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Jun 04, 2020 By Christopher Roberts Photography by Aleksandra Kingo NZCA Lines

NZCA LINES, the London-based project of Michael Lovett, is releasing a new album, Pure Luxury, on July 10 via Memphis Industries. Now he has shared another song from it, “Prisoner of Love,” which has a pleasing disco vibe, especially in the strings. He has also announced a ticketed livestream concert, a virtual album release party, on July 15. Tickets only cost £6, but are limited, and are available here. Check out “Prisoner of Love” below.

Lovett had this to say about “Prisoner of Love” in a press release: “This song is about the cycle of heartbreak and dependency within a relationship that isn’t working, a constant motion of being pushed away and sucked back in. Both people could be doing this, each at the mercy of the other’s emotions—unable to move forward yet unable to step away, the cycle repeats itself.”

Back in March NZCA LINES shared the album’s title track, “Pure Luxury,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. Then he shared a colorful video for the song that had shades of Pulp’s classic video for “This Is Hardcore.” Lovett co-directed the video with his wife Alina Rancier. Then when the album was announced he shared a new song from it, “Real Good Time,” via a video for the track. “Real Good Time” was also one of our Songs of the Week.

According to a press release “Real Good Time” surprisingly “channels concerns about agricultural chemicals and overpopulation.” Lovett sings: “It’s too late to save the bride/I guess she’ll just get buried alive/in waterfalls of pesticide/or gently suffocated by the groom/I just remembered how we die/I saw it on TV one time/But I guess we’ll just keep multiplying.”

Lovett had this to say about the song: “‘Real Good Time’ stars an unhinged narrator arriving uninvited to a scary dance party. As the sweat soaks through his polyester suit jacket he perceives a blizzard of nightmarish, hallucinogenic images depicting his unease with the world. Yet he soon realizes that, despite the darkness around us, we deserve to have a good time—to make the best with what we’re given.”

It’s not the only song on Pure Luxury inspired by environmental concerns: “Larsen” is about “the breaking up of the Larsen C ice shelf in 2017.”

Things have been fairly quiet for NZCA LINES since the release of his last album, 2016’s sophomore release, Infinite Summer, also released via Memphis Industries. Over the years Lovett has also performed in Metronomy’s touring band and performed on some of Christine and the Queens’ work.

Read our recent COVID-19 Quarantine Check-In interview with NZCA LINES.

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