“OH Lord, life should be simpler than this,” sings Mickey Raff in ‘The Steepest Hill’, the brand new single from Belfast band The Minnows which will be available to stream and download from Monday March 27.

Raff (aka singer/songwriter Michael Rafferty) claims that the new, and previously unreleased, single is a ‘song for our times’ reflecting the everyday struggles that people all over the world are facing on a day-to-day basis.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that life is difficult right now, on lots of different levels,” he explains, “and everybody has their own problems to face and hills to climb on a daily basis.

“Some people’s situations are obviously more dire than others but really, it doesn’t matter where you live or how much money and material possessions you might have – modern day life is a stressful and pressurised existence for all but the privileged few, and I’m pretty sure that even they have their own crosses to bear.

“I see and hear it all the time, on the faces and in the words of people I meet,” he continued. “We’re all in the same boat – and I know it can feel like it’s sinking sometimes, but we’re nothing if not resilient and I think the Covid pandemic proved that on a global scale.

“So our new single ‘The Steepest Hill’ is really an ode to the pressures of modern-day life but with a message to tell people they aren’t alone and to keep going, keep climbing and one day, you’ll get to where you want to be.

“I also love the fact that I got to use the word ‘precipice’ in a song,” added Raff.

In typical Minnows fashion, the rather depressing subject matter of ‘The Steepest Hill’ is delivered in a deceptively upbeat and melodic pop song with an infernally catchy chorus and the band’s trademark harmonies.

Fans can watch the brand new video for ‘The Steepest Hill’ on https://youtu.be/cCxz1g6ZSeA.

The single is also available to stream or download on all digital platforms, including iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Bandcamp, and the band’s website www.minnowsband.com.

This is the first new recording that The Minnows have released since their critically acclaimed ‘Californian Poppy’ album in 2021. Indeed, such was the overwhelming reaction to the album that the band have decided to dust off their instruments and take to the stage for their first live shows in more than 11 years.

Their ‘comeback’ gig at The Black Box in Belfast on Saturday April 22 has already sold out and tickets are selling fast for a second headline show at Sandino’s in Derry on Saturday May 13.

Opening the show at The Black Box will be singer-songwriter Kieran Sherry from Rostrevor in County Down, while alt-folk songwriting duo Polar Bolero will be special guests at Sandino’s.

The Minnows are Michael Rafferty, Paul Maynes, Kevin Carson and Stephen O’Sullivan. Formerly known as Tiberius’ Minnows, they first came to prominence with the release of their debut single ‘Time Flies’ on the famous Good Vibrations record label.

A string of singles and prominent live gigs followed, with the release of two albums Holyland and Leonard Cohen’s Happy Compared To Me. After a 10-year gap, the band made a successful return in 2021 with their third studio album ‘Californian Poppy’.