London five-piece HMLTD have unveiled their latest single, ‘The Worm’, ahead of the release of their second album of the same name this Friday (7th April).
The ambitious track was inspired by Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’ and was recorded with a 16-piece string orchestra in Athens and a gospel choir in London.
The accompanying video, directed by frontman Henry Spychalski, was shot in an abandoned and desecrated church in London’s East End.
Speaking about the song, Spychalski explains: “‘The Worm’ is by far and away the most ambitious song we’ve made to date. We recorded it with a 16-piece string orchestra in Athens and, later, a small gospel choir in London. It was inspired by Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. For the cacophonous outro which closes the song, we asked the orchestra to play the part with the ‘sensazione de un verme’ (the sensation of a worm). The lyrics are the clearest admission that the album is a symbol of my depression and battle with it.”
“We shot the video in an abandoned, desecrated church in London’s East End to emphasise the spiritual nature of the song and its themes of struggle and salvation. In the video, I wanted to show man’s inner demons physically manifested as real, living, breathing entities – the Worm within man.”
HMLTD have also announced a select number of live shows, including two nights at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, an appearance at Dorset’s End of the Road festival and more.
Watch the video for ‘The Worm’ below.
