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Jul 29, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Caroline DeConto

Last year, we premiered the video for “Lisbet Cries,” a single from Durham, NC-based band The Pinkerton Raid. Since then, the band have been releasing a string of new singles, most recently returning with their track, “Merseybeat,” a tribute to the titular Merseybeat scene that famously birthed The Beatles. Today, the band are back with an animated video for the track, premiering with Under the Radar.

“Merseybeat” takes its name from the ‘60s British marriage of rock and roll, skiffle, and R&B, a local scene that grew to national prominence and birthed music legends. The Pinkerton Raid’s latest effort is a nostalgic memory of that time, evoking the era in gentle, wistful imaginings. Singer/guitarist Jesse James DeConto says the track was initially inspired by conversations with drummer Scott McFarlane about the latter’s family farm in the Liverpool countryside. The track is also dedicated to the memory of Scott’s mother, Helen Kendrick McFarlane, who passed away in January after a long battle with cancer.

“When I wrote ‘Merseybeat,’” DeConto says, “I was trying to capture the feeling Scott’s stories evoked of this beautiful, slow-moving, pastoral place, while at the same time nodding to the original Merseybeat music scene.”

“Merseybeat” encapsulates the simple tranquility of these memories, tracing them amidst the jangling chimes of guitar and the warm tones of DeConto’s vocals. The track is stark and unadorned, yet sports a beauty within the simplicity, bringing the era to life as if flipping through a worn photobook. Meanwhile, the accompanying video—animated by Alex Dar—conjures much the same effect, bringing a tinge of color and movement back to its own yearning imagery.

Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now.