Phobophobes rise into 2017 nestled atop a wave of attention focused towards the revitalized South London scene with new single The Never Never, due for release March 24th via Ra-Ra Rok Records.
Following previous single Human Baby an elegy to their late guitarist George Russell that was played every day for a week on BBC 6Music, The Never Never arrives an ode to the precarious survivalism of society’s most disenfranchised. Swirling through repetitive slogans, rubbishing the adverts that promise a life we can’t really afford as pastiche, and asking earnestly, ‘what separates those treading water to survive from the religious idols who struggled so similarly?’
‘The Never Never is a critique of today’s excessive consumerism.
‘The repetitive and slogan-esque nature of the track evokes the reductive nature of advertising.’ explains frontman Jamie Taylor.
In the wake of a tumultuous 2016, Phobophobes continue to forge their own path, taking whatever’s thrown at them and squeezing every ounce of inspiration from it. It’s the only way they know. Frontman Jamie Taylor has built studio space wherever he’s roamed, from Paris to Peckham to Primrose Hill. Even Pittsburgh, Iowa, Palm Beach and New York whilst working on a touring art exhibition across America, setting up a studio in each hotel room to work on new tracks. Even when invited to Abbey Road Studios to record with Ken Scott (Bowie, Lennon, the list goes on), bass player at the time, Elliot, took swabs of their oldest microphone and grew bacteria in petri dishes, the results of which are immortalised in Phobophobes’ artwork and in the centre of their 7”s.
This boundless DIY mentality echoes through Phobophobes’ every move. Having now found home in the basement of The Brixton Windmill, the nucleus of South London’s gig circuit where Phobophobes record, rehearse and also put on their own shows, playing alongside Shame, Goat Girl, Meatraffle, The Fat White Family, Childhood and countless others, they remain progenitors of the scene.
Following a single launch show at London’s MOTH Club, Phobophobes will tour the UK with LIFE through April on the dates below. The band are currently readying their debut full-length album and will release The Never Never on 7” vinyl this March 24th via Ra-Ra Rok Records.