Belfast rock band Unquiet Nights have released a new standalone single, “Last Days of Rome,” the first in a planned series of new songs. The track was written by frontman Luke Mathers and drummer Rodger Firmin, drawing on the six years the band spent living and working in Italy, with lyrics inspired by Rome’s Non-Catholic Cemetery and William Wetmore Story’s sculpture Angel of Grief.
The song’s instrumental roots date back to 2011, when Mathers and Firmin began writing the guitar riff while hoping to support Bloc Party guitarist Russell Lissack in London. The track remained unfinished until Mathers completed the lyrics while sitting near Rome’s Foro Italico years later. It was recorded at the band’s own Credential Sound studio in Northern Ireland, with Mathers handling vocals, guitar, mellotron, bass and production, and mixing and mastering by Neal Calderwood at Manor Park Studio.
Formed in Belfast in 2010, Unquiet Nights previously received airplay from BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music and built a following in Italy, including use of their song “George Best City” in a recurring Sky Italia documentary series. Their 2024 album “Seasons in Exile” drew coverage from outlets including Hot Press and The Belfast Telegraph and, according to the band, surpassed 103,000 Spotify listeners in its first year.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.