Belle and Sebastian embark on a coast-to-coast North American tour armed with a new track ‘What Happened to You, Son?’
Belle and Sebastian are kicking off their highly anticipated coast-to-coast North American tour with a bang, dropping a poignant new single just in time for their sojourn journey across the continent.
Frontman Stuart Murdoch opens up about the inspiration ‘What Happened To You, Son?’, shedding light on his tumultuous late teens and the profound impact music had on his life during that period.
Delving into themes of youthful confusion and idolization, Murdoch reflects on his own experiences of grappling with failure and finding solace in the music of the 80s era.
Despite the accusatory undertones of the song, Murdoch emphasises that the fault lies within himself for allowing pop stars to become his guiding lights, acknowledging the need for personal growth and self-awareness.
Stuart Murdoch shares: “‘What Happened to You Son’ got pulled rather randomly from the last LP because the LP felt one track too long. Out it came.
The song is about my youth, and the funny hole I fell into in my late teens. I was failing at my university course, failing in almost everything I tried around then. I was obsessed with the music of the time, I used to hang so much on the lyrics and message and feeling of certain bands of the 80s era – it probably wasn’t healthy.
So although the theme of this song is a little accusatory, the fault is with the beholder. I could have switched off at any time. Instead I let the singers become my penpals and my deities.
The song tries to address what happens when the pop stars grow up, and change, and go a different way, and seem to betray the stance they held when you loved them the most.
The song finishes hopefully, however. There’s always a way forward, always a light to guide you if you look closely, if you give up part of yourself, if you let yourself flow and change.”
‘What Happened to You, Son?’ serves as a poignant exploration of the complexities of idol worship and the inevitable evolution of artists over time.
Murdoch addresses the feelings of betrayal that can arise when beloved musicians veer from the paths that once resonated deeply with their fans, yet he maintains a sense of hopefulness throughout the track, emphasising the importance of embracing change and finding light in the darkness.
Belle and Sebastian – ‘What Happened To You, Son?’ is out now via Matador Records / Remote Control Records.
Check out Belle and Sebastian’s North American tour dates.
