Best known as one of the UK’s rising emo bands over recent years, downcast’s new single takes them in an entirely new direction. Their new single, brainless, is a topical, politically charged rager, with both a style and subject matter that one might expect from the likes of Rise Against or boysetsfire, rather than the Bristol natives.
Never a band to shy away from difficult subject matter (as recent single falling to pieces demonstrates perfectly), downcast’s new single brainless covers numerous topics. Most prominently, the theme of right wing demonising of immigrants and desensitisation to the fact that there are real people suffering, not just meaningless faces on the end of a screen. As the outro says, “How many kids have got to die, before you open up your eyes?”. There are powerful messages in this song, that would make a difference if some people took it to heart.
To explain more about brainless, here’s downcast frontman Liam Edwards:
“Our new single is about my frustrations with the rise of far-right ideologies in the UK in recent years. I’ve witnessed so many people become radicalised by false information, and it’s sad knowing that their hatred is completely misplaced. To see people convinced that those who they have the most in common with are the reason for their struggles, while praising the billionaires who are destroying our planet and making us poorer, is so disappointing.“