THOUGH the track was written before the coronavirus outbreak, Static Satellites have released their third single in the form of the aptly titled Fortify.

Following on from the success of Waster earlier this year, the four-piece have returned with a pop-rock anthem which looks at fighting against difficult circumstances.

Ross Whelan, singer and rhythm guitarist, gives The Weekender an insight into the songwriting process behind the tune.

He says: "A big part of our approach is trying to mess around with the dynamics of the song. We have a lot of songs that are quite fast and loud and ones that are slow and delicate.

"Fortify was probably the first song that we properly formed completely in a practice studio, which is kind of cool.

"Lyrics-wise, it's probably about a couple things. Mostly, it's about anticipating that a tough time is coming up and knowing that you're going to need to try and be strong for it."

The shift in tone from the likes of Waster showcases the band's range and willingness to defy genre expectations.

Whelan adds: "I don't think we've ever went our way to write songs that sounded way different from each other.

"I think we just try and write music and play music that we enjoy playing and if anyone enjoys listening to it then that's a bonus.

"There's a big mix in the band in terms of what we all like so that's maybe where the lines all cross a bit. Maybe because we don't try and attach ourselves to a scene or genre, it stops us from limiting ourselves and gives us more scope to play with."

Static Satellites were due to play a number of support shows in April and May, but will likely now use the current lockdown period as an opportunity to work on some new material.

Sam Carlyle, bass player for the band, explains: "We were scheduled to be supporting Ranzas at The Garage Attic on April 3 and that was going to be the first gig with Fortify released.

"We have been playing Fortify live for a while now and always thought it had a big live presence, so it's gutting that we can't show people the impact it has live for a good while now.

"We are hoping that when all this blows over that we can come back with a bang as we are desperate to get back on stage.

"We have a few things in the pipeline," he adds. "We were due to be back in the studio on April 20, but that will have to be rescheduled now.

"We will most likely be spending most of this time writing new songs, working on ideas for live sets, and planning out what songs we want to release when this lockdown is over.

"We have a small list of songs that could be next, it is just down to us to vote on which one, which is always a good debate."

LISTEN: Static Satellites - Fortify