Nottingham indie sensations Divorce announce ‘Heady Metal’ EP (pre-order here), set for release November 17th via Gravity/EMI, and share synthy banger ‘Scratch Your Metal’ (watch video here).
Arriving hot on the heels of BBC 6 Music-playlisted lead track ‘Birds’ (alongside Arlo Parks, The Last Dinner Party & Miso Extra), the alt-country heavyweights are fast becoming a formidable presence throughout the emerging landscape, with an acclaimed summer festival run now under their belts (incl. Latitude, End Of The Road & Boardmasters), as well as highly-praised support dates with Self Esteem.
Marshalled by songwriting duo Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, the group’s forthcoming EP signals a closer collaboration than ever between the two bandmates, providing a striking portrayal of insecurity and questioning whether to trust oneself or your new surroundings. The character studies of debut EP ‘Get Mean’ are gone; in their place more vulnerable narratives about grappling with identity amid the new pressures they were experiencing following their phenomenal rise.
With a full UK tour lined up this autumn, preceded by a series of support dates alongside Willie J Healey, the thrilling quartet’s budding live reputation has certainly attracted considerable fanfare over the twelve months, with multiple slots already ticked off alongside 86TVs, Deadletter, The Lounge Society and Warmduscher.
In addition, widespread plaudits across the press community (The Times, The Independent, The I Paper, DIY, Dork, So Young, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, Consequence of Sound, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, The Needle Drop, Gigwise, Rough Trade) and radio airwaves (BBC Radio 1’s Gemma Bradley & BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles) alike has certainly reinforced the boundless potential surrounding the four-piece.
Detailing their second EP reveal, co-vocalist/bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell explained: “I think this is probably the closest thing to a love song that’s been written for Divorce. ‘Scratch Your Metal’ means showing the most difficult and sometimes unbearable parts of yourself outwardly, because the sound of something scratching against metal is the most unpleasant noise I can think of. To be earnest, the song is about the duality of relationships, and accepting a partner as flawed and human in the same ways as yourself. It was written on a cheap Casio keyboard at a friend’s I was staying at in London, and it’s Divorce’s own little stab at synth pop banger”.
Discussing the accompanying visuals, drummer Kasper Sandstrøm added: “For this video, we worked with our good pals Clump Collective to create something really free flowing. The theme of the song is based on identity in all its forms, so we decided that instead of coming up with a choreographed dance that we needed to practice beforehand, we’d move in ways that felt natural to each of us, no matter how it looked! It turns out we’re all secretly professional dancers, which made the process extremely easy and not at all time consuming.
Our future counterparts were casted brilliantly, and they all got so into their roles as us. The loose feel on the day meant they had to stand and watch us do our thing, and try to mimic it to the best of their ability. We think they did an incredible job, and we can’t wait to grow up to become them”.
Produced by Matt Peel (Dream Wife, Eagulls, Pulled Apart By Horses), and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Catherine Marks (Foals, The Killers, Wolf Alice), Divorce’s ‘Scratch Your Metal’ is out now via Gravity/EMI and available on all digital platforms.
Divorce are Tiger Cohen-Towell (Vocals, Bass), Felix Mackenzie-Barrow (Vocals, Electric Guitar), Adam Peter Smith (Electric Guitar) and Kasper Sandstrøm (Drums)
UK Live Dates
22nd Sept – New Century, Manchester^
21st Oct – On Margate Sounds, Margate
22nd Oct – SWN Festival, Cardiff
9th Nov – Chalk, Brighton*
10th Nov – O2 Academy, Oxford*
11th Nov – Hangar 34, Liverpool*
22nd Nov – The Social, London – SOLD OUT
23rd Nov – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
25th Nov – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
26th Nov – Headrow House, Leeds
27th Nov – YES (Basement), Manchester
16th Dec – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
*supporting Willie J Healey
^supporting Warmduscher
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