While the band would change members throughout the late eighties and early nineties, the original core lineup of vocalist Robbie Grey, bassist Mick Conway, guitarist Gary McDowell, and keyboardist Stephen Walker have been recording and releasing a string of incredible records in the modern era, with their latest, this year’s fantastic 1, 2, 3, 4 earning massive accolades across the board. The band are about to head out on an expansive tour that takes them across the world, joining both The Buzzcocks and Thomas Dolby at various points.

We had a chance to talk to Modern English vocalist Robbie Grey about the band’s history, the new record’s political leanings, and the secret to keeping a band together over the years:

Your latest record, 1,2,3,4 has the same vitality as any of your work – it truly sounds like Modern English in the best way possible. How did the record come together?

Well, what you’re getting there is the live feel of the record. The first thing we thought about when recording this album was to consciously get away from that homogenized radio sound where everyone’s using Pro Tools and splicing things together. We wanted to make a live recording as much as we could, so you could feel the movement from  the verse to the chorus. When we first started writing the record, it would have been right around when the pandemic hit in 2020. In England, we were only allowed to go outside for a couple of hours a day, unless you were going to a workplace, which you could go to three days a week. So, we would go over to Mick’s studio, which was nearby in Suffolk. We all gathered there to write the record, but we always knew that we wanted to keep it raw. We had done that for a while and we wanted to get a producer who would allow for that. So, Mario (J. McNulty) came along and we talked about sticking to that live feeling. We then went to a great studio in upstate New York in Rhinebeck and it all just came together really well. It doesn’t always work out like that. It’s like a painting, I suppose. You can either do a really bad one or a really good one, and all the pieces just really fit together for this album…

That’s cool you were in Rhinebeck. I actually grew up in Goshen, which is only an hour or so away from there. It’s such a beautiful area.

Well, Mick lives in Hudson now, I believe. He’s been living in that area for quite some time.

So were any of the songs written before you entered the studio, or were they all written there? 

No, no, we never really come in with a full record ready to go. Actually, for the first time probably ever I wrote a full song for the record in advance, and that was “Long In the Tooth.” When I wrote that song back in my little studio room to when it was recorded and released it’s not changed at all really. Normally though, we start things off with just pieces of music that we develop. We don’t really have complete songs generally. “Not Fake” was another song that was already kind of written, and Mick’s song “Not My Leader” didn’t really change all that much either from the beginning. So, I suppose there are a couple of songs on there that were written from the start, but generally we kind of fiddle around quite a lot as we go.

The lyrics seem quite political – can you tell us a bit about them?

Yeah, I mean, I’m just pissed off with everything, you know? It’s just crazy that people in power just don’t give a shit about anybody else and that’s so frustrating after all this time that the decent side of humanity never seems to get very far but the corrupt people and those who generally crave power seem to be much nastier. It seems to me that if you want to stay in power, you have to be that way, and decent people on the street are just sort of fed up with it. I am at least, anyway. When we first started and came to your country, we had Margaret Thatcher and you had Ronald Reagan. Fast forward from the late 70s and early 80s and it hasn’t changed all that much. In fact, you’ve got a clown like Donald Trump who is very likely going to be your president again, from the looks of it…

Ugh, no one learned anything. It’s kind of maddening.

It’s not even funny, is it? It’s just crazy.

The only way I can survive is to laugh, sometimes. I just can’t believe how surreal it all is most of the time. 

Right! So, a lot of the lyrics on the album, like “Not My Leader” are all about that. “Not Fake” is about things becoming less and less rooted in true humanity really, you know people wanting to have different faces, different bodies, and different brains. Everyone wants to be something else all the time, it’s about that deconstructed sense of nature. I spend a lot of time in Southeast Asia and I live in the countryside in England. Both are near the beach, and seeing the amount of garbage in the ocean inspired another song on the album called “Plastic.” It’s maddening – they clean the beaches daily but they’re filled with trash again in the blink of an eye.

In “Voices” – it’s interesting that you namecheck Billie Holiday and Karen Carpenter – two of the saddest and most tragic figures in pop music. It makes me wonder, what’s that song about in the context of the political machine and how do those lovely singers factor into the story?

Well, I just know that they’re too the best voices I’ve ever heard of my life. That song to me is about gun culture and how young people are brainwashed into believing that the only way out is to go out and blow people up. The song is about someone sitting in their bedroom with a gun in their hands and the internet in front of them, and being disturbed enough to actually go out and hurt someone. Perhaps if they heard a voice like Karen or Billie’s it would help them and they could find some solace in the music. Maybe if they listened to these voices they could hear the beauty and loss they sing about and it could soothe their soul…

That’s really beautiful, and that track is such a standout.

Thank you, thank you.

I love how active Modern English has been over the years, I’ve seen the band several times and you’ve always been one of my favorite live acts. Your energy on stage is unmatched, and you always have so much passion, no matter if you’re playing new music, deep cuts, or the hits. I’d love to know what the secret is to keeping a band together in harmony after all this time.

Well, as you get older, you do tend to let people get away with a lot more than you would have when you were younger! You don’t end up fighting with each other so much. Really, we’ve known each other since we were teenagers, we came from the same town and lived in London for over 30 years. We went through so much together in the eighties and nineties that at this point, we can just sort of take the piss out of each other and people won’t get offended, which is a good thing. Otherwise, the energy level on stage is just how it’s always been. I guess I don’t know what else to do apart from what we do. I feel that energy and react as I always have.

I’d love to hear more about the formation of the band – what brought you all together in 1979? 

