The Bloomington, Indiana-based indie-rockers Murder By Death have shared a brand new track titled “Never Be.” The new song acts as the lead single coming off of the band’s forthcoming studio album, Spell/Bound, set to drop on July 29. Murder By Death have started a Kickstarter in support of the upcoming project, intended to “cover all the costs of self-releasing the album and making sure everyone gets a good payday.” The Kickstarter has currently raised over $309k for the project, with a final goal of 400k.

In a press release statement, Murder By Death describe their latest single as “a cinematic tell-off song that simmers with a dark and lush energy. Cello and violin weave around a hypnotic finger-picked acoustic in an arrangement that hints at Serge Gainsbourg or Elliott Smith.” Hauntingly dark while also chill and groovy, “Never Be” shows itself as a mesmerizing display of the Western gothic style of rock that the indie band is known for. Piano and acoustic guitars dominate the soundscape of the track, acting as the canvas for melodies produced both by lead vocalist Adam Turla and violinist Emma Tiemann. Listen to “Never Be” via YouTube below.

Murder By Death have previously described the intended sound for Spell/Bound to take influence both from its gothic rock roots, while also seeking to create a sound “more in the vein of almost trip-hop, like Massive Attack and Portishead, where we were trying to lean into a vibe that was chill but dark. We wanted it to be a record that was lush but not necessarily a wall of sound.” Speaking on the album’s influences, they explained that they wished for the project “to sound like the Blade Runner soundtrack, or the work Goblin did for the Argento movies, or we’d want the listener to feel like they were in the movie Labyrinth.”

In promotion of Spell/Bound, Murder By Death have recently announced a Fall 2022 tour, beginning with a show on July 30. Spell/Bound will follow the band’s previous album, their 2018 The Other Shore.