86TVs (Limited)
86TVs- Modern Life
- Tambourine
- Days Of Sun
- New Used Car
- Higher Love
- Komerobi
- Worn Out Buildings
- Pipe Dream
- Settled
- Someone Else's Dream
- Spinning World
- A Million Things
- Need You Bad
- Dreaming
- Living Is A Drag
Some things are cyclical. In 2007, The Maccabees were Britain’s brightest new band as they started a journey which would encompass a #1 album, an Ivor Novello Award, and three triumphant farewell shows at Alexandra Palace. Now guitarists Hugo and Felix White are back in a similar position – and now with a wealth of further experience, both within music and other adventures - as their new band 86TVs today release their long-awaited self-titled debut album.
It’s taken seven years to get to this point, albeit with most of that time working on other projects and keeping the band under wraps. Joined by third White brother Will on bass and drummer Jamie Morrison (Stereophonics, Noisettes), the group unlocked their creativity by refocusing on the pure passion of making music. And when it came time to step back into the spotlight, they knew they had something to prove - and relishing facing that challenge.
Recorded quickly during sessions with the famed producer Stephen Street, 86TVs’ debut album exudes a positive spirit and unrestrained energy, its harmony-rich songs exploring a depth of avenues along the indie and alt-rock spectrum. Yet scratch the surface, and its lyrics often face more conflicted emotions head-on - grief, personal challenges and making new starts - yet emerge all the stronger in their wake.
The album’s new focus track ‘New Used Car’ particularly captures that essence. It’s a story of a regular yet optimistic day that takes a tragic turn, a narrative that works as an engaging metaphor for how life shifts in unexpected directions. Its driving, road trip rhythms and bright, bristling riffs, however, provide an uplifting spark to contrast its theme - and even that takes flight into new horizons with the rousing hook “Nothing lasts forever / Gotta live for today.”
While the original version of ‘New Used Car’ is available exclusively on physical formats of the album, all streaming services add a feature courtesy of Jamie T, who has been a good friend of the White brothers for years. As with all life-affirming friendships, they’ve often reunited in surprising ways over the years, notably in 2017 when he joined The Maccabees on stage at their final show. In 2022, Hugo produced the majority of Jamie’s first #1 album ‘The Theory of Whatever’ (Jamie Morrison also performed drums on several tracks), and later that year, 86TVs opened for Jamie T on their first full tour. In 2023 they shared another big moment when Hugo joined Jamie at his biggest ever headline show at Finsbury Park, and now Jamie is helping 86TVs launch their debut album.
Hugo says, “‘New Used Car’ is a song about the purity of friendship and how we can be forced to change paths as life pulls in unexpected ways. Ultimately, it’s about appreciating the moment, loving what you have when you have it. Jamie T is one of my closest and dearest friends, being able to tell a story alongside him is just truly a gift. He’s been one of the biggest supporters of this band since the beginning.”
The track is accompanied by a video which was directed by Hugo. He explains, “The video set out to capture the pure innocence and optimism of friendship, crystallising the early days of youth and brotherhood. Inspired by witnessing the beauty in the relationship of my son & his best mate (both 6-years-old), I asked them if they wanted to be in the video. They both said yes! Their story captures the point at which the song begins, ahead of an unknown journey. Only as an adult can you really appreciate how much of life is formed in these moments.”
86TVs’ journey to this moment has included two sold-out headline tours, a wave of critical acclaim, and strong airplay support including current playlists at 6 Music (for ‘Komorebi’) and Radio X (for ‘Someone Else’s Dream’). They’ve also played big shows with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Editors, and even faced up to the legendary John McEnroe for an intense and violent (but entirely fictional) therapy session as captured in the ‘Komorebi’ video.