Scottish alternative outfit newshapes are pushing deeper into emotionally charged territory with the release of their new EP somehow i still believe, out now via LAB Records. Alongside the release, the band have unveiled blistering new single rescue light, completing a three-track collection that captures grief, anger and fractured faith through an explosive post-hardcore lens.
newshapes
Fresh from a headline touring run across the UK and Europe with Never Easy and Love Is Noise, the four-piece continue to establish themselves as one of Scotland’s most exciting emerging heavy acts. Combining elements of emo, post-hardcore and atmospheric alternative rock, somehow i still believe feels both deeply personal and sonically uncompromising.
Lead track rescue light arrives as perhaps the band’s most aggressive release to date. Drawing clear influence from early 2000s post-hardcore staples including Saosin and Underoath, the song surges with frantic riffs, crashing percussion and emotionally raw vocals, while its Drop D tuning deliberately nods to the records that shaped the band’s formative years.
According to the band, the track was built to channel the intensity of their live performances. Having opened recent shows with rescue light, the song has already become a fan favourite thanks to its relentless pace and cathartic energy.
Visually, the accompanying video — filmed by CheckOneCheckTwo Media — mirrors the urgency of the track. Fast cuts, stark shadows and volatile performance shots place viewers directly inside the song’s emotional storm, amplifying the tension that runs throughout the EP.
The release follows earlier singles falling away and baptise, both of which introduced listeners to the darker emotional themes underpinning the project. Across its three tracks, somehow i still believe explores the collapse of faith, emotional bargaining and the search for meaning amid hopelessness and betrayal. While undeniably heavy, the EP also reveals a band increasingly confident in balancing melodic atmosphere with crushing intensity.
That progression has become central to newshapes’ growing appeal. Since signing to LAB Records, the band have steadily built momentum within the UK alternative scene, with their 2025 EP a conversation with myself surpassing one million Spotify streams and helping cement their reputation as a rising force in modern post-hardcore.
newshapes
Comprised of vocalist Ian Mann, guitarist Stephen Christie, bassist Michael Hamilton and drummer Logan Whyte, newshapes continue to channel vulnerability and aggression in equal measure. Their willingness to confront difficult emotional terrain while maintaining huge, dynamic hooks is quickly setting them apart from many of their contemporaries.
With somehow i still believe, the band sound sharper, heavier and more emotionally direct than ever before — a release that feels less like a breakthrough moment and more like the beginning of something much bigger.
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