Courtesy of Saudade
Saudade Unveil Haunting New Song ‘Chill of Death’ With the Late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry + A.A. Williams
The rock collective Saudade are back, following their Randy Blythe-featuring cover of Joy Division's "Day of the Lords" with a moody and haunting new song called "Chill of Death" featuring special guest turns from the late Lee "Scratch" Perry and rising singer-songwriter A.A. Williams.
The band's lineup has evolved over the years with the central figures being Team Sleep and Crosses' Chuck Doom and Team Sleep and Dillinger Escape Plan's Gil Sharone. Blythe himself also recently joined as a band member though he's not part of the new song.
However, Doom and Sharone are joined by Bad Brains' Dr. Know, mellotron and organ player John Medeski and acclaimed guitarist David Torn, as well as the aforementioned guest players Lee "Scratch" Perry and A.A. Williams.
Saudade in Studio
For Doom, he knew he wanted to work with Williams upon initially hearing her music. "Literally minutes after hearing 'Songs From Isolation' I was reaching out to A.A. Williams about collaborating on a Saudade track," says the bassist and programmer. "Her musicianship and vocals really spoke to me. We connected and an early bounce of 'Chill of Death' was sent over to London. I was stoked A.A. replied that the song felt right and agreed to collaborate."
He continued, "When A.A. sent me her vocal demo of 'Chill of Death' I was elated and kind of shocked at how beautifully she melodically and lyrically interpreted the music and the working title. The contribution to the song’s bridge by the GIANT musical force of nature Lee 'Scratch' Perry along with the talents of Dr. Know, John Medeski, David Torn, Gil, and RIZZ’s beautiful video makes this song special to me."
Drummer Gil Sharone commented, "'Chill of Death' is a vibe. I was drawn in as soon as Chuck played me the rough sketch. Like all of the other tracks we do, this song came together in a very organic way. The grooves, dynamics and textures of sounds created a perfect bed for the amazing vocal performance that AA Williams put down. Having Dr. Know and Lee "Scratch" Perry contribute parts made it even more special."
As for Williams, she stated, "I was delighted when Chuck approached me to work with the Saudade collective on 'Chill of Death.' The group’s wide-ranging musical style really excited me and I was honored that they’d asked me to collaborate. The instrumental track I was initially sent was very inspiring so I found that the text and vocals came naturally, and later finding out that the late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry would also be contributing made the process even more special."
The song is accompanied by an equally compelling visual from director Rizz that is shot in black and white, capturing scenes ranging from ballerinas to grey rainy day traffic that fit the mood of the track.
If you like what you hear, the song is available via the platform of your choosing at this location.