If you weren’t already keen for The Delta Riggs’ fourth LP, we’ve got just the thing for you.

Having already gifted us four singles from their upcoming record, The Delta Riggs have today offered one final taste of Modern Pressure ahead of tomorrow’s release. The album’s title track, which further critiques young adulthood in the digital age, is their strongest so far, with The Riggs harnessing ‘pressure’ to produce a real diamond.

The tune, which dropped earlier in the week, begins as a piano-led ballad which you could imagine a heartstrung wino playing at 4am in a basement bar. It’s alluring and captivating, but any fan of The Riggs will know that soon enough that wino is gonna kick over the piano, pick up a guitar, and let the rock ‘n’ roll demons loose, which is exactly how it goes down.

Directed by Sticky Fingers’ Paddy Cornwall, the video blends Super 8 and digital footage nicely as we observe the band in their natural environment – a bar (Paddington’s The Unicorn to be precise). There’s also plenty of sunshine, which lends itself particularly nicely to the grainy film, as the band strut around Sydney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azZqwlmSNoE

Like what you’re seeing? Modern Pressure is out tomorrow and the band are playing a bunch of shows in Northern NSW and QLD in coming weeks (info here). Check out our interview with bass player Michael ‘Monte’ Tramonte below:

How does it feel to nearly have the record out there? Do you still get nervy/anxious/excited/all of the above?

It’s our fourth LP and we all agree it’s our best. Even though you have to say that, it really is. Always feels a little nervy and exciting to get it out as with most albums, the songs have been kicking around for a while so it’s a great feeling to have people able to hear it and digest iit all.

Tell us about the title ‘Modern Pressure’. What does that refer to?

I guess it sums up a lot of the subject matter across the album and the world we are all living in at the moment. There’s a lot of different pressures today in the modern world than say when our parents were growing up. Not to say there wasn’t pressure then, it’s just a new type of society. Social media, wanting to be accepted and always searching for more. There’s a lack of content with people today. The world is smaller and more in reach for us all, but that also opens up the struggle of always feeling like you need to be doing better of striving for more. We all feel it and we all get it but it’s not talked about a whole lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTkioG0KPfY

There’s definitely an evaluation of technology/social media in there. How do you feel about the nearly inseparable connection of music and social media these days?

Yeah it’s something that everyone is going through again, it’s definitely not necessarily a negative thing. It’s also a way to connect with fans and other like-minded people that you otherwise wouldn’t have known existed. It does strip away a lot of the mystery of it all though. You used to have to meet people and converse to unlock and discover things about them. Now you just flick through a few photos and you can make an assessment. It’s just nice to sometimes tap out of it and look around at what’s going on in front of you, that’s the moral of the story.

‘Modern Pressure’ seems to be back to classic Riggs-styled blues-rock as opposed to the funky flavours on ‘Active Galactic’. Was this a conscious decision?

Yes and no. We just wanted to write great songs that really stood the test of time. Songs that you could pick up a single guitar and play it and it still have the same emotiveness and impact. With Active Galactic we pushed ourselves in a production sense and experimented a little more where with MP we just went in as a band and used our experience over the years to craft the songs. All our albums have a different flavour but still maintain the Riggs swagger throughout, this one just feels a lot more earnest in a way I guess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KspnXPck8j4

You’ve said that you pushed yourselves to the edge in making this record. Can you explain that?

Well there was a point earlier on where we were lacking inspiration and nothing was sticking. We didn’t actually feel like we were going to be able to do it. Then a trip away for a writing session, something happened and we ended up with seven tracks that feature in the album. It was magic. We were struggling financially a little so had to do this on a tight budget and that makes things harder. It also makes the rawness and volatility a tool to channel these songs and I think you can hear it. Like I mentioned earlier we are so proud of this one and think it’s the best collection of songs we have ever released. It was hard work but it paid off kinda thing

What’s on The Delta Riggs tour playlist at the moment? Who are you listening to?

We are all so different in what we listen to – I’m tapped into this band Black Pumas at the moment and Durand Jones is great. We always fall back to Tom Petty, The Band (last waltz) and our friend’s music too. I’ve been really into the new Fruit Bats album too. Just got a sneaky copy of the new Bad Dreems record from the lads. That’s fucking dope too, look out for that in October

What else is coming up for The Riggs in 2019 and beyond?

Got Yours & Owls festival in October and a few other things coming upon We are doing the Billy Idol tour in January which is going to be pretty rad. Setting up a bunch of stuff now too for next year. Looking to hit New Zealand early in the year and back through Australia. Should be a pretty great SIX months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHaAQ-DsxnI&list=PLmQRuN45jd-Q-QA5HEd7nthSQaka88fY_&index=8&t=0s