Hard Life make defiant return with reflective new single ‘othello’

Hard Life have returned with a brand new single, ‘othello’. The track, which boasted its first play as Radio 1’s Hottest Record, sees vocalist Murray Matravers reflecting on trust, identity and jealousy. 

Written while in Japan, ‘othello’ marks songwriter Matravers’ first offering since last summer’s ‘tears’. New music followed a great deal of change for the project, most notably in a rename from Easy Life to Hard Life, after a legal dispute with holiday company EasyGroup. 

Speaking on the track, Matravers said that the song is both a play on the boardgame and the Shakespearean story, incorporating themes from the latter. “Relationships - whether personal, romantic, or professional - are rarely straightforward, and after making difficult decisions you sometimes cross this threshold of no return,” he said. 

“‘othello’ captures that moment of uncertainty, where someone leaves your life, and there’s a profound emptiness that takes over as you wallow in the unknown.” 

You can listen to ‘othello’ below: