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“White Roses,” the new collaboration between English indie-pop quartet Flyte and indie-folk trio The Staves, is as beautiful as its title would imply. The two acts met while touring with The Lemon Twigs, bonding over beer and The Office (U.K., of course), which eventually led to the Staveley-Taylor sisters lending their talents to “White Roses,” the first song (“the first of many to come,” they tease) of a new era for the up-and-coming Flyte.
Set at a funeral, “White Roses” juxtaposes mournful, contemplative lyrics with tranquil acoustic guitar strums, gentle, jangling hand percussion and The Staves’ preternaturally lovely vocalizations. Lead singer Will Taylor references both W. H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues” and The Truman Show, reckoning with loss and legacy as he circles the song’s central symbol: its eponymous white roses, said to represent new beginnings.
Flyte are currently at work on the follow-up to their acclaimed 2017 debut album The Loved Ones, which reunites them with a long-time collaborator in producer Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin), adding Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, The National) on mixing duties. During a sold-out surprise show at Omeara in London Thursday night, the band previewed much of their new music for attendees, joined by none other than Jess Staveley-Taylor.
Flyte, who have already toured with the likes of Lord Huron and the aforementioned Lemon Twigs, will tour the U.S. alongside Jade Bird later this summer, starting Sept. 7 in Louisville, Ky. You can find those dates right here.
Listen to “White Roses” below and stay tuned for more on Flyte’s forthcoming project.