Well, that’s brilliant you should ask that because you know, we’re not jaded yet! The creative process is the most important thing about music. The rest of it, once it leaves your hands, is business, really. That part overshadows the creative process a lot, but as long as you can keep writing songs and keep that creative energy flowing, you’re doing all right.

As for  the start of things, it was just an amazing time to be in the UK. Punk happened, and you had people like The Clash and the Sex Pistols on TV which was all very new and very exciting. Before that, we’d listen to Bowie and Roxy Music, things like that, but we never dreamt that we could play music. We thought it was something that other people, these immense talents and virtuosos, could do and that we never could. So when this punk thing happened, we felt empowered, we became part of that whole thing. It just swept over the nation and changed the whole landscape of music almost overnight. After a bit, it got a bit boring, playing just this fast and furious music all the time, so everyone started experimenting in that framework, forming what everyone now calls the post-punk thing. This is where bands started going off on their own and exploring their own ideas, carving out more soundscapes and doing what they wanted with that punk energy. It was such a brilliant time around 1978-79 with all the bands that came out around us. Joy Division, The Cure, Wire, Gang of Four, and so on. This all shaped so much of England’s musical culture, so we were able to put our band together to do something similar.

It’s kind of amazing to think about all the bands that formed and quickly embraced this sound more or less independently from each other, yet still there was this unified movement of sorts…  

Well, John Peel had a lot to do with that. He championed a lot of the bands around that time would play play bands on the BBC that nobody else would go near, at all this kind of crazy wild music by bands who never would write a love song or make music that was like everything else on the radio. He had a lot to do with that unification, but also in general, the whole country was on fire and we were all reacting to that. It was brilliant. There was no money around, the UK was a very poor country outside of those who were in power and who were already rich. Most didn’t have anything at all. We used to steal microphones from concerts, and Gary’s first guitar was worth only $30 or so. Most of these bands, including us, really started from the ground up, and it was all very exciting. That energy was present from the start, you know?

Yeah, and with that in mind, Gary got such a unique sound out of that guitar. To me, those early Modern English guitar textures are otherworldly – so atmospheric and intense. 

Yeah, you know, stick it through a chorus and a flanger and it sounds brilliant!

Can you share any stories about your time on 4AD?

Well, it was if you remember Vaughan Oliver died, you know, I think five years ago now… I think his first artwork was the “Gathering Dust” single in 1980.

Right – with the shadow figures sitting next to the television set! 

Yeah! So that was the first artwork he ever did for the label… His last ever work was the re-imagining of Mesh & Lace and After the Snow, which came out just a few years ago. So it’s a real sense of synergy with 4AD there.

Otherwise, Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent were the guys that signed us. We sent them a demo, and you know, it was just a wild demo we made of our earliest tracks, and they liked it and picked up on us. We were one of the first bands who signed with the label, along with Bauhaus, and then of course it all built up from there with Cocteau Twins, The Birthday Party, Dead Can Dance, and so on…

So we were kind of in at the beginning, at a time when Factory was also operating in the north with all those bands – Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, Crispy Ambulance, and of course Mute Records were doing their thing with Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, and Daniel Miller. It was such an exciting time… All of us used to play with each other quite a lot – we did some gigs with The Birthday Party and so on. It was a wildly creative period, that 79-81 era…

I really liked that first 7” you recorded – the “Drowning Man” single. but the band really took it so much further out once you locked in with 4AD. Was that where you were heading naturally, or did 4AD’s early lineup and mission statement influence your sound? 

Well, the simple answer to that is we just became better musicians rather quickly. When we recorded “Drowning Man,” we couldn’t even really tune our guitars. We didn’t know how to do that. If you listen to that single, you might notice that we’re out of tune completely! That said, it’s got a certain quality to it that works. Mesh & Lace however, we went in the shooter. We did that record live as well, actually. A lot of that’s live. It’s a very experimental record. Ken Thomas who worked with Throbbing Gristle, engineered it and Ivo was in the studio with us as well. We were in the studio for only two weeks. It all very quick, you know, there was no back and forth, no debating about what was right and what wasn’t. We just went for it without too many overdubs, and it gives it that kind of quality. Everything’s a bit wild. We always enjoy using atmosphere more than musical playing, if you know what I mean… We’d rather explore the texture or do something more abstract than worry about a guitar solo or a beautiful musical passage or anything like that, really.

I think even your more pop-oriented works have that sense of experimentation and abstraction. Even “I Melt With You” or “Chapter 12” have some really interesting counter melodies and production techniques that elevate those tracks. That’s something I’ve always loved about your body of work – that you’ve never lost sight of that knack for experimentation, even on Soundtrack and Take Me to the Trees, and of course, the latest record. 

Yeah, that’s just how we operate overall, you know?

So, I still think it’s kind of wild that one of 4AD’s most beloved projects was birthed from covering two of your tracks – the live medley of “16 Days” and “Gathering Dust.” I love that you were all involved with This Mortal Coil in one form or another. Can you tell us more about your experience with that project? 

Well, really Ivo just felt that those two songs were such classic tracks and he wanted to re-record them the way we were playing them live. It was around that time that more electronic drum kits and samplers were being utilized a bit more. Ivo asked Mick and Gary to play on the This Mortal Coil version. They agreed and then Robin from Cocteau Twins and Martyn from Colourbox played on it. Liz came and did the vocals with Cindy, and the rest was history. I did that Colin Newman song “Not Me” on the first album, It’ll End In Tears. It was just Ivo’s hand’s-on project where he wanted to really celebrate everyone’s music and have his own project. He would get anyone he fancied to come in and play, whether it be us or Cindytalk, or Simon Raymonde, really, whoever was around at the time…

After the Snow really felt like more of a romantic record, though you still retained some that core energy in songs like “Life in the Gladhouse.” I’d love to hear more about that record. Was it a conscious decision to explore a more lush sound, or did that come naturally as well? 

