liberation, to annihilate, to destroy and to rebuild with one another. It’s a battle cry for dreamers who persist in spite of and because. This song moves us and it grooves us towards this end, may we go forward but not by ourselves."
Following the track’s digital release, it will be made available on limited edition 7-inch vinyl at select record stores from July 15. The B-side will feature a cover of Amanda Lear’s 1978 track ‘Follow Me’. The artwork for the single is inspired by the original Rough Trade 7-inch vinyl design, such as the 1978 Augustus Pablo single Pablo Meets Mr Bassie. It will also be priced in-line with the cost of records in that era, at 85p.
‘(Herman’s) House’ is out now on Rough Trade.
