British blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Ben Poole will release his new single, “Time Has No Mercy,” on August 28 via Gypsy Soul Records.
The song is the third single from Poole’s upcoming studio album, Post-Midnight Behaviour, which arrives September 25. The album marks his first studio release of entirely new material in eight years, following 2018’s Anytime You Need Me.
“Time Has No Mercy” takes a more upbeat direction than some of the darker material Poole and his collaborators had been developing for the new record.
“’Time Has No Mercy’ was one of the last songs that we wrote for the album,” says Poole. “The idea was to react against what we had written to this point. We had been working up a few emotionally darker, heavier tracks and the idea with ‘Time Has No Mercy’ was to write something lighter and more upbeat.”
“It’s an empowering song, rather than a brooding or melancholic thing which we had just drowned ourselves in for the previous few weeks’ worth of writing. The whole idea came from the riff which is at the very end of the song now. It’s funny how that happens sometimes. The spark for the whole song came from a tiny outro section.”
The song also finds Poole incorporating a more direct punk rock influence into his guitar work, particularly during the choruses. Despite initially wondering whether the approach strayed too far from his established sound, Poole ultimately found ways to bring the song back into the musical world of the album.
“It’s a little more of a punk rock approach than I would normally take, with a lot of down strummed power chords in the choruses. I was slightly worried about drifting too far away from my style. In the end, once all was said and done, I added some lead guitar, some intertwining rhythm guitar parts and my vocals. I think the result is it still feels familiar enough to sit on the album. It’s a breath of fresh air and a light departure that follows on from the previous singles ‘No Second Chances’ and ‘Empty’.”
Post-Midnight Behaviour expands beyond Poole’s blues rock foundation, incorporating elements of rock, soul, country and alternative rock. The guitarist says the album reflects the development that has come from years of extensive touring and performing.
“I wanted this album to capture just how far I’ve come as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter,” says Poole. “After years of playing more than 150 shows annually across over 20 countries, everything has grown — my guitar style, my technique, my voice, and the way I hear music. ‘Post-Midnight Behaviour’ is the sound of all those experiences coming together. It moves through Blues, Rock, Soul, Country, and Alternative Rock, but with a darker, late-night energy running through it. I still get to unleash the guitar, but this time it sits inside something more atmospheric, more reflective, and more emotionally charged. That after-hours mood is what inspired the album title.”
Poole has released several live albums in the years since Anytime You Need Me, but the extended gap between studio records gave him an opportunity to spend more time developing the songs, arrangements and performances for Post-Midnight Behaviour.
“In recent years I’ve released a few live albums, which are great snapshots of a specific moment in time,” adds Poole. “With this new studio album, I wanted to go much further. I took my time to make sure every detail was fully realized — the songs, the sounds, the arrangements, the performances, everything. My writing team and I pushed ourselves harder than ever, digging deep to make the song writing as strong, sharp, and emotionally powerful as it could be. I honestly believe fans are going to feel that energy the moment they hear it. It has been well worth the wait.”
“Time Has No Mercy” will be available across streaming platforms on August 28, accompanied by an official lyric video. Post-Midnight Behaviour will be released September 25 via Gypsy Soul Records on CD, vinyl and digital formats.
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