Manchester-based outfit Caulbearers presents ‘Brothers At The Wheel’, an urgent and uncompromising single featuring ethereal folk artist Ruth Blake. Confronting the structures of power governing modern life, while ultimately offering solidarity and collective action as an alternative to despair, this song previews their new ‘Come Back Home’ album.
A collective of musicians formed in 2007 and led by Damien Mahoney, Caulbearers are known for blending diverse musical styles, including soul, funk, hip-hop, dub, nu jazz, folk and post-punk influences. With contributors hailing from around the UK and Europe, their DIY ethic has coursed through every element of their releases, from design, production, videos and gigs to the recording process itself.
The brilliant video explores the notion of ‘the wheel’ as a machine built to continually turn for profit and power, regardless of the cost to people, communities or the planet. Visual artist Latent Variables blends animation with photography and video to represent the different stages and emotions of this epic song.
An important motif in the video is the breaking apart of everything we know; people, environments, plants and buildings all shatter, with the notion that we have to consciously bring these pieces back together in order to heal and to create something new.
Collaborating with Manchester MC, poet and reggae artist J Chambers, Damien Mahoney filmed original footage around the neighbourhood where he lives to epitomise the song’s major themes.
Locations with abandoned and boarded up buildings contrast with colourful murals created by local artists. These latter scenes reflect the song’s lyrics about real power existing within the collective, on the streets — like a seed that can grow into something more balanced, harmonious, and connected.
“I see the two murals featured in the video almost every day as they are really close to my house. They bring a much-needed display of beauty, nature and hope in what is a very urban environment. I live in a very multi-cultural area and I feel that both the song and the video express the notion that a shared struggle exists for many people, which echoes in other streets, other words, other languages,” says Damien Mahoney.
Mixed by Seadna McPhail (Badly Drawn Boy, Jah Wobble, Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, Happy Mondays) and mastered by Jim Spencer (New Order, Johnny Marr, Charlatans, Factory Floor) at Eve Mastering, this song was recorded by Mahoney and Chris Hamilton at Toast Recordings and Seadna McPhail at Airtight Studio..
‘Brothers At The Wheel’ traces a journey of political awakening – from a naive plea for those in power to change course before disaster hits, to disillusionment at the resulting hollow words and empty promises that leave the status quo intact.
Damien Mahoney shares, “If we truly consider humanity as a brotherhood and sisterhood of equals, it seems the ultimate betrayal of our family to exploit, to oppress and to victimise others whilst creating structures that concentrate wealth in the hands of an ever-smaller, unaccountable minority. The ‘wheel’ in the title is that system. The song is a rallying call for unity at the grassroots level and resistance to the forces intent on dividing us.”
With an unrelenting groove, strings, bass, and keys are locked into a single insistent pattern, guitar answering in the gaps, percussion driving it forward, while the vocal melody cuts its own path in short, sharp phrases that swap between landing on and off the beat.
Past the tempo shift, the song opens into a second movement: a soaring, wordless lament by Ruth Blake — a beautiful and mournful, yet defiant, celebration of the human spirit. Underneath, the arrangement builds in waves — guitars layering, cello and violin rising, keys, bass and drums gathering weight — swelling to a crescendo before dissolving.
‘Brothers At The Wheel’ is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, the latter version also including a bonus radio edit, capturing the awakening in full — appeal, disillusionment, and the turn toward unity — within a tighter arc. Caulbearers’ ‘Come Back Home’ album will be released on October 30th via Single Cell Recordings.
CREDITS
Lyrics & Music written by Damien Mahoney
Damien Mahoney — vocals
Ruth Blake – vocals
Stefan Skrimshire – cello
Will Lenton – keys
Anton Hunter – guitars
Grenville Harrop – drums
Dan Mitchell – bass
Gavin Mullan – percussion
Olivia Moore – violin
Produced & Edited by Damien Mahoney
Mixed by Seadna McPhail at Airtight Studios
Recorded by Chris Hamilton at Toast, Damien Mahoney at Padded Cell & Seadna McPhail at Airtight
Mastered by Jim Spencer at Eve Mastering
Cover design & artwork by Latent Variables
© 2026 Single Cell Recordings
Video directed by Latent Variables & Damien Mahoney.
Filmed by Jay Chambers & Damien Mahoney
Video editing, post-production and visual FX by Latent Variables
Murals from Old Trafford, Manchester by Ed Hicks, Cookie Love (Open) & Jamie Rennie (Gladys)
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR