Frontman Stuart Murdoch encourages strength and sunny optimism in Belle and Sebastian’s new single “Sister Buddha.” The track will be featured in the Glasgow band’s score for Days of the Bagnold Summer, out September 13th.
The monochrome video features a woman getting up out of bed, buttoning her overalls and putting on roller skates that glide her along as she hoists a silver serving tray up in the air. “Step across the lonely threshold of your selfish mind,” Murdoch tells her. “And embrace the loving goodness of your human kind.”
The directorial debut of actor-comedian Simon Bird, the soundtrack also features some Belle and Sebastian deep cuts, including “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” from 1996’s If You’re Feeling Sinister. “Simon was adamant he wanted to use it,” Murdoch said in a statement. “He’s a proper fan of the group.” Also included is “I Know Where the Summer Goes,” from the 1998 This Is Just a Modern Rock Song EP and the incredibly rare “Safety Valve.” “That one’s ancient,” Murdoch says of the latter. “It predates the band; it’s maybe 25 years old. The only time I can remember ever playing it was in a coffee shop with a friend of mine, and people scratching their heads.”
The band kicks off a summer tour tomorrow in Sheffield, England. They’ll hit the U.S. on July 10th at New York’s Brooklyn Steel, playing major cities across the country including Boston’s House of Blues on July 13th and Chicago’s Pitchfork Festival on July 20th, where they’ll play If You’re Feeling Sinister in its entirety.