London art-rock band Legss announce new EP and their signing to The state51 Conspiracy alongside lead single, ‘Fester’.
‘Fester’ is the eponymous track from the upcoming EP, set for release on June 9th. Clearly vital to the shape of the EP, the band have iterated the tracks importance on the formation of their new era. “Fester was the first song we wrote for the EP and it’s probably still the best. It was sort of like a stepping stone: writing it enabled us to write the rest. It’s a lot more vulnerable than anything we’ve done before, and it opened us up to melody in a way we’ve previously tried to avoid.”
‘Fester’ encapsulates a bitter aftertaste that follows the sweetness of a sunny day. Regarding the lyrical focus, the band say “The lyrics we’re written in the summer, when you’re sun-drunk and romantic, and the buses look like they’re kissing as they cross each other, and everyone’s got a cold sore. But underneath all the sunny games there’s a bittersweet desire to be someone or something else, which was how we felt musically at the time. Everything’s different now, of course.”
Stream ‘Fester’ here
This is reflected in the track, as an uneasiness brews constantly and refuses to allow the melody to take over song, with vocalist Ned Green punctuating this rising tension in the instrumental’s heart.
‘Fester’ is accompanied by a video filmed and edited by The Reids, which Legss say “follows this same desire for melody and abstraction. We’re trying to think less and feel more, which feels visually and musically feels like a departure from what we’ve done before.”
The band are in no short supply of praise, coming from the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, Loud & Quiet and DIY. Having been listed by NPR as part of the ‘Post-Brexit New Wave’ (alongside the likes of Dry Cleaning, Squid and Black Country, New Road), the band seem to be on an upward trajectory and are now signed to The state51 Conspiracy. The state51 Conspiracy previously hosted bands such as Yard Act and Courting at the Hello 2021 event, a series of live sessions held in the state51 Factory creative space. Given their comparison to contemporary UK post-punk bands such as the aforementioned Yard Act and Courting, The state51 conspiracy seems a fitting home for Legss and their brand of art-rock.
Legss are set to play the following shows in 2023
Upcoming shows:
04.05 – Clunk Mag – Cornish Bank, Falmouth
17.05 – Supersonic’s Block Party Festival, Paris
19.05 – The Lexington, London
