Barriers

Album: Bloodsports (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first song to be heard from Bloodsports, Suede's sixth studio album and their first since 2002. Speaking about the song frontman Brett Anderson told NME: "'Barriers' isn't the first single but we are proud enough of it to just chuck it out there and thought that its pulsing, romantic swell somehow summed up the feel of the album quite nicely." It was made available as a free download on January 7, 2013.
  • Regarding the album Anderson told NME: "It's about lust, it's about the chase, it's about the endless carnal game of love. It was possibly the hardest we ever made but certainly is the most satisfying. it's ten furious songs for me, we have reclaimed what Suede was always about: drama, melody and noise."
  • Coming off of a 10-year hiatus wasn't easy for Suede. The guys were beginning to doubt whether they should make a comeback at all until this song came together. Brett Anderson told NME: "Writing 'Barriers' was a real tipping point, actually. For some reason, it just sort of, it really hit the real sweet spot of between kind of sounding like Suede but not sounding like self-parody and sounded fresh enough. Suddenly we wrote that song and it felt, 'Okay, we got a record here. We're starting to get a record.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.