Manchester band Hurts have been working with Joe Stretch on a new interactive novel.
Remember interactive novels? A brief 80s fad, they allowed fans to carry out the actions of the main characters. Switching between pages became a hassle, however, and the urge to skip ahead and find the solution proved to be overwhelming.
Replaced by the rise of video games, a new project from Hurts and Performance singer Joe Stretch could bring them back. Working on a series of new tracks, these will form the basis of an unusual novel.
Hosted by Spotify, the project allows fans to control a central character. Removing any stable tracklisting, the plot will unravel as the user sees fit allowing for any number of possible solutions.
A user led experience, the project is narrated by Anna Friel. Titled ‘Don’t Let Go’ the audio novel is a ground breaking experience, utilising the Spotify programming in an entirely unique way.
Each chapter of the novel has been published as a track on Spotify, and can be located by typing a unique code into the search field. After listening to a chapter online the user is offered a choice on what to do next.
The plot is a typically grandiose affair, given the track records of both Hurts and Performance. Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to stop arch villain Guy Lockhart from distributing his heartbreak cocktail and condemning humankind forever to a loveless, empty existence.
The two groups are close friends, with Joe Stretch using his alternative career as a novelist for ‘Don’t Let Go’. Performance and Hurt are due to team up for a short quartet of British shows.
Tickets for the shows are on sale now.
Hurts are due to play the following shows:
October
5 Manchester Ritz
7 Birmingham The Library
8 Bristol Trinity Church
9 London Shepherds Bush Empire
