Liverpool’s genre-blurring four-piece STR^NGE return with their most emotionally raw and stylistically daring track yet. Out now, ‘Crying Shame’ finds the band shedding distortion and swagger for a haunting, piano-led ballad steeped in brutal honesty and cinematic grandeur.

Produced by Amelia Danby (Kempston Street Studios) and co-produced by Chris Taylor (Miles Kane, The Coral, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds), the track marks a seismic shift in STR^NGE’s sonic palette. The fuzzed-out post-punk textures of earlier singles give way to aching strings, a waltzing rhythm, and frontman James’ most vulnerable vocal performance to date. It’s a song that stares straight into the abyss—and manages to find something beautiful there.

“Crying Shame is about my time in university where I became addicted to drugs,” James shares. “I felt terribly down and filled my days with heroin, ketamine and benzodiazepines, and it’s a wonder that I was able to write this song at all. Each line is rooted in reality.”

Written from the wreckage of personal experience, “Crying Shame” unspools like a slow-burning confession. The lush arrangements nod to Nick Cave, Randy Newman, and the theatrical grit of Tom Waits, but it’s the intimacy of the performance that makes the song feel singular. There’s no hiding behind metaphor here—only the raw nerve of survival.

“I knew that the track had to have contrast,” James adds. “Punctuating those lyrics with a waltzing time signature felt natural. I didn’t want to lose the emotional weight though, so adding that sweeping string section keeps it grounded—it doesn’t let the drama turn into farce.”

Formed by Chrissy, former drummer of The Mysterines, alongside James, David, and Leon, STR^NGE have carved out a lane all their own, drawing from Bowie’s shape-shifting instincts and Talking Heads’ art-pop quirks. Previous singles leaned into post-punk grooves and glammy bravado, but ‘Crying Shame’ reveals a band unafraid to pull the curtain back completely.

Already a staple of Liverpool’s live scene—with sold-out hometown shows, a headline slot at Future Now’s “Joy” stage, and support dates with Demob Happy—STR^NGE have proven themselves a force on stage. Now, with ‘Crying Shame,’ they show they’re just as fearless in the studio.