Creating what they call “a shimmering brand of indie-electronic pop,” British trio The Cost of Loving have offered a third glimpse into their world. It comes in the form of their newest single, “Esports Player,” a synthy new wave affair that calls to the 80s, but also the new millennium. It’s bouncy but driving, and not dissimilar to acts like MGMT or The Chain Gang Of 1974. Lead singer Jack Kwiecinski says it was borne of the pandemic lockdowns, and what it means to be socially isolated in the digital age.
“I’m… bewildered by the idea of people playing video games as a professional sport or filming themselves in the act for their millions of followers,” he says of the song’s title, a nod to athletes of the now-multi-billion dollar industry centered on professional gaming. It’s a smooth play in sequence with the Nottingham-based band’s other two singles this far, and perhaps a good flash of what else they’ve got in store.
Words by Andy Gorel
Photos by Charlie Cummings
“I was adjusting to working on Microsoft Teams and only interacting with people solely through screens and instant messenger. That’s how a theme developed around the social isolation created by the digital age. I’m also sort of bewildered by the idea of people playing video games as a professional sport or filming themselves in the act for their millions of followers”
“I came up with the verse melody to Esports Player a few years ago when driving on the motorway in the dark. The original opening line I had was: ‘The streetlights run out; the cat’s eyes close’ (a play on the reflective studs on the motorway). I got home and recorded the verse melody over some chords played through a Rhodes plugin, then left it on the scrapheap of creative ideas.
I revisited the track during the pandemic around the time that I was adjusting to working on Microsoft Teams and only interacting with people solely through screens and instant messenger. That’s how a theme developed around the social isolation created by the digital age. I’m also sort of bewildered by the idea of people playing video games as a professional sport or filming themselves in the act for their millions of followers… that’s where the title
came from.
Having written and laid down all the parts at home, I recorded the vocals at ROFL Studios in Nottingham, which has now sadly closed. I then sent the files to Lee McCarthy & Ady Hall (Sugar House) to mix and produce remotely due to the pandemic restrictions at the time. It was a weird way of working, as I wasn’t present in the room for this part of the process, but that makes perfect sense with the song’s topic and how it makes me feel.”
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