Titus Andronicus have made their return with a cover of Cock Sparrer’s ‘We’re Coming Back’ – listen to it below.
The New Jersey indie rockers have been quiet for the past three years. Their last release was sixth studio album ‘An Obelisk’, released in June 2019 via Merge Records.
Using Cock Sparrer’s 1982 anthem to announce their return, frontman Patrick Stickles said of their decision to cover the track: “All I can tell you right now is that Cock Sparrer gave us the most open-hearted and uplifting song in all of British punk’s second wave, perhaps even of any wave, foreign or domestic.
“I have wept to this song many times over the years, and it is a joy to share our version with the world, especially since it afforded me the opportunity to work once again with the inimitable Ray Concepcion.”
The band’s cover comes alongside a thrill ride music video directed by multidisciplinary filmmaker Ray Concepcion. In the clip, Stickles is seen training for what’s described in a press release as “the fight of his life”. It’s not exactly known what he’s training for and a dizzying sequence of logistical missions further deepens the mystery.
“I do not claim to be any kind of athlete and after three intense days of shooting this video, I have been, and continue to be, more sore than ever before,” Stickles said. “It’s rough getting old, but I have never shied from suffering for my art, nor do I intend to pursue a path of such cowardice in the future.”
Watch the video for Titus Andronicus’ cover of ‘We’re Coming Back’ below:
While the band have not shared exactly what the future holds for the band, Stickles said the clue is “right there in the title” of their new cover. “There’s nothing more to say… we’re coming back.”
Last year Stickles paid tribute to his cousin and Titus Andronicus bandmate Matt “Money” Miller, who died at the age of 34.
“It’s hard to know what to say, but I am trying to put gratitude first, as the 34 years that we spent together will forever be one of my life’s greatest blessings,” Stickles said.
Miller was only a member of the band from 2005 to 2006, however he contributed to several of their studio albums, including 2010’s ‘The Monitor’, 2015’s ‘The Most Lamentable Tragedy’ and 2018’s ‘Home Alone on Halloween EP’.
In addition, Miller as a child appears on the cover art for Titus Andronicus’ fifth album, 2018’s ‘A Productive Cough’. On the artwork, Miller stands next to Stickles, also a child at the time, on a rock.
Following Miller’s departure from the band, there was a rotation of other keyboardists, including Dave Robbins, Adam Reich, Martin Courtney, Elio DeLuca and Alexander Molini.