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(24th May) London five-piece Lip Filler today release new EP 'witchescrew' - out now via Chess Club Records, led by frenetic new single "Its not deep".
Of the new single, the band said:
"The recording of this EP felt very much like lighting a cigarette in a petrol station - 'Its not deep' does a better job of representing this than any. We wanted a real step up in production from EP 1; disturbing the waters rather than testing them with how bold we could be. This resulted in the majority of instruments being recorded out of metal dustbins (courtesy of St Francis Hotel), some twisted DnB breaks and a beat switch. The song is about pretending you don’t care, when you really do. Denial is bitter, but it sure makes you look cooler."
With sonic influences ranging from 100 gecs to Nine Inch Nails, the band's new EP lyrically examines personal anxieties and fears related to the nocturnal & the paranormal, with references to sleepwalking in previous single "followup" and a mention of The Old Hag in "Ashtray"; a creature commonly associated with phenomenon of sleep paralysis.
New EP 'witchescrew' arrives following glowing hat tips for lead single "followup" from BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri, Nels Hylton) and BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Amy Lamé) as well as being given a 10/10 rating from Bob Vylan's Bobby Vylan as the "blind judgement track" on Huw Stephens' Roundtable. Elsewhere, Lip Filler were recently interviewed by Rolling Stone UK for their Play Next series - describing them as "the innovative indie band with a rare musical alchemy". The band are also fresh from support dates with O. and Master Peace, having being tipped for success in a number of Ones To Watch in 2024 lists.
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Sonically, Lip Filler's second EP ‘witchescrew’ showcases a band insistent on taking more risks than ever before, mirrored in their creativity across other mediums, with the band painstakingly coding the website witchescrew.net from scratch to provide a compelling visual accompaniment for the new EP.
Bookended by the first two songs they wrote together as band - “Limelite” and “CARLING”, for ‘witchescrew’ Lip Filler returned to the studio to record with Declan Gaffney, aka St Francis Hotel (Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, Wasia Project) whom the band also worked with on their self-titled debut EP.
With 'witchescrew' Lip Filler set out to defy expectations, challenging themselves to break free from any preconceived notions of what the band was. “I think we're in an era of music where literally anything is possible” proposes George, a sentiment which pulses through the veins of ‘witchescrew’. Across its compact 13 minute run-time, Lip Filler throw quite literally everything at the wall.
The EP’s irate, crunching opener “CARLING” was originally used by the band as an interlude “to fill up time when we hadn’t written enough songs for a whole setlist”, before becoming the crowd-favourite it is today. “The lyrics were recycled from a mixtape I dropped when I was 17 (the original has a second verse regarding Fosters), and the lead synth was ripped from a B section of a criminally early demo we had called ‘I got my hands’ - a song about w*nking (I wish I was joking)”, George notes.
Moving on to the relentless energy of “Its not deep”, the EP then spins towards its middle section on the melodic, bar-laden “Ashtray”, a song the band describe as “the most personal we have released thus far”. With references in “Ashtray” to the ‘old hag’ - a creature commonly associated with sleep paralysis, the band continue their dissection of nocturnal curiosities on “followup” as they turn their gaze to sleepwalking - entangled in a web of scratchy guitar jolts, punchy drum passages and glitched-out electronics.
Closing the EP in explosive fashion, “Limelite” embodies the frenzied allure of noughties dance-punk, and epitomises the raw, honest nature of the Lip Filler’s work. “The song is about not being sure what the best thing is for yourself and projecting these uncertainties onto someone else. I feel like this song captures an adolescent naïveté which is self-ashamedly honest. Also, this was the first song that we ever wrote as a band”.
Perhaps a fitting way then to draw a line under this exciting next step the band, but for Lip Filler, this is still very much just the beginning.
MORE ABOUT LIP FILLER
Lip Filler's self-titled debut EP released back in May of 2023 was a bold statement of intent. Through a lens of frenzied dance-punk and caustic indie-rock- delivered with an undeniable pop flair, the EP addressed personal image, self-validation, the overstimulating nature of modern technology and adjusting to life in a new city.
Swiftly amassing a devoted and feverish following, with numerous sold-out headline shows across the capital (including their own "wall-shaking" party hosted in the band's west-London flat), 2023 also saw the band enjoy a hectic run of buzzy festival appearances including The Great Escape, Dot To Dot, Y Not, VISIONS and more.
Lip Filler have firmly established themselves as one of the most exciting new bands to surface in recent years; with key radio airplay from BBC R1 (Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri, Nels Hylton, Jess Iszatt) BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Amy Lamé, Huw Stephens), Radio X (John Kennedy) and a whirlwind of press tips from Rolling Stone UK, NME, So Young Magazine, CLASH Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork Magazine, DIY Magazine, The Independent, Gigwise, Whynow, The Rodeo, YUCK Magazine and more.
Lip Filler are: George Tucker (vocals and keys), Verity Hughes (vocals, guitar), Jude Scholefield (vocals, guitar), Theodore Pasmore (bass), Nate Wicks (drums).
Lip Filler's new EP 'witchescrew' is out now, released 24th May on Chess Club Records. Lip Filler play headline dates in London, Bristol and Manchester in June.
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