Blood, Sweat and Tears; Burn the Midnight Oil’s New Single

Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizes’ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed a more carefree and commercially viable style to their previously darker themed and rawer material. It was enough for James Threlfall to pick it up for BBC Introducing. With a new single out on Friday 28th August called Blood, Sweat & Tears you might be fooled into assuming by the title they’ve turned back to the sombre moods of before. Think again…..

Though frontgirl Chrissy might’ve elucidated, least hinted something darker might be in the pipeline, for now Blood, Sweat & Tears follows neatly on from Slow Burn with an incredible upbeat driving vibe, verging on Shania Twain sassy, yet retaining the cool rock riff of Fleetwood Mac. It’s immediately compulsive, with a danceable and anthemic combo. I find myself contemplating if it’s better than Slow Burn, or not, but with a hook razor-sharpened, it’s undoubtedly on par, and proves it wasn’t pot luck in July.

With this divine product of Potterne’s Badger Set blessing my ears I also find myself reflecting back to an interview we did with the band last November. Guitarist John Lane spoke of achieving such a hook as these last two singles, and expressed the importance of the sound. “First thing people take in is rhythm,” he suggested, “then melody, last of all, lyrics. So if you hook the first bit, you don’t get the second one, then they come back for the lyrics.”

In this I sensed a healthy division between John and Chrissy’s perspectives. Knowing how much thought and creativity Chrissy loads into her writing, drawing inspiration from personal and often emotional experiences, and exporting them into relatable and poignant lyrics, there was a non-confrontational difference. I supposed of this stalemate at the time, “a good blend of opinion is surely necessary to compose the elements of a song professionally.” And that is precisely what they put in, making this song work; the dynamics of pop, a conscious composition where both arguments meet in harmony.

Chrissy taglines the song thus; “some dreams begin as little more than a whisper, an idea that refuses to let go, a vision that quietly demands more of you until ignoring it is no longer an option.” Ah, yes, I can reflect the notion; any inventive mind will tell, that’s the creative juices flowing and the desire to express them. Blood, Sweat & Tears concerns itself with the acceptance of that call, and the feeling of unlocking your potential. As Chrissy says, “breaking through self-imposed limitations and pursuing a future worth fighting for.”

An expressive tenet full of contemplation and self-analysis, it remains positively angled, like Jimmy Cliff on his hard road to travel, but with steadfast faith he can’t turn back because his mind is set. Chrissy views her theme similarly, as a meaningful journey of courage and determination against odds stacked not in your favour. Such concepts are not so uncommon in music, and an acoustic singer-songwriter will expose similar thoughts abound. But here, with Burn the Midnight Oil the prose is perfectly packaged by the sound of her exceptionally accomplished and unified band, complementing her natural vocal balance, and that harmoniousness is what makes Blood Sweat & Tears so complete and engaging.

Here’s their LinkTree, new single is out next Friday 28th August 2026, but you can pre-save it and listen to the last one. I suggest you do. Perks of the job; this one is stuck in my head already!