PREMIERE: Charles James & The Rise share video to haunting new single ‘Wide Awake’

Charles James & The Rise have unveiled their latest single ‘Wide Awake’.

Taken from their forthcoming debut album, the haunting and atmospheric track offers a glimpse into the outfit’s brand of cinematic indie folk, with its choral textures and strummed resplendence.

As frontman Charles James describes it, ‘Wide Awake’ is “a song about the space we inhabit between wake and sleep and the inability to actually get to sleep. A fever dream made worse by the urgency and restlessness we experience during bouts of insomnia.”

Accompanying the single is a mesmeric music video directed by Donnagh Fitzpatrick, who has worked with the likes of Amble, and stars Fiachra Corkery and Cian Malin. The film depicts a black-and-white descent into madness, following a drunken protagonist as he devolves deeper into intoxication to escape his inner demons.

Bolstered by striking visuals and a swirling instrumental, his unravelling state shifts between fleeting camaraderie, absurdity and flat-out violence. From manic drinking scenes to being dragged across the forest floor, the film offers a dark and atmospheric portrayal of self-destruction that’s as mesmeric as it is unsettling.

‘Wide Awake’ comes hot on the heels of a busy few years for Charles James & The Rise. In 2023, they were named Highland Radio’s winner in Hot Press’ A New Local Hero competition and performed gigs across Ireland and Austin, Texas.

Following a string of well-received singles, ‘Carry On’ and ‘Greatest Prize’, the band are currently embarking on a tour supporting their upcoming LP, which is set to release in September this year. This July, Charles James & The Rise will perform headline shows in Dublin and Derry, at Whelan’s and Bennigan's respectively.

Tune into the new music video from Charles James & The Rise below.