SOAK runs from obsessed captor in video for grungy new single 'Purgatory'

SOAK, real name Bridie Monds-Watson, has shared the second single from their upcoming May album, If I Never Know You Like This Again - a grungy, anthemic new song called 'Purgatory.'

Dually rough and airy, cutting and dreamy, 'Purgatory' is rife with heavy guitar solos and floating harmonies alike. Following in the footsteps of SOAK's genre defying works, their newest track seems to evolve into something new with each passing minute — building layer by layer until the spinning, complex climax breaks into a bright finale. Much like blinking into morning light after emerging from darkness, 'Purgatory' has two faces: harsh and gentle.

“'Purgatory' is about the weight of time and the perpetual fear of reaching the end of your life, unsatisfied with how you’d spent it," explained Monds-Watson.

"The song came out of a slump phase, I wasn’t really a fan of myself and honestly just felt rather lost. In ways that felt like it’s own purgatory. I was trying to figure out how to make myself feel better, become a ‘better version’ of myself. So I guess whilst this song is about panic, it’s equally about the pursuit of change."

The duality of the song is reflected in the video, which begins in yellow basement-light, Monds-Watson awaking to find a masked figure staring at them from across a table. What starts as a captor quickly evolves into an obsessive super fan — taping Monds-Watson's photos to the wall, dancing around the small space and touching their hand to SOAK's heart. As the song builds so does the video, seeing them break down the walls of their prison and emerge into the afternoon light of the Irish country — running, but not sure where.

The release comes ahead of their third album, If I Never Know You Like This Again, which will be released via Rough Trade Records on May 20. It was written alongside longtime collaborator Tommy McLaughlin, mostly during the pandemic.

"This record is the most accurate picture of me. I felt no pressure at all, it was almost like I was ranting as I was writing," they explained. "When I was looking to the past, it was as though I had a big lottery ball of all my recent memories and I would just randomly select which one I wanted to unpack. It helped me to process my past."

The LP follows 2019's Grim Town, as well as their 2015 Mercury-prize nominated debut Before We Forgot How to Dream. It's the second peek at If I Never Know You Like This Again, after January's 'last july.'

SOAK will be playing two upcoming Dublin dates: April 25th at the Olympia Theatre supporting Lucy Dacus, and May 26th at Whelan's. They will also be playing Dolan's in Limerick on May 25th.

Check out the video for 'Purgatory,' below: