Peter Gabriel: listen to the new single “Won’t Stand Down” from the forthcoming album “o/i”

To mark the “flower moon,” the first of May's two full moons, Peter Gabriel has released a new preview of his upcoming album “o/i”: the single “Won’t Stand Down (Bright-Side Mix)”.

"It's really a song meant to encourage some form of activism," explains Gabriel. "At first I thought about trying to make music for The Elders, who are an extraordinary group. Their worth rests on the moral authority that comes from exceptional lives. That's something I wanted to talk and write about, because in many parts of the world the mood is pretty bleak, and we need people capable of giving us and our leaders a push, keeping fundamental values like justice, compassion and democracy alive. A hope that helps us imagine a fairer, more peaceful and more equitable world."

The conversation then turns to how the future is perceived: "I think people respond much better to positive images of what's to come than when they're bombarded and frightened by negative ones. You're more likely to get involved if you feel hope. Right now we don't see many positive visions of the future, or at least they're not spread with the same force as the negative ones. That's why it's important to start looking for prospects worth aspiring to, and people capable of putting them forward."

Listen to "Won't Stand Down (Bright-Side Mix)" below.

Musically, Gabriel points to some specific influences: "I've always been a fan of Marvin Gaye, and there was a Cuban element in his 'Sexual Healing' that always struck me. I loved the way he let the rhythm move, and I tried to bring something similar into this track, while letting it evolve in a different direction. I think it's a good group performance, in the sense that it wasn't built up over time with lots of overdubbed layers: it feels more alive. And on this song, more than the others on the record, I wanted a real, played emotion."

The single's cover art is by Shirin Neshat, taken from the work "Faith". "I've known Shirin Neshat's work since the Nineties, since the 'Women of Allah' series. She's Iranian, though she might say Persian, and now lives in New York. This image is very beautiful, powerful and political. There are two pairs of hands that, to me, represent the need to protect: to protect a positive future for our children. That's my reading of it, though Shirin's intention might be different."

Gabriel also clarifies the song's possible connection to current events: "Using a work by Shirin, someone might wonder whether the song is connected to what's happening in Iran. Actually, it wasn't written with the bombings in mind, it predates them. But it remains a real condemnation of the fact that humanity still hasn't managed to resolve conflicts without bombing, destroying and killing. We should be well past all that by now."

The "Dark-Side Mix", produced by Tchad Blake, is also due out by the end of the month. Further details on the album will follow shortly.

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