Distorted pop trio THE XCERTS today announce their brand-new single ‘ACHE’ featuring Sam Carter of Architects on guest vocals. The track is available on all streaming platforms via UNFD - https://thexcerts.lnk.to/ache. The track follows first single 'GIMME'.

Their second single to be released this year, The XCERTS welcome long-time friend Sam Carter from metal behemoths Architects onto ‘Ache’, adding a new depth as well a newfound sense of fun that the band have discovered in spades whilst writing these songs; a brand-new attitude for a brand-new chapter of the band. The video, which also features a guest appearance from Sam, has all the feel of a track made with friends that’s been a long-time coming. Nothing but high energy and pure joy spread across the faces of all involved.

On collaborating with Sam, frontman Murray explained; “I met Sam on the first day of college, when we were both 17 years old. We connected instantly and have been inseparable ever since. He’s family at this point. Not only has he championed us publicly, but he has been there every step of the way throughout our career with nothing but support. Sam featuring on an XCERTS song is long overdue, but I’m glad we waited until now as ‘Ache’ is a song about desperately clinging on to hope when your own mental wellbeing is crumbling; when the world at large feels too much, all you need sometimes is a glimmer of beauty to remind you that life is special. Sam has offered up countless glimmers and taught me a lot about letting go. My guy is pure love.”

Murray also commented on the creation of ‘Ache’; “At the time of writing 'Ache' I was listening to a lot of shoegaze; I really wanted to bring the 'wall of noise' chaos and lushness of the genre into a hyper world, alongside the emo influence that has always been prevalent in our music. A lot of the songs that inspired 'Ache' are rooted in mid-tempos so I thought it would be an interesting spin to speed it up. The opening line of the chorus is taken from 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams which I re-read a few times during lockdown, and for whatever reason, I found those words to be profound during an intensely tough time. My (now) girlfriend gave me the book during that period, and she is the 'beauty' "In the darkness waving", so the song and influence mean a great deal to me.”

In January, the band released the first single from this new iteration of the band, the bombastic ‘GIMME’. The track was widely praised by critics and described as “a furiously catchy, superbly punchy return” by CLASH Magazine - watch the video here.