Nottingham synth-pop band Deco are back with their latest single, ‘Driver’s Seat’, and 1883 is exclusively premiering the accompanying video. Following the premiere, keep reading for a short Q&A with frontman Max Kendall, where he talks us through the making of the track, its themes and what’s next for Deco.

Set against the track’s late-night road trip premise, the video follows the band on a playful journey where the driver keeps shifting as they perform the new single.

Rather than taking the concept too seriously, the video plays with the idea of who is actually in control, with the changing roles giving the band plenty of room to lean into the song’s lighter side.

It’s a fitting visual for a track that is ultimately about navigating uncertainty. ‘Driver’s Seat’ takes the familiar feeling of not quite knowing where you’re going and turns it into an upbeat, widescreen synth-pop anthem about continuing forward regardless.

“‘Driver’s Seat’ is about those moments when it feels like the wheels keep coming off and you’re questioning where you’re actually heading,” explains frontman Max Kendall.

“It’s about self-doubt and reflection, but also finding the drive to keep going and find out what’s around the next corner.”

Musically, the track combines Deco’s synth-pop sound with chugging guitars, a soaring chorus and a statement saxophone solo, drawing on the nostalgic feel of Don Henley’s ‘The Boys of Summer’ alongside the driving energy of Sam Fender.

The single arrives ahead of Dreamhouse, Deco’s second album, due October 23.

‘Driver’s Seat’ offers another glimpse into the record as the band continue to expand their sound while keeping the hooks firmly in place.

Following a busy summer of festival appearances and live shows, Deco will celebrate the album with a six-date instore tour across Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Southampton and London, before heading to London’s Scala on October 23 for their album release show.

Watch the exclusive premiere of ‘Driver’s Seat’ below.

Deco, thanks for speaking again with 1883. Let’s talk about the video for ‘Driver’s Seat’, it’s a simple but playful and fun visual for the song. What road did you end up driving down and tell us about the filming process for it…

Great to be chatting to you again! We shot the video on the way to various festivals & outdoor shows this summer – it’s been such a busy summer touring the new album, so we’ve had to be efficient with our time and embrace being on the road – which is obviously perfect for this song.

It did mean Lucy lost out on a few of her van naps though… but we’re really happy with the video! I think it’s mainly filmed on the A1… In ideal world & unlimited budget, we’d have done Route 66..

We used the classic masking technique in the edit, so we could film shots where we’re fully engaging with the camera when in the ‘Driver’s Seat’ and stationary – but mask it into another shots where the van is moving. So we had to make sure the camera was in the exact same position for each take – which was a challenge over multiple days!

As ‘Driver’s Seat’ is taken from your forthcoming new record, Dreamhouse, would you say the song is a clear indicator of how the overall project will sound?

I think it definitely reflects where this album is at conceptually – finding hope and escape from all the noise going on in the world right now. This song has the same sense of uplift that runs throughout. Sonically, there is generally a lot more guitar & texture on this record and I think that comes through on this song in particular.

On the last album it felt like the saxophone only appeared for solo’s, whereas on this album it’s more integral as a texture or layer in each song – and it features heavily in the second half of ‘Driver’s Seat’.

As a band that has been going strong for over a decade now, how would you say your live set/experience has expanded and changed over the years? I remember catching you at the The Garage, London, in 2016! 

Wow – yeah, it’s certainly very different to that show at The Garage in 2016. Although, that show still holds quite special memories – it felt like the first show that really set us on the right path as a live band. Now, the live show is way more considered of course, with our own lighting, props, moments and transitions –  and I think that has all grown with the songs and the sound.

It’s almost like the playing of the songs is more second nature now and we’re able to focus on enjoying it, soaking it in and engaging with our fans, and I think that really comes through in the show. We’re having as much fun as the crowd. It’s high energy, uplifting and all about celebrating everyone in that room forgetting about everything else for an hour or so.

Why is Dreamhouse your best record yet?

I think the songs, concept, sound & visual world we’ve built around this album is what sets it apart from our previous projects. I think there’s something in a record coming together very naturally. We were all feeling the same shared need for escape at the time we wrote it and it all soaked into these songs. The first record was written in multiple rooms over about three years, about completely different things – this one came together in 6 months. So there is a really strong conceptual thread that feels very real to us.

We have never had that with a set of songs before. It all translated very seamlessly into the bold visuals we’ve wrapped around the album – the cover, branding, outfits, videos and the ‘Virtual Dreamhouse’ that our fans can explore on our store.

The sound across the album is really cohesive too, all of these songs feel like they belong together, which again is something quite new for us. The first album was such a broad spectrum – which isn’t a bad thing, just different – and we were finding our feet. I would say this record feels like we’ve found them!