SHIELDS © Mark Humphreys 2011

A couple of weeks ago I was watching a BBC programme on telly about Radio One interviewer Annie Nightingale as she followed The Police through their tour of the East back in 1980. As I watched Sting and co. do their thing, I remembered how damn good they and their songs were, before their stuff got so played to death, and so ingrained in the public conscience by decades of unrestrained radio play. Now when I hear their music it’s like elevator muzak – I know the tunes so well that I simply tune out. A pity, because they had some great songs.

But I digress (massively). Anyway, I was thinking that the time was probably ripe for a Police revival, in line with all things 80s and cyclical. And hey, what do you know – it’s already happening.

I can’t take any credit, however. That revival has been slowly fomenting away all by itself. For example, Newcastle band SHIELDS were honing their sound years before my flash of clarity. There is a definite stylistic influence from Mssrs. Sumner, Copeland and Summers in SHIELDS, but they sound fresh and good, something to sink your teeth into with a satisfying crunch. They’ve recently worked with star producer Adrian Bushby (U2, Muse, Foo Fighters, Two Door Cinema Club), who mixed their track ‘White Knuckle Tight Grip‘, as well as their upcoming single ‘Spires’:

SHIELDS are playing a number of gigs around the UK at the moment – check them out if you can. Their first single ‘Spires’ is released on 1 August 2011.

Bonus: Get a free download of the track ‘Spires’ via Track in the Box. Listen to more SHIELDS here.