SUCCULENTS Release New Single WORK IT OUT, Announce UK Tour Dates
Hulme built the song's sound using a guitar capo he sawed in half to cover four strings.
Manchester duo Succulents have released new single Work It Out, building on the success of their February debut ahead of a run of UK live dates with CUD and Coup Dur.
Girl-and-boy-next-door lo-fi indie duo Succulents return with Work It Out, an under-three-minute rocket of joy, out now. Having made a statement with their arrival back in February, and quickly following up with an innovative live set-up, melding tape cuts with their own fun and sincere performances, the pair reach out further with a run of five newly announced live dates, starting on Thu 27 August in Cheltenham.
Where US lo-fi college rock meets considered British indie, Work It Out carries the very best of the pair's influences, not least Belle & Sebastian and The Moldy Peaches, while establishing a sound that is distinctly theirs: unpretentious, melodic, affectionate and purposely unpolished around the edges. Distorted guitars provide a cloud of welcome fuzz with the track propelled by a sincere, playful two-handed vocal performance.
Formed of artists Laurie Hulme and Lucy Ridges, Work It Out follows up their debut single, Underdog, with the pair's blend of upfront plugged-in guitar riffs, candy-floss-sweet harmonies and a sense of joyful togetherness intact. The earliest Succulents song in their repertoire, Work It Out effectively dictated how their wider, yet-to-be-heard body of work should progress. Across a still growing batch of songs, they draw influence from cult indie touchstones including The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Field Mice, Yo La Tengo, The Clean, The Courtneys, The Pastels and Comet Gain, combining hazy nostalgia with sparky immediacy.
At its heart, the new single is about trying to find a way through disagreement, with the deceptively simple warning 'be careful what you wish for' providing pause for thought.
Hulme says of the single: ''Work It Out' is about conflict resolution, but also about that strange apathy you can feel when you're surrounded by constant arguments – whether that's protests, politics or toxic online spats. The protagonist is almost taking the attitude of 'I can't be bothered with this', while knowing that sometimes avoiding conflict doesn't necessarily make it disappear. 'Be careful what you wish for' is probably the most important line in the song.'
Showing educated musical dexterity and keenness for experimentation, Hulme came up with the chords using a capo he had sawn in half, leaving it to cover just four strings of the guitar. The resulting voicings helped give the song its distinctive character and produce a slightly surreal visual moment when played on stage.
'I wanted it to feel fuzzier and more indie pop than anything I'd done before. I came up with the chords using this really cool capo I'd sawn in half, so it only covers four strings. People are always surprised when my hand goes round to the other side when I play it live.'
With more material taking shape, Succulents are establishing themselves as a band with both a distinctive recorded sound and a developing live identity. They made their gigging debut earlier this year at the cult All The Range night in South Manchester, followed by a slot at Manchester Popfest in June, sharing the bill with indie legends Gina Birch of The Raincoats, BMX Bandits and Lande Hekt.
Taking to the road for a smattering of shows, in and beyond their home city, in the coming months, all current Succulents live dates are as follows:
Tour Dates
Thu 27 Aug – Cheltenham, Steam & Whistle w/CUD
Thu 3 Sep – Edinburgh, Bannerman's Bar w/CUD
Sat 12 Sep – Manchester, Klondike Club w/Coup Dur
Fri 23 Oct – Hull, The New Adelphi w/CUD
Sat 31 Oct – Shipley, Kirkgate Centre w/CUD
To find out more about Succulents, their upcoming live performances and new releases, connect with the band online at www.instagram.com/succulentsband.
