No See Ums – Weekend (2024)
Despite the trio No See Ums only just discovering their audience, the lads already have several years of experience in the music industry. Combining their knowledge, musicality and influences, members of the psych-prog rock band The Qwarks, Phil Johnstone (vocals and guitar) and Nick Flowers (drums) meet Jax Burley (bass) of queer punk band Daffodildos creating a unique flair of garage rock and punk. With raw ferocity and infectious enthusiasm, the lads are quickly building a name for themselves in and beyond their UK borders. The latest addition to No See Ums’ discography is the single ‘Weekend’.
While No See Ums technically formed during the Covid-19 pandemic, they only unleashed their music on unsuspected listeners earlier in 2024. Following the well-received debut single ‘Flags’ and album Elephants At The Airport, ‘Weekend’ sees the Brighton-based trio shift from a hard-hitting blast of punk to a simpler flush of light-hearted indie-rock/grunge. Unlike ‘Flags’, the roar of punk is replaced with a smooth lashing of harmonic drums, powerful bass and soothing guitars; however, despite the easy-going veil of sound, darker themes lie beneath the surface.
Unafraid to explore provocative themes in reality, No See Ums tackle sociopolitical situations with gusto… then again, ‘Weekend’ proves that raging ferocity is not required to get a message across. While ‘Flags’ was a ripping of the band-aid off “…unreasoned nationalism”, ‘Weekend’ is a salve slathered across a deeper feeling of detachment and disillusion. Listening to the song a few times, I find the lyricism amusing but also a sardonic snap at the weighted feeling of merely existing, not living. Frontman Phil Johnstone explains:
“I think many people will be able to understand feeling down on your luck and detached from humanity, we’re tapping into that sense of hopelessness that people feel but kind of doing it playfully because, on the surface, it’s almost a jolly-sounding song…”
In addition to the single, No See Ums released an official music video for ‘Weekend’. You can view the video below or on No Saints’ YouTube channel.
Find out more about No See Ums on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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