Flight To London’s fine-tuned facsimile of synth pop’s ’80s heyday surpasses mere tribute-minded affectation. Credit highly skilled co-conspirators Jimmy McGorman and Robb Vallier, whose affection for Tears For Fears, New Order, Depeche Mode and the like runs as deep as their obsession with songcraft. Out November 21 via earthprogram/Virgin Music, their impeccably crafted debut LP, Instructions For Losing Control, humanizes its digital precision with an analog warmth for a nostalgia trip that’s strikingly of-the-moment. They’ve even earned the approval of Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard, who signed off on the use of his artwork for the cover.
A southern New Jersey native and accomplished multi-instrumentalist, McGorman might be best known for his stint in the house band for TV’s Rockstar: INXS and Rockstar: Supernova. He’s also worked with Goo Goo Dolls, New Radicals, Weezer and Avril Lavigne. Vallier, meanwhile, has collaborated with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Gin Blossoms, Sabrina Carpenter and others.
“As writers, we entered into uncharted territory on this album,” says McGorman.
The album’s first single, “No One’s Forgiven,” was written out of a collective frustration over the current political landscape. “The absurdity of it all lent itself to the idea of a video featuring puppets,” says McGorman. “To anyone who lived through the MTV years, it’s an obvious reference to the video for ‘Land Of Confusion’ by Genesis—talking heads shouting at the TV, dancing while the world outside burns and churns in chaos.”
McGorman and Vallier made a conscious decision to stay out of the video. “There was a time when rock ’n’ roll had some mystery to it,” says McGorman. “We miss that time—when you didn’t know what your favorite artist was eating for lunch.”
We’re proud to premiere Flight To London’s “No One’s Forgiven.”
—Hobart Rowland
