As It Is release new version of Dial Tones with Holding Absence's Lucas Woodland

Late last year, Brighton pop-punks As It Is announced they were getting back together, doing a special version of their 2015 Never Happy, Ever After debut, and playing at Slam Dunk. Now, they've released a new version of their first single Dial Tones – now dubbed Dial Tones X – featuring old mate and Holding Absence frontman Lucas Woodland.

“We’ve always been a big fan of collaboration; it’s something the pop and hip-hop worlds have always embraced much more than the alternative scene, so as well as re-recording the track from the ground up we were keen to add a feature from a special guest as well," they say. "We knew immediately that we wanted Lucas Woodland on this song, so we sent one text and it was locked in!"

“We took Holding Absence on tour in 2018, before they even had an album out and have remained friends ever since," they continue. "To see them take off and have the career they do now three albums later has been a joy to watch, and Lucas has one of the best voices in the scene, hands down. Thank you so much to Lucas for being a part of this anniversary edition, lending us his powerhouse of a voice, and taking this song to another level. And to everyone who has listened to this song for the past ten years, who has maybe even grown up with it - this update is for you."

In response, Lucas is equally gushing. "I’m so honoured to be part of this new version of Dial Tones by As It Is, a band that means so much to me. They took us out on one of the most important tours of our career and we’ve loved them ever since. They’ve always looked out for us, and I’m incredibly grateful we had the chance to collaborate on this track. I think our fans are really going to love this one!"

Discussing the reimagining of the old material, As It Is explain that it's all part of an evolution they've always worked to.

"This band has always been about growth and progression, about never doing the same thing twice," they say. "As our discography evolved, many people were surprised the band that once made Dial Tones also made The Great Depression - so, this is Dial Tones by the band that made The Great Depression.

“When we first released Dial Tones in January 2015, we were but a baby band," they continue of the track. "We’d played a handful of small tours and we could’ve never expected that song to gift us the trajectory that it did. The idea that people would care about this band 10 years later was nothing but a pipe dream, but here we are.”

Catch As It Is at Slam Dunk in Hatfield and Leeds, May 24 and 25 respectively. Get your tickets now.

READ THIS: As It Is are officially back: “There’s still some spark in us yet”