UK quarter Defences have a nu-tinged take on so-called "hopecore," with their latest anthem "Death Of A Dream" bearing a confident refrain: "I get to decide how I wanna show up." Frontwoman Cherry Duesbury's voice is powerful in this one, with her lower range helping to grant range and extra oomph to the overall product. Plus, being that we're The Nu Metal Agenda, we love a good record scratch in the intro.
Duesbury offers the following on the meaning of the track:
''Sometimes you have to allow an old dream to die to make space for a life that actually feels like yours."
As for its composition, Duesbury talks about embracing the future head-on, recounting:
"The writing process for 'DEATH OF A DREAM' almost felt supernatural in how quickly and clearly the lyrics came to me, which is fitting given it was written on the summer solstice! 'I get to decide how I wanna show up' was the first line I wrote and it wasn't just a hook, it was the thought the entire song grew from. It was almost as if my future self was telling me what I needed to hear in that moment following a total upheaval in my life and the birth of a new chapter. It was a refreshing change to stop thinking about how I reach self-acceptance and instead to start enjoying the fact that I had already achieved it. This whole song feels like a future version of myself telling me to stop searching for absolution, to choose myself, take up space and step into who I am. I can hear that voice telling me: ''You're already here, so start acting like it!'"
Check out the music video for "Death Of A Dream" below:
This marks Defences' third single in 2026, preceded by "Metamorphosis" and "More Of Us (Than There Are Of Them)," the latter of which features Skindred frontman Benji Webbe. At time of publication, there has not been mention of a new album, which would follow on from 2024's Shadowlight.
Defences are currently supporting Future Palace on their EU/UK tour. They'll be in Glasgow tonight and Leeds tomorrow (Nov. 7th).
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