FingerHalo will launch debut single One For The Angels in July – and here’s the artwork in all its glory.
It’s inspired by a century-old campaign poster for the One Big Union, a socialist concept that aimed to prevent corporations dividing and ruling the workers because of their affiliations to unions organised by type of work. Although the idea has been lost over the past 100 years of capitalist struggle, the notion of uniting against the corporate enemy remains valid.
It has two strong connections with One For The Angels. Firstly, the song is about a conversation between union activists, who suspect they’ve lost their battle against The Corporation – but know they have to cling to hope and keep fighting. And secondly, there’s more than a passing resemblance between that 1910s socialist warrior and our very own Jo Callis.
The sleeve for our first release had been completed when drummer Martin Kielty accidentally discovered the old poster. “As soon as I saw it I knew we had to do something with it,” he says. “I showed it to the guys in the hope they might not agree, because the first cover had been a drawn-out conversation. But they saw what I saw – a very strong concept that united so many of the things we’re trying to achieve with our first single.”
He adds: “The early 20th-century styling draws a line through the class struggle concept of the song, through Jo’s 1970s and 1980s subjects and right up to the ‘Socialist Spring’ era that just might be taking hold today. And it makes more sense of the sort-of military styling of the logo that was to appear on the sleeve. So it all worked out.”
One For The Angels, backed with Confusion, will be released as a digital download and limited-edition vinyl single via Noise Command. More details soon. FingerHalo have two confirmed shows in June.