Post-punk torchbearers Public Image Ltd. have shared “Car Chase,” the latest glimpse into their forthcoming release, End of World, and first album in 8 years. The erratic synth-riddled rocker is what frontman John Lydon calls “typical PiL, unpredictable to the last.”
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“It’s a fantastic smash-and-grab of a song,” he shared of “Car Chase” in a statement. “It’s about someone who cleverly breaks out of the mental institution every night, unbeknownst to his owners. It’s based on having to go to shopping malls at night for cigarettes and wine and seeing the vast carpark space and lighting surrounded by a little village and a lot of dark trees and country lanes. It’s a really creepy scenario, what if somebody creeps out of there, like a mad lunatic?”
End of World is set for release on August 11. Until then, give the new single a listen below.
“Car Chase” arrives not long after the passing of Lydon’s wife, Nora Forster, whose lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease became the impetus for the frontman’s recent music.
Earlier this year, Lydon alongside PiL bid to represent Ireland in the 67th annual Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Hawaii,” a deeply personal offering and a love letter to Forster.
Reflecting on their life together, “Hawaii” professes the power of love through the good and the bad. “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,” said Lydon of the song in a statement. “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”
While the band lost out to the Irish group Wild Youth, Lydon was able to raise awareness surrounding the disease his wife had been battling since 2018. “It’s shaped me into what I am,” he told the Sunday Times (via Rolling Stone) of her diagnosis. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I don’t see how I can live without her. I wouldn’t want to. There’s no point.”
Photo by Andres Poveda Photography / Prime PR Group