Well, I mean, we’ve never been the sort of band that do the same exact thing twice. That’s been a bit of our downfall in some ways because we’ve confused a lot of people that way. A lot of other acts are happy to do the same thing, but we’ve never really been like that.

With After the Snow – a lot of that sound you mention is due to our producer, Hugh Jones, who encouraged us to focus more on our songwriting. We didn’t even know what that meant at that point, you know? He showed us how to string together a verse and a chorus and then a verse and a chorus and then a middle eight, and those things. His influence was massive! We were all interested in bringing in different instruments to change things – acoustic guitars, violins, and so on. We also tried different things. For instance, “I Melt With You” is probably the first song I never shouted on. I was so used to shouting into the microphone before that…

Did you approach that song from that perspective at first? Did you shout on earlier incarnations of the track? 

No! This, this is a good story actually. I was told to go up to the microphone and just speak into it…and I was like, “what? What the fuck are you talking about? You want me to go up to the microphone and just SPEAK into it?” But that really helped the song, it helped change it up to give it that sort of spoken word sort of feel in the verses, and that makes the chorus work so well.

…and then somehow between trying to softly speak the verses and then adding this lush, soaring chorus, you created one of the most beautiful, perfect pop songs ever recorded. Does it ever shock you how much that song has meant to people over the years? I mean, it’s truly timeless in that way. I almost hate to admit it, but in a previous life, that song was my wedding song, and it’s always funny, since the lyrics are both romantic but also about nuclear fallout and war, and a similar sense of dread that has always been present in your work. 

You know, you’d be amazed at how many times I’ve been told that! There’s definitely that idea of a couple you know, during the Cold War era. When I wrote it, I was staying in a cheap housing complex in London, freezing my arse off, stoned and scribbling down lyrics on a piece of paper, and within ten minutes, the lyrics were finished. It was like poetry really, I used stanzas, and of course, it’s basically about love. I was writing about the bomb dropping while this couple were making love, melting together… I’ve always said that it was a dark love song.

Otherwise, in some ways, it’s just another song for us on the album, you know? At one point we were wondering if we even liked it, or if it was a bit too commercial sounding compared to our other work.

I wondered if you struggled with that in the moment, especially when comparing it to songs like “Swans on Glass” or “Move In Light” which were written not long before that by comparison, you know?

Yeah, we did for about ten minutes, but Hugh was like “don’t be ridiculous – this a good song” you know, blah blah blah. In fact, going full circle, “I Know Your Soul” on the new album is a bit like that. We weren’t sure whether we’re going to put that song on the album, you know, because it’s the most crafted really of all the songs on the out on 1, 2, 3, 4, but Steve Walker, the keyboard player, was a big champion for that for that song. Mick, Gary, and I weren’t too sure about it, but we put it on there…

Did you leave anything on the cutting room floor? Are there any leftover tracks from the latest sessions?

No, no, pretty much everything’s on there!

So, one thing I’ve always admired about Modern English these days is that you always seem to have your finger on the pulse and have taken a lot of newer, underground bands on tour with you, bands like Entertainment or Bootblacks. A lot of older bands don’t seem to be as in tune with what’s going on in modern music and I was wondering what informed that. 

Well, I think we just, that’s just how we are. We’re no different when we started as people, making the kind of music that we want to and seeking out bands that are similar. It’s no different for us now than it was in 1979, except that we were lucky enough that “I Melt With You” gave us the security to carry on however we want to. Mick and Steve are more in tune with music than I am even, and they find that same energy in these bands that we feel we have.

As for me, I’d say I listen to more English music than anything these days, whether it be Fontaines D.C. or Idles. However, Mick would find these new, still obscure bands from Brooklyn and Steve would find some from Poland. We’re always looking for bands that are younger to come on the road with us mostly because we’d have wanted the same thing when we were younger, you know?

That’s great that you do that – I’ve heard so many conflicting stories over the years, some bands have shared stories of scene camaraderie, but others have told me that it was actually more competitive and cutthroat, not as romantic as all that. It’s interesting to hear your perspective on that and to see you lifting up other bands these days. 

It’s really true, though. People in America romanticize about this scene with all these bands hanging out in the pub, but it wasn’t really like that. Everyone was just doing their own thing. You might bump into somebody in the studio somewhere and have a moment with them, but you’re too busy doing your own thing to hang out really. That said, we did tour with Cocteau Twins and Bauhaus, and support Matt Johnson of The The when he started out – 4AD felt more like a family-oriented thing. Outside of that, it was often about getting a drink at the bar, you know?

What are your touring plans for 1, 2, 3, 4? What do you have planned for the year?

Oh my god, we’re not stopping this year! I mean, once I leave Thailand, I’m flying to Mexico City for rehearsals and a show. We’re playing with The Buzzcocks there. After that, we’re going back to America to play in Tucson and LA, two sold out shows with The Buzzcocks again. We’re going to go to Disneyland as well, but then we fly back to England. We’re doing a radio show for the BBC before linking back up with The Buzzcocks again for a few dates in Europe, plus a few on our own.

After all that, we’re going back to America as part of the Totally Tubular festival with Thomas Dolby, The Romantics, and other bands like that. We’re doing a six week run as part of that tour.

I’ve always enjoyed those tours, it seems like they aim to recapture a certain era, but for me, being too young to have seen many of these artists in the eighties, I always have a great time basking in that energy. It’s always great to see your band, whether it be a full headlining set or part of these tours. How long will the set be in the States? 

