Gideon’s Army is an American rock band founded by frontman and guitarist Rob Bray in 2014 as a solo project. The band has grown since he started on his musical journey, with Bray recruiting his pals to join him for gigs at some of New York’s famed venues, from Pianos and Leftfield to the Bitter End.

Today, Gideon’s Army is sharing the song “Red Lips” from his forthcoming album, King of the League, which comes out on May 27. You can certainly hear swirls of Bray’s more famous influences, which he counts as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Kings of Leon, on the track, his raspy voice beckoning you to ride with him on a romantic journey with him. Because also like his heroes have been known to do, the song is about the noblest of all themes– love. Bray’s drawl ambles along the track, mimicking the slow, burning ache of long-distance love.

Bray explains the emotion behind the track, saying, “I had fallen for a girl who lived in Los Angeles when I was out on the west coast shooting music videos for my first album Burn for the Living. She was actually the featured actress in two of them. I wanted to stay out there, see where it went, but my band was back in NYC and we had shows lined up on the east coast. We kept in touch over the phone and a little while later I bought her plane tickets to come out and see me a few months down the road. During that whole time I was brimming with anticipation, excitement and lust, and it steamrolled out of me and onto the fretboard and vocals to this song.”

Pick up a copy of King of the League when it‘s released on May 27, and listen to “Red Lips” below.

– Emilee Gorshe