Next month, our recent Band To Watch GIFT will unveil their new album Illuminator. So far the psych-pop outfit has released singles “Wish Me Away,” “Going In Circles,” and “Later,” and now they’re back with the otherworldly offering “Light Runner.”

“Light Runner” comes with a music video that’s as trippy and colorful as the song sounds, and it’s directed by the band’s vocalist and guitarist TJ Freda, who said:

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.

Psych-pop bands apparently love “Ray Of Light.” Pond covered the song in 2019. Revisit our retrospective on the Ray Of Light album here, and watch the “Light Runner” video below.

Illuminator is out 8/23 via Captured Tracks.