It’ll be about 25-30 min.

So you really have to carefully pick and choose, then! I imagine you’ll have to balance the new material, some early deep cuts, but I’m sure you have to play the hits, right? 

Well, you know, if we didn’t, we’d probably be hung! You know, it’ll be “I Melt With You” plus five or so other tracks.

I was sad to miss the After the Snow tour. Do you think you’d come back around to the States for a full tour for the new record? It’s always great hearing a full set, being able to enjoy the range and intensity of your material…

Oh yeah, whenever we get the chance, we’ll be playing. For some of these shows, we’re planning on playing three or four tracks from the album. I imagine even on this tour in the States we’ll throw one or two of them in.

Well, I’m a fan of the whole catalogue and anything you play at this point would go over well in my book. Have you found that other fans have been embracing the new material in the same way? 

Yeah, absolutely. It’s been incredible! I get stuff sent to me, you know – press clippings and reviews. It’s been brilliant, the response has been absolutely amazing. It might be the best critical response we’ve ever had if I’m being honest! §

1, 2,3, 4 is out now via InKind Music and available via the band’s Bandcamp page, as well as other outlets. For a full list of tour dates, visit the band’s website here.

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Header photo by Sheva Kafai.

The post Move In Light | An Interview With Robbie Grey of Modern English appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Frontman Robbie Grey reflects on the band’s long-standing observations of political and corporate corruption, noting the striking similarities between the eras of Thatcher and Reagan and today’s climate with figures like Donald Trump:

 “I remember first coming to America in the early-’80s,” Grey says. “We had Margaret Thatcher and you had Ronald Reagan. And then fast forward to today to Donald Trump and all the politicians and corporate organizations that have followed — along with their corruption and greed. It’s the same thing 40 years later, really. It’s the same old shit that makes the ordinary person feel sick.”

The accompanying music video for “Not My Leader” is a must-watch, offering a compelling visual representation of the song’s themes and the band’s artistic vision.

Watch the video below.

In the autumnal serenity of Rhinebeck’s Clubhouse, NY, during the latter part of 2022, the seeds for Modern English’s forthcoming album 1 2 3 4 were sown. Coming off the heels of an energetic tour, the band, in collaboration with the renowned producer Mario J. McNulty — known for his work with legends like David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Nine Inch Nails — began weaving together the new record. Their aim was to bottle the dynamic essence of their stage shows, blending it seamlessly into the fabric of the new album.

1 2 3 4 serves as a vibrant testament to Modern English’s enduring spirit, echoing the raw, post-punk energy of their early days while also paying homage to their pop-driven albums, After the Snow and Ricochet Days. The album delicately balances references to the past, from the fragility of nature to the complexities of love, with an eager exploration of new artistic horizons. In doing so, Modern English not only revisits the fervor that defined their initial sound but also strides boldly forward, embracing new creative realms with open arms.

“It’s been a big journey for everybody, and our early days are really important to us,” says frontman Robbie Grey. “We haven’t changed that much. We’re still the same people inside. And the original members are the sound of the band — Stephen on the keyboards, making lots of noises with all his analogue synths, and then the sounds made by guitarist Gary or bassist Mick. If you take some of those components away, you won’t have the Modern English sound.”

1 2 3 4 is out on February 23rd, 2024

Pre-Order Here

This summer, Modern English is set to grace the Totally Tubular Festival tour, joining a stellar lineup that includes Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Men Without Hats, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone, and The Plimsouls.

Modern English  2024 Tour Dates

MARCH

• 09 — Mexico City, MX — Foro Puebla *
• 12 — Tucson, AZ — Rialto Theatre *
• 13 — Los Angeles, CA — Teragram Ballroom *

APRIL

• 11 — Dortmund, DE — Musiktheater Piano *
• 12 — Frankfurt, DE — Batschkapp *
• 13 — Berlin, DE — Huxleys *
• 14 — Hamburg, DE — Knust *
• 22 — Copenhagen, DK — Little Vega #
• 24 — Oberhausen, DE — Kulttemple #
• 25 — Hague, NL — Paard #
• 26 — Amsterdam, NL — Paradiso #
• 27 — London UK — Dingwalls #

MAY

• 02 — Paris, FR — Le Petit Bain #

JUNE

• 28 — Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl ^
• 29 — Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theatre ^
• 30 — Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre ^

JULY

• 03 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre ^
• 06 — Englewood, CO — Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre ^
• 09 — Irving, TX — Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^
• 10 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall ^
• 13 — Raleigh, NC — Red Hat Amphitheatre ^
• 16 — Bridgeport, CT — Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre ^
• 17 — Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^
• 18 — New York, NY — Pier 17 ^
• 19 — Atlantic City, NJ — Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena ^
• 20 — Bushkill, PA — Poconos Park Amphitheatre ^
• 23 — Laval, QC — Place Bell ^
• 24 — Mississauga, ON — The Theater at Great Canadian Casino Resort ^
• 26 — Detroit, MI — Meadowbrook Amphitheatre ^
• 27 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center Amphitheatre ^
• 28 — Cleveland, OH — Blossom Amphitheatre ^

* — supporting The Buzzcocks
# — headline appearance
^ — Totally Tubular Festival (feat. Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Men Without Hats, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone, The Plimsouls)

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The post Modern English Debut Video for “Not My Leader” from New Album “1 2 3 4” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

To all of the questions

It’s taken a lifetime

I’m long in the tooth

Capturing the melancholic rhythm of time’s relentless march, British post-punk stalwarts Modern English journey into the mysteries of existence and the weariness of long-lived wisdom with the delightfully catchy – if existential – “Long In The Tooth,” the inaugural track from their forthcoming album, 1 2 3 4.

Their repeated refrain of “taken a lifetime” becomes a sombre incantation, acknowledging the weighty toll of getting on in years. Yet, even amidst the litany of aging’s lamentations, a glint of secrecy remains— a hint of knowledge retained, perhaps a nod to wisdom’s exclusive club. Though the windows to the world may cloud with the passage of years, there remains a certain sagacious gleam in frontman Robbie Grey’s eye. Age might cost clarity, but the currency of insight remains rich. This, in fact, is life’s bittersweet serenade.

The raucous “Long In The Tooth” channels the raw energy and edge of Modern English’s early Mesh & Lace period, with a dash of the spirit of the Buzzcocks and the Damned sneaking into the infectious chorus. Indeed, this latest track is a welcome return, reminding fans of the rampant creativity that brewed within the band during their previous 2016 release.

“Modern English and its journey, both musical and personal, has spread over 40+ years, and ‘Long in the Tooth‘ is a song about this part of that journey,” says Robbie Grey. “As we have reached out into the world and all its changes over all those years, it’s a meditation of getting older in a world that still spins in a chaotic and always interesting way.”

Listen to “Long In The Tooth” below:

Amidst the autumnal upstate NY embrace of Rhinebeck’s Clubhouse in 2022, Modern English, invigorated from a bustling tour season, set forth on the creation of “1 2 3 4“. This impending release comes as a significant echo to their 2016 piece, Take Me To The Trees. With Mario J. McNulty at the helm — a producer celebrated for his work with David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Nine Inch Nails — the tracks were birthed in the warmth of live sessions.

With “1 2 3 4“, Modern English captures a vibrancy akin to their electric live performances, channelling a post-punk enthusiasm redolent of their “Mesh & Lace” era. Gentle allusions to their seminal works, “After the Snow” (1982) and “Ricochet Days” (1984), are artfully intertwined, touching upon themes ranging from nature’s fragility to love’s myriad intricacies. Yet, while there’s a fond gaze back, the iconic band is also stepping confidently into fresh creative vistas.

Stream “Long in the Tooth” on all platforms HERE.

The song was also recently featured on KEXP:

Modern English are also currently making headline appearances across the U.S., hitting the east coast and parts of the south through September 30 when the band will perform at Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, VA.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now via the band’s website HERE, and a full listing of dates can be found below.

SEPTEMBER

• 15 — Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom
• 16 — Greenfield, MA — Hawks & Reed
• 17 — Boston, MA — Sonia
• 20 — Richmond, VA — Canal Room
• 22 — Greenville, SC — The Radio Room
• 23 — Atlanta, GA — The Earl
• 24 — Nashville, TN — 3rd and Lindsley
• 27 — Athens, GA — 40 Watt
• 29 — Smithfield, NC — Paul A Johnson
• 30 — Virginia Beach, VA — Neptune Festival

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The post It’s Taken a Lifetime — British Post-Punk Stalwarts Modern English Debut New Single “Long In The Tooth” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Watch the full performance on YouTube, including new tracks “Genius,” “Crazy Lovers,” “Long in the Tooth,” and “Not My Leader,” as well as an interview with the band discussing their history such as the Vaughn Oliver artwork for their classic 4AD albums.

The upcoming album, 1234, is the follow-up to 2016’s *Take Me to the Trees*, and marks a reunion of four of the band’s original members Robbie Grey, Michael Conroy, Gary McDowell, and Stephen Walker.

Modern English’s appearance on KEXP, however, was marked by the presence of drummer Ric Chandler and guitarist Gabriel Sullivan, filling in for Guitarist Gary McDowell, who is conspicuously absent from the session.

Watch the performance below:

Modern English will embark on an 18-stop U.S. tour, starting with the Evolution Festival in St. Louis, Missouri on August 26th. The tour will include stops in Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, New York City, Baltimore, Boston, and more, before concluding with a southern swing through Atlanta, Nashville, and Athens, and culminating at Virginia Beach’s Neptune Festival on September 30th.

Robbie Grey and Co. won’t be making this journey alone. They have extended an invitation to Philadelphia synthpop duo, Korine, to join them on select dates.

Modern English Tour Dates 2023:

• August 26: St. Louis, MO — Evolution Festival
• August 27: Chicago, IL — Chicagoland Taco Fair
• August 28: Evanston, IL — Space
• August 31: Indianapolis, IN — HiFi
• September 1: Cincinnati, OH — The Ludlow
• September 2: Columbus, OH — A&R Bar
• September 7: Baltimore, MD — Ottobar
• September 9: New York, NY — Baker Falls
• September 15: Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom
• September 16: Greenfield, MA — Hawks & Reed
• September 17: Boston, MA — Sonia
• September 20: Richmond, VA — Canal Club
• September 22: Greenville, SC — The Radio Room
• September 23: Atlanta, GA — The Earl
• September 24: Nashville, TN — 3rd and Lindsey
• September 27: Athens, GA — 40 Watt
• September 29: Smithfield, NC — Paul A. Johnson
• September 30: Virginia Beach, VA — Neptune Festival

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The post Watch Modern English Perform “I Melt With You” and Four Songs From Their New Album on Seattle’s KEXP appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

From St. Louis, the humble tour ventures forth into the Midwest, including stops at Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Post-Midwest, the group shifts their melodious journey eastwards, gracing stages in New York City, Baltimore, Boston and more. Their harmonious trail will then wind southwards, serenading Atlanta, Nashville, Athens, and numerous others. The tour concludes on the 30th of September at Virginia Beach’s Neptune Festival.

Modern English’s sojourn across the States is a tribute to their upcoming album—an assortment of fresh symphonies mingling with “special surprises” from their rich past. The air is laden with an electrifying mix of excitement and nostalgia.

Robbie Grey and Co. won’t be making this journey alone. They have extended an invitation to Philadelphia synthpop powerhouse, Korine, to join them on select dates.

Tickets are on sale at each local venue online and at the box office here!

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The post Modern English Announce US Tour — Select Dates with Korine appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena has long been a hallowed ground in the goth mythos, owing to its status as the setting for the legendary Depeche Mode 101 concert back in 1988. Now, 35 years later, the second edition of the Cruel World Festival has conjured a new and magical experience at the very same location. This festival, a blend of nostalgia and innovation, manages to unite generations of sunscreen-slathered, parasol-toting goths on the not-so-flat field of southern California.

The festival kicked off with an outstanding performance by Aurat, who are perhaps one of the most unique darkwave groups in the scene internationally, blending dark post-punk, synthpunk, and EBM, with vocals sung in Urdu. Azeka’s fiery, Siouxsie-esque vocals come blazing with such a mind-melting tempo, peppered with yelps, shrieks, and thrilling synthwave psychedelia. This was followed by a memorable set from Riki. The latter artist unveiled material likely from her forthcoming third studio album, accompanied by a synth player and two backing vocalists, and even picked up a guitar herself. The live performance of her single “Marigold” was a rare treat, having only been performed twice before.

Gvllows stood out with their cover of “Deathwish,” performed with Christian Death’s Gitane Demone and Rikk Agnew. Modern English then demonstrated their significant musical prowess, deftly blending artistic post-punk with pop new wave, much to the delight of the dancing sea of goths before them. The anthemic guitar creep of “16 Days” and “Gathering Dust” led triumphantly into “Someone’s Calling.”

Twin Tribes, always a crowd favorite, represented the best of modern darkwave, serving as one of the standout modern acts in the genre. The band played hits like “Shadows” and “Phantasmas,” as well as a cover of  La Union’s “Lobo Hombre en París.”

Molchat Doma, the Belarusian post-punk trio, also gave an unforgettable performance, somehow bringing to life that viral dancing bat meme with real live goths. (As I write this, they, as well as Twin Tribes, were just recognized by The Grammys for their contributions to the modern darkwave scene.)

The Soft Moon, better than ever on the live stage, gave a performance that will go down in festival history. They brilliantly demonstrated the connection between krautrock, post-punk, and industrial, with a visceral energy that was both electrifying and deeply moving with classic songs such as “Parallels” and “Die Life,” as well as top-notch material from their latest Exister, such as “Become the Lies.”

Gang of Four delivered a dream-come-true post-punk performance, with founding members Jon King and Hugo Burnham, joined by the phenomenal Sara Lee from the “Songs of the Free” era. The late Andy Gill was deeply missed, but David Pajo’s heartfelt guitar playing did justice to the band’s legacy. In a masterstroke of audacious performance art, frontman Jon King took to the stage, brandishing a brazen air of sardonic wit, and then for kicks, he hurled a microwave into the pit. Occasionally he’d rest, gathering the panther-like strength to prowl around the stage during “I Love a Man in a Uniform,” “Anthrax,” “To Hell With Poverty,” and a particularly passionate delivery of “At Home He’s a Tourist” kept the audience’s adrenaline in full tilt. Imbuing the performance with powerful visuals, a large backdrop of various political flags made a resounding declaration of unity, emblazoned with the phrases “Woman Life Freedom” and “Black Lives Matter.”

Squeeze also delivered a dazzling 55-minute spectacle, igniting their set with the classic “Take Me I’m Yours.” Stepping into the shoes of Adam Ant, who made a sudden exit mere days before the 2023 edition of the Cruel World Festival due to unspecified predicaments.

Boy Harsher, as well, delivered an impeccable performance. The dynamic duo of Gus Muller and Jae Matthews once again proved the undeniable bond between dance music and goth, giving the crowd a set that was as rhythmically engaging as it was darkly mesmerizing, capped off with a brilliant rendition of a “Modulations” from Lesser Man EP.

I’ve seen Echo and the Bunnymen quite a few times, and this was one of their best performances in recent years. After last year’s cancellation, I was glad to see them on the lineup again. Hopefully, this will be the case next year with Adam Ant, who, like the Bunnymen, had to cancel last minute. It is a shame that the band’s performance lacked the dynamic visual element of video projection, with instead, in its place, a static bunnyman on the moon. This visibility issue in such a large-capacity outdoor venue meant that the view was restricted to only those at the forefront. Nevertheless, Ian McCulloch beautifully delivered the heavy hitters: “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” The Killing Moon, and “Lips Like Sugar.”

Billy Idol was undoubtedly a festival highlight, celebrating his granddaughter’s birthday on stage and assuring the crowd during “Rebel Yell” that he was feeling “all right.” Steve Stevens’ guitar playing was as flawless as ever, even playing the Top Gun theme to roaring applause. It was heartwarming to see Billy Idol’s fandom’s effusive affection spiking. While a lengthier set would have paved the way for more of his Generation X-era music, Idol’s exuberant performance of “100 Punks Rule” emerged as a triumphant high point in the day’s lineup. “White Wedding” and “Eyes Without a Face” also resonated powerfully. In a poignant moment, Idol expressed his gratitude to the sea of faces before him, exclaiming, “I just want to thank you for making my life so f***ing great.” The profundity of these words was moving, demonstrating the depth of love accumulated over the years for his music.

Love and Rockets delivered a trippy set of alternative rock classics, their psychedelic visuals and shimmering red suits, underscored a stark contrast to Bauhaus’ Blood Moon swan song performance at last year’s festival. They kick-started the show with the melancholic echoes of “I Feel Speed,” followed by the raw, unyielding pulse of “No Big Deal,” from their seminal self-titled record of 1989. However, their adrenaline-fueled rendition of “Kundalini Express” was mind-blowing, as the stage was bathed in intricate designs and patterns.

Iggy Pop’s Saturday set was abruptly cut short by a little boy’s rain dance during “The Passenger,” as a lightning strike led to a festival-wide evacuation. Rumors swirled that Siouxsie had failed to show up, but as it turned out, she was merely in her trailer, catching up with old friends and waiting for her moment to make a regal entrance. All in all, the festival handled the situation admirably, and by 2 am, following the evacuation, the makeup performances were already set up for Sunday evening.

The Human League’s set was also, unfortunately, cut short due to the evacuation, and they were unable to return for the makeup performances the following night. On the bright side, Gary Numan gave an incredible encore performance, followed by Iggy completing his set, with Noveller’s shredding guitar complementing the shirtless stooge’s proto-punk classics.

On Sunday, May 21st, over 20,000 people returned to see Siouxsie perform. For those unable to return, partial refunds were offered. Siouxsie took to the stage and jokingly commented that she had wanted to tell the fire department not to shut down the festival the night before, as the lightning was simply part of her light show. With her signature charisma, Siouxsie reminded the audience that after a hiatus of 15 years stateside, she wouldn’t make them wait another year for her return, “Nah ah.” This was a performance that could not wait.

Cloaked in a silvery shroud and shadows, Siouxsie emerged, opening her extended set with “Night Shift,” a standout track from her 1981 Banshees album, Juju. Her selection of songs was a tapestry spanning her illustrious career, weaving in deep cuts such as “Lands End” from Tinderbox, alongside iconic classics like “Christine” and “Happy House” from Kaleidoscope. Fans were also treated to a sultry selection of songs from her sole solo album Manta Ray. One of the most touching moments of the evening came when Siouxsie dedicated both “Kiss Them For Me” and “Israel” to Joseph Brooks of the legendary Los Angeles record store Vinyl Fetish. In fact, when her set concluded with the surprise performance of “Israel,” she noted that the song was not originally part of the intended setlist but added in as per the suggestion of her long-time friend Joseph, who reminded her of the song.

 

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As the dust settled on this year’s Cruel World Festival, the joy and thrill of the event lingered on. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to seeing Siouxsie again and am already dreaming about the lineup for next year’s festival. This year’s festival was a testament to the enduring appeal and vitality of goth and darkwave music, uniting generations of fans in a celebration of the genre’s past, present, and future. The Cruel World Festival has now firmly established itself as a major player in the global goth scene, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next year.

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Initially, the tour was scheduled for 2020, but instead of hitting the road throughout the US and Canada, the band recorded a lockdown version of the album’s hit single “I Melt With You”.

Like most international touring bands, 2021 was too much of a risk to undertake, resulting in a second cancellation of dates, but now the band are finally ready to embark on their tour come in several legs throughout next year, beginning in March.

Modern English’s first live date across the Atlantic in 2022 is set to begin on March 5th in Port Canaveral, FL for the ’80s Cruise, with The Human League, Berlin, ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Morris Day & the Times, A Flock of Seagulls, and more.

The After the Snow tour’s first leg runs through Florida, and the southwest throughout March, with a pause until June.

The second leg begins in Portland on June 8th, running through cities on the west coast, with a stop at The Echo in Los Angeles on June 19th, before heading to Colorado, and circle back through the Midwest.

East Coast dates being in September, including stops at Asbury Park’s Asbury Lanes on September 8th NYC’s Sony Hall on the 13th, and three nights in West Springfield, MA at The Big E on the 16th.

See the full itinerary below, and find ticket and tour information here.

Modern English – 2022 After The Snow Tour Dates

March
05-11 – Port Canaveral, FL – The 80’s Cruise
12 – West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable St.
13 – Orlando, FL – The Social
16 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
19 – Houston, TX – Numbers
20 – Austin, TX – 3Ten Live
22 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey
23 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
26 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress Plaza
27 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge

June
08 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
09 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
10 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw
11 – The Dalles, OR – Granada Theater
14 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
17 – Riverside, CA – The Concert Lounge
18 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
19 – Los Angeles, CA – Part-time Punks @ Echo
22 – Denver, CO – Soiled Dove
24 – Kansas City – Record Bar
26 – Crystal Lake, IL – Raue Center
28 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Café
30 – Three Oaks, MI – The Acorn

July
01 – Milwaukee, WI – TBA
02 – Evanston, IL – Space

September
07 – Philadelphia, PA – Ardmore
08 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
09 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun
10 – Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House
13 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
14 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere
16 – W. Springfield, MA – The Big E
17 – W. Springfield, MA – The Big E
18 – W. Springfield, MA – The Big E
20 – Pittsburgh – Crafthouse
22 – Detroit, MI – Magic Bag
24 – Buffalo, NY – Spirit of the 80’s

The post Modern English Announce “After the Snow” 40th Anniversary North American Tour Dates for 2022 appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

“We can’t wait to explode back on stage,” says Modern English frontman Robbie Grey. “…we want to bring some energy and excitement to everybody. We look forward to seeing you and all being together in the same room.“

To commemorate their pandemic-imposed tour limbo, Modern English released a reimagining of their classic single I Melt With You. All proceeds will go to The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). The performance finds the band breezing through the 1982 hit from their respective homes.

“We decided to record I Melt With You to put a smile on people’s faces. We are aware of how much the song is loved and just thought a lockdown version would make people happy in these crazy times.”

Purchase the track here for a good cause.

Tickets for these patient troubadours will go on sale soon. The tour begins August 31 in Minneapolis and includes shows in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and NYC (9/8 @ Sony Hall), Asbury Park (9/10 @ Asbury Lanes).

Modern English will be supported by Ganser in Chicago, Minnesota, and Michigan, and by darkwave band Bootblacks in New Jersey, NYC, and Pennsylvania.

MODERN ENGLISH – 2021 TOUR DATES

AUGUST
31 – Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club

SEPTEMBER
01 – Chicago, IL – SPACE
03 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
04 – Three Oaks, MI – The Acorn
05 – Detroit, MI – Magic Bag
08 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
10 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
11 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Casino
12 – Amityville, NY – The Warehouse
14 – Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse
15 – Philadelphia, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
17 – West Springfield, MA – The Big E
18 – West Springfield, MA – The Big E
19 – West Springfield, MA – The Big E

The post Modern English Share New 2021 US Tour Dates Along with Lock Down Version of “I Melt With You” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Now, the NYC fourpiece are back with their latest record Thin Skies, the band’s first album for Artoffact Records.

The record is a headrush, propelling itself forward with nine songs drenched in reverb and delay that capture the vigor and nostalgia of a 1980s dancefloor, with anthemic post-punk melodies that are both captivating and intense, especially on the album’s first single, “Traveling Light”.

“When writing “Traveling Light” I was reflecting on the level of disconnect I was experiencing in public spaces and interactions,” explains frontman Panther Almqvist. “This was of course before the impending irony of the loneliest year ever, and against the backdrop of that, it seems absurd – the sense solitude I was feeling then (considering we could still actually see each other and gather in person).

However, I think that vague feeling of being lonely in a crowd actually came more from a feeling of internal distance and artifice between people, rather than simply physical distance. Even though that all sounds a bit dismal, the song is hopeful because its center is about seeing the cracks in the facades we often wear and ultimately finding a meaningful glimpse into another’s true self.”

The promo video for “Traveling Light” was Directed by Michael Thomas and Bootblacks, with dancing and choreography by Lauren Woods.

On the video’s majestic clip, Panther continues:

“Working on the video, it was just letting Lauren do what she does. We wanted to showcase her talent, which was thematically what the song is about as well; a person alone. She’s very talented. Michael Thomas, a regular creative collaborator with the band, did an excellent job of making sure he didn’t miss any moment of it. It’s a quite hypnotic performance and elevates both the themes of isolation and of celebration.”

Watch below:

Featuring the thick and sonorous production of Jason Corbett of ACTORS, Bootblacks channeled the spirit of their hometown of New York City into Thin Skies’ sound. Even the band’s name itself is said to be derived from novelist William Burroughs’ description of the dark underbelly of glitzy NYC.

Almqvist elaborates:

“It’s an energetic city and people have all the reasons in the world not to give you the time of day. I think our music has been shaped by that in many ways.”

The loneliness of city life permeates both the music and lyrics on the record:

“Most of the lyrics on the album are about loneliness,” says Almqvist. “Looking back on the lyric writing process there seems to be some connective feeling of isolation and distance present in all of the songs… I’m always hoping that a listener personalizes the song, that’s why the songs never have a narrative but try to embody a feeling.”

Bootblacks were recently handpicked by Modern English as direct support for a 2020 North American tour that has understandably been postponed.

You can, however,  find Bootblacks’ “Voices” from their 2013 LP Narrowed, featured in a film about a fictional 1980s band, Viena and the Fantomes, which is out now on streaming services. The movie stars Dakota Fanning, Evan Rachel Wood, Jon Bernthal, Zoë Kravitz, and Caleb Landry Jones. The soundtrack also features The Soft Moon, The KVB, and Weeknight.

Thin Skies is out September 30th, 2020 via Artoffact Records

Pre-Order Here

Tracklist:
1) Traveling Light (feat. Shannon Hemmett of ACTORS)
2) The Jealous Star
3) Thin Skies
4) Hidden Things
5) Parallel
6) Nostalgia Void
7) Brouhaha
8) New Lines (feat. Kennedy Ashlyn of SRSQ)
9) Inextinguishable

The post Brooklyn Post-Punk Heroes Bootblacks Whirl Majestically in Their Video For “Traveling Light” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Atypical of Modern English’s more punk and avant-garde sound, “I Melt With You” is seemingly the most recognized post-punk song used in advertising—from selling various products such as cheeseburgers to M&Ms, but the true irony is that the song is really the surreal story of two lovers literally melting together during a nuclear holocaust.

As frontman Robbie Grey has previously explained:

“I don’t think many people realized it was about a couple making love as the bomb dropped. As they made love, they become one and melt together.”

Watch below:

Of the new version, frontman Robbie Grey said in a recent press release:

“We were all at our homes in the U.K. apart from Daniel (Jakubovic), who was in Los Angeles, and decided to film ‘I Melt With You’ to put a smile on people’s faces. We are aware of how much the song is loved and just thought a lockdown version would make people happy in these crazy times.”

Modern English are set to reissue the “I Melt With You” as a 12-inch single for the rescheduled Record Store Day on Oct. 24, and recently released reissues of their Mesh & Lace and After the Snow albums on both CD and vinyl with “reimagined” cover artwork by late 4AD designer Vaughan Oliver.

The post Modern English Debut Quarantine Version of “I Melt With You” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.