London’s Dry Cleaning announce their much-anticipated debut EP, “Sweet Princess,” due August 16th on It’s OK. In conjunction with today’s announcement, they present a video for the lead single, “Magic of Meghan.”
The release of “Sweet Princess” continues a period of fervent activity from the band, despite having no music online. Dry Cleaning have already seen significant interest, playing early headline shows and meaningful support tours. They possess something entirely different to the rest of the pack – their wiry, excitable post-punk and new-wave paired as it is to surreal, detached vocal narratives in the form of a predominantly spoken word delivery.
Firm friends for years, the band (Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, Florence Shaw & Nick Buxton) only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience. They recorded the six-track “Sweet Princess” EP before playing their first show only last year.
When they started they knew they wanted to make simple music, direct and uncomplicated. The musical influences were clear – the Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon as a starting point. The garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound as it was so small and intimate; anything unnecessary was to be left behind. A discussion among the four band members about how to make the prospect of performing as comfortable as possible for Florence (a first timer) ahead of the band’s first rehearsal as a four piece, led to her using her speaking voice. There were several references for this; Will Powers, The Anaemic Boyfriends and Grace Jones, among others.
The video for “Magic of Meghan” was made by Sheffield based artist Lucy Vann. Vann investigates, records and reinterprets overlooked behaviours and occurrences in the everyday, in this case through moving image, but she also works with photography, writing, sound, objects and performance. Her work balances between a state of tedium and interest, and attempts to reveal something beyond the immediate surface of daily life. As for the lyrical content of the song itself, well, it’s clearly a song celebrating Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
“The song acknowledges that following the lives of those in the public eye can provide people with an escape; an outlet for difficult emotions, and subsequently help them to cope with hard times in their lives,” says Florence Shaw. “The song is, in part, intended to serve as a thank you to Meghan for this service (‘You got engaged on the day that I moved out. It’s ok. She’s a smasher, perfectly suited to the role’). The song also aims to highlight how the news media dissect her decisions (‘Never has one outfit been designed, to send so many messages’) and the creative ways they conceal the misogyny and racism that is sometimes behind what they write about her (‘You’re just what England needs, you’re going to change us’).”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “MAGIC OF MEGHAN” –
https://youtu.be/FRbpWEXkBic
PRE-ORDER “SWEET PRINCESS” HERE –
https://orcd.co/drycleaning
“SWEET PRINCESS” EP TRACKLIST:
1. Goodnight
2. New Job
3. Magic of Meghan
4. Traditional Fish
5. Phone Scam
6. Convention
DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES:
Fri. July 19 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
Thu. Aug. 8 – Brighton, UK @ Prince Albert *
Fri. Aug. 9 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Sat. Aug. 10 – Leicester, UK @ O2 Academy
Fri. Aug. 16 – Breacon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival
Wed. Aug. 21 – London, UK @ Schacklewell Arms
Thu. Aug. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
Fri. Aug. 23 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Basement)
Sat. Aug. 24 – Birkinhead, UK @ Future Yard Festival
Sat. Oct. 19 – Bristol, UK @ Simple Things Festival
Sun. Oct. 20 – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival
*= w/ Bodega
Keep your mind open.
[It would be magic if you subscribed.]