Anti-Pleasure

Featuring

GENN

As befitting a band who take their name from the Maltese word for frenzy, ?ENN thrive amongst chaos. “Craziness follows us,” laughs lead singer Leona Farrugia, alluding to the quartet’s colourful history, which has so far featured robbery, legal disputes, long-distance collaborations, and three members of the band relocating to Brighton from Malta. Guitarist Janelle Borg concurs. “[?ENN] could have been a support group, but we decided to make music instead,” she deadpans. Jokes aside, it’s this unique outlook and tight-knit gang mentality that make ?ENN such a thrilling proposition musically, as evidenced on March’s Liminal EP. Released through London-based indie Everything Sucks Music, the six-song collection sees Leona, Janelle and their bandmates Leanne Zammit (bass) and Sofia Rosa Cooper (drums) contrasting searing post-punk missives with more allusive meditations cocooned in psychedelic textures. Sisterhood is an apt description for the creative dynamic within ?ENN: theirs is an unconditional bond, based on mutual affection and instinctive trust. Songs are born out of group jams, though the pandemic meant they had to adapt their process slightly to work at a distance. The songwriting on Liminal is the product of these remote sessions, with songs finalised post-lockdown at Brighton's Small Pond Studios with producer Sam Coveney. Key reference points for the record included Baxter Drury, Metronomy, LCD Soundsystem and Captain Beefheart, as well as the band’s most enduring inspirations Warpaint. Listen closely, and you can practically hear the band shrugging off their Riot Grrrl reputation in real time, as they move in a more experimental and neo-psychedelic direction.

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Grandmas House

Bristol-based, queer punk-trio, made up of Yasmin Berndt (vocals, guitar), Poppy Dodgson (vocals, drums) and Zoë Zinsmeister (bass), are known for their fast and raucous guitar riffs, thumping bass lines and aggressive drums. Combining their love of post-punk with surfy melodies, Grandmas House have created a captivating sound that grabs you right by the throat. With vocals compared to artists ranging from The Raincoats to Motörhead and described musically as a mix between Courtney Barnett and The Slits, the original, fresh sound coming from this band is undeniable.

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Also Appearing

Irked, Fiona Liquid & The Clique, Eve Kearton

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