“He’s fucked up in the same way that I’m fucked up” says Macklemore about his relationship with “good friend” Christopher Mansfield, the lead singer of fellow Seattle alumni Fences whose new single Arrows boasts both guest vocals and production duties from the rapper and his long-term collaborator Ryan Lewis.
“Because of that, our lives relate beyond the music,” Macklemore continues. “I’ve always admired his talent for illustrating with words and evoking imagery. We’ve made a bunch of stuff together over the years and this here song about Arrows is my favourite thing we’ve done.”
Released to iTunes yesterday, Arrows serves as the lead cut from Fences’ long awaited full length follow up to their self-titled 2010 debut LP which was co-produced by Tegan & Sara’s Sara Quin, and their latest offering is a catchy alt-pop song, bolstered by that emotional depth which Macklemore alludes to.
Having previously co-written Macklemore’s The Heist album cut Ten Thousand Hours and appeared on his 2011 track Otherside Remix, Mansfield refers to his fellow Seattle-ite as “a fearless poet and a selfless human” and Arrows as “the peak of our mountain“.
Fences will join Macklemore on stage at San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival on 9 August to perform the track live, before they head over to Europe for a string of festival appearances including sets at Leeds and Reading festival. The album Lesser Oceans will arrive on 14 October via Elektra Records, and if you preorder it now, you’ll receive Arrows and album track Songs About Angels straight away.
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