I’ll Take Lonely Tonight is a 'temptation tug-of-war'

Tim Minchin has today released his new single, I’ll Take Lonely Tonight.

The track is a sincere ballad about being tempted by infidelity while on tour, rather than anything overly comic.

It tells of him having to draw on every ounce of willpower not to have a one-night stand for fearing of damaging his long-term relationship with his wife, who was his childhood sweetheart.

'When I started playing this tune on tour early last year, it became clear that it was really affecting people,' he says of the song.

'I thought this temptation tug-of-war might be something experienced more by touring musos… but I kept getting people – men and women equally – telling me that it really hit home for them.

Minchin added that the track was 'sonically fucking gorgeous, with Jak Housden’s haunting guitar and Dan Denholm’s epic production'.

A full video for the six-and-a-half minute song has also been released:

The Matilda songwriter added: 'Caro Constantine, who is a director and director of photography I’d worked with before, came on board to help me make a film that reflects the dynamic of the tune and the push-and-pull of drunken temptation. I can’t wait for it to be released into the wild.

'This video is dedicated to the many people who have always wanted me to sing a song in a suit in a boat. It is the second single from my album, Apart Together, due out later this year. I recommend sticking your headphones in and turning it up. It gets epic.'

I’ll Take Lonely Tonight – available .here – is a follow-up to Leaving LA, which told of his emotions after his dream of directing a Hollywood animated movie collapsed after spending four years of his life working on it.

Both tracks are from his upcoming album Apart Together, due out in November.

Published: 18 Jun 2020