Gift Release ‘Light Runner’ From Forthcoming Album Illuminator

New York City’s GIFT will release their Captured Tracks-debut Illuminator next month on August 23rd and today share ‘Light Runner,’ a breakbeat-inspired track displaying another step taken in their dynamic fusion of genres and widescreen pop production techniques.

The band also shares a video for the new single directed by vocalist/guitarist TJ Freda.

On the video and song, TJ says “The album and song ‘Ray of Light’ by Madonna was a massive inspiration while recording Illuminator – I wanted to pay homage to the brilliant music video directed by one of my favorite directors Jonas Åkerlund. ‘Light Runner’ celebrates the triumph of emerging from a dark time while acknowledging the transformative power of overcoming it. It’s a testament to the euphoria of personal achievement.In 2023, during our first European tour, we were enthralled by the origins of 90s UK bands like Primal Scream, Massive Attack, and Oasis. Following a show in Glasgow, the promoters treated us to an underground Jungle/DnB rave, blowing our minds wide open.“

To date GIFT have shared the LP’s singles ‘Wish Me Away‘, ‘Going In Circles‘ and ‘Later‘ which have drawn critical acclaim from the likes of, among many others, Pitchfork, Billboard, Paste, Uproxx, Consequence, Paper, Flood Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum who recently labeled GIFT as a band to watch.

Pre-order / Pre-save Illuminator: https://gift.ffm.to/illuminator.opr

Praise for GIFT

“‘Wish Me Away’ is bracing in its catchy post-punk, a snappy song about feeling helpless that will make you want to rage against the dying of the light.” – BILLBOARD

“‘Wish Me Away’ whisks me away from the start. Those dreamy, post-punky DIIV guitars set the tempo, the crisp yet casual backbeat sends the whole thing whooshing forward, and TJ Freda’s falsetto arrives, crystalline and whispery, like the ghost of some forgotten Creation Records band from the turn of the ’90s. By the time the bridge kicks in and GIFT’s new single briefly descends into a pool of shimmering guitar and piano, I’m fully immersed in this band’s soundworld, caught up in the aerodynamic beauty of it all.” – STEREOGUM (BEST SONGS OF THE WEEK)

“GIFT just keep getting better and better” – CONSEQUENCE

“GIFT somehow manages to fuse the aggressive sneer of classic britpop with the wispiness of classic shoegaze vocals; it’s an alluring tactic that, combined with a krauty bass line, feels disarming.” – PAPER

“As TJ Freda’s vocals glide over hazy guitars and driving drums, you can only hope that Gift is more than a momentary presence themselves.” – UPROXX

“expansive, shimmering…a sweeping post-punk track that embraces potent emotional multitudes” – PASTE

Stream / Download: https://gift.ffm.to/lightrunner.opr

GIFT – Illuminator
1. Wish Me Away
2. Light Runner
3. To The Stars and Back
4. Going In Circles
5. It’s All Too Fast
6. Falling Down
7. Destination Illumination
8. Later
9. Glow
10. Water In My Lungs
11. Milestones