Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, the seminal post-punk band from Leeds, UK, have just released ‘Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)’ – their first new single since ‘Talking Back’ (1991). ‘Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)’ is an exclusive mix by the band’s bassist and producer, Simon ‘Ding’ Archer; also of The Fall, Pixies, PJ Harvey, 1919, etc. The new track dropped on Friday 4 October for Bandcamp Day, launching presales for Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s forthcoming EP, Driving Black.
Asked recently how the band approach writing singles like ‘Driving Black’, longtime guitarist and cowriter Dave ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden told Devolution Magazine (UK):
“We never wrote songs with singles in mind. To us they are just songs that we thought good enough to release. Some songs seem better suited as singles. I think when everything is ready you pick what seems suitable. For a single, you want the maximum impact in a short space of time, and to get people curious about the other stuff.”
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry formed in 1981. Known for their dark, jarring, minimalist sound, the Lorries carved out their niche with a unique blend of punk, post-punk, and industrial influences. Led by founding member Chris Reed’s cavernous, brooding vocals; and by Reed and longtime guitarist and cowriter Dave ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden angular, droning, wall-of-sound guitars; their early trademark style was driven along by grinding bass, and an almost industrial hybrid of drum-machines and primal live percussion. Later output saw Reed and Wolfenden’s co-writing partnership mature and develop towards a more melodic, song-driven direction.
The band achieved critical acclaim and significant cultural influence in the 1980s, with the albums Talk About the Weather (1985), Paint Your Wagon (1986), Nothing Wrong (1988), and Blow (1989), before calling it a day with fifth album, Blasting Off (1992). At the height of their influence, singles like ‘Monkeys on Juice’, ‘Hollow Eyes’, ‘Spinning Round’, ‘Cut Down’ and ‘Crawling Mantra’ were among the band’s biggest indie chart hits, while ‘Talk About the Weather’, ‘Walking on Your Hands’, ‘Nothing Wrong’ and ‘Temptation’ became enduring underground anthems. Over the years, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry built a dedicated following that remains with them to this day; their uncompromising sound leaving a lasting influence on the darker edges of post-punk, alternative rock, and gothic rock, despite the band rejecting the goth tag themselves.
The Driving Black EP is released 6 December via COP International, in 12” vinyl and digital download formats, and serves as a tantalizing prelude to the band’s highly anticipated new album, Strange Kind of Paradise: due out February 2025. The six-track Driving Black EP offers three exclusive, non-album tracks (‘Safe as Houses’, ‘Living with Spiders’, and ‘Piece of My Mind’); alongside three unique mixes of songs from the forthcoming album. Lead single ‘Driving Black’ receives two exclusive mixes for the EP: one from Ding, and the other from legendary producer John Fryer, renowned for his work with Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and Cocteau Twins. ‘Chickenfeed’ meanwhile gets the remix treatment from German dark indie rock outfit The Halo Trees.
Featuring a cover painting by Wolfie, the Driving Black EP has been pressed as a limited-edition coloured vinyl 12” EP – only 1,000 copies available worldwide. With its stunning four-color sleeve, two-page inlay, and PVC collector’s bag, this release is destined to become an instant collector’s item for Lorries fans and vinyl enthusiasts alike. Presales of the EP (vinyl or digital), including immediate download of ‘Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)’, are available from Bandcamp now.
