Kiwi hard rock band Knightshade have released a new single – their first in six years.

‘U Say' has been around two years in the making, says Knightshade keyboardist Kingsley Smith.

'It's the first Knightshade single since 2011, which was ‘Rough at the Top'. This one seems to be doing quite well so far – the fan response has been amazing on social media and YouTube.”

The music video for the single includes footage taken from their upcoming live concert DVD, which the band is hoping to have ready by Christmas.

'Most of the video has been done, but we still need to get the live audio right. It's a long process. The good news is in the next month or so we'll have the opening sequence for one song uploaded to YouTube.”

Due to a cancer diagnosis for a couple Knightshade members, last year's gig – which the DVD's footage is taken from – was intended to be the band's final show.

'But there's always the possibility we might come back for another gig in the future.”

The band's gone through a few iterations since it was first formed in Te Puke in 1982. Kingsley, for example, only joined three years ago, while singer Wayne Elliott is the core original along with Rik Bernards (guitar) and Craig Pollock (guitar). Scott Williams and Neil McDonald round out the band on drums and bass, respectively.

'Wayne's been here right from the start – it's his band,” says Kingsley. 'He always picks good musicians he knows, and who will live up to the Knightshade name.”

The band intends to release three more songs in the future, which, along with ‘U Say', will then be put onto an EP.

Fans can keep up to date with the latest Knightshade news on the band's Facebook page.