In the dense musical chemistry of "Fault" by North London post punk alt band Desperate Journalist you feel the intensity of need, the desire to leave it all on the stage wherever that might be, a dark claustrophobic club, a festival stage or recording space. The heavy snapping drum, exquisitely heavy bass line, jagged guitar and droning synths create such a deep alt rock groove for Jo Bevan's striking vox to cut through. The sensation is like a battle cry, passionately pained but bathed in cool too.
Of the track Bevan shares:
"The lyrics for 'Fault' were initially written quite intuitively and informed by what sounded good mouthwise with the kind of melody I thought the song needed - quite sonorous, Jim Kerr-y vowels. As I edited it into something which actually made sense, it naturally turned into a memory-screed about a terrible flat I once lived in and how the place itself seemed to reflect all the misery going on in my life