deep tan

London-based post-punk three-piece deep tan are today releasing their first new material of the year with their riotous new single ‘beginners’ krav maga’. Another brilliantly dark single with a wry take on contemporary themes, ‘beginners’ krav maga’ is also the first single since their widely acclaimed Speedy Wunderground single ‘tamu’s yiffing refuge’, which closed a big year for deep tan in style.

The band expand on the meaning behind the song: ‘beginners’ krav maga’ is a response to the idea that womxn should take self defense classes in order to feel safe on the street at night. womxn shouldn’t have to. yet it seems like every day there’s a new sarah everard, sabina nessa or aisling murphy. educate your sons, brothers, guy friends. male violence against womxn is an epidemic and it needs to stop, so we made a pop song to talk about it.

2021 was a breakthrough year for deep tan as their debut EP ‘creeping speedwells’ established them as one of the most exciting bands to emerge from from recent times. The darkly angular singles from the EP garnered critical acclaim and multiple spins across BBC 6 Music and beyond as deep tan stripped away the light atmospherics and electronics of their earliest releases to reveal a more streamlined sound. This was clearly evident on singles ‘deepfake’, the breakneck, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it homage to a heavy night ‘camelot’ and cold-wave anthem, ‘hollow scene’.

The band then went on to release a Dan Carey produced single with legendary label Speedy Wunderground, ‘tamu’s yiffing refuge’, a stripped down, driving track that once again proves less is more.

Thrust to the forefront of London’s thriving post-punk scene, deep tan make music that emerges from the fatalistic side of life with a flash of cynicism and a rumble of venomous intent. Their stripped-back, minimal sound is a vehicle for songs that engage with contemporary themes, from deepfake revenge pornography to surreal meme pages and stories of furry hedonism.

As well as touring the EP extensively throughout 2021, including a slew of tastemaker festivals like Dot-To-Dot, Live At Leeds, Wide Eyed Festival and Manchester Psych Fest, the band also joined fellow uk post-punks Yard Act on the road, supporting them on the September leg of their Dark Days EP tour. 

The last two years have seen the band featured in NME, DIY, Clash, Loud and Quiet, The Quietus, So Young, Notion, Dork, Brooklyn Vegan and more, with their music playlisted at BBC 6Music and Amazing Radio, and garnering plays on Apple Music Beats1, Radio X, SiriusXM, KEXP, BBC Wales and Amazing Radio USA. Steve Lamacq also made the band his BBC 6Music Spotlight Artist in May 2021.

Taut, seductive and enthralling – deep tan channel legendary indie heroes like The Slits, Young Marble Giants and The Raincoats with influences from contemporaries and peers like Jessica Winter and Dry Cleaning to create something that is undeniably their own.