VIA PRESS RELEASE | Midlake is proud to announce their mesmerizing new single, “Bethel Woods,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. An official music video—directed by filmmaker Brantley Gutierrez (Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Diplo) and starring acclaimed actor Michael Peña (The Shield, Narcos, Ant-Man and the Wasp)—premieres today via YouTube. “Bethel Woods” precedes the eagerly awaited arrival of Midlake’s upcoming fifth studio album, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods, due via ATO Records in the US and Bella Union in the UK on Friday, March 18; pre-orders are available now.
“‘Bethel Woods’ lyrically was born out of a documentary film still of our keyboardist Jesse Chandler’s dad, Dave, at 16-years-old, sitting in the massive crowd of Woodstock in 1969,” says Midlake’s Eric Pulido. “I felt that moment in time embodied the perfect depiction of a paradisal place. Dave tragically died a few years ago and I was moved to write this song from his point of view with a message of peace in returning to that special place and reuniting with loved ones ‘down the road.’”
“When Midlake approached me to direct the video for ‘Bethel Woods’ I knew I wanted to do a take on a ghost story,” says Brantley Gutierrez. “To play with the idea of returning to a place full of memories. The concept of emotional attachment to the people and the memories in those places, what the confusion might feel like for those who have passed on. Working with the highly talented Michael Peña was an absolute pleasure; he brought something to the character that felt honest and relatable.”
Recently named alongside Abba, Guns N’ Roses, and Dua Lipa in The Guardian’s “Pop, Rock and Classical Music To Look Forward To In 2022,” For The Sake Of Bethel Woods includes the acclaimed first single, “Meanwhile…,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. Hailed by The Guardian as “a lovely, softly psychedelic glide,” the track is joined by an exclusive live video, streaming now via YouTube. The captivating performance—filmed at Dallas, TX’s Modern Electric Sound Recorders by director Rett Rogers (Nicole Atkins, Nathaniel Rateliff) and co-director Barbara FG—marks the first in a new multi-part series of exclusive live sessions entitled “Meanwhile In Texas 2021,” with additional installments set to premiere in the coming weeks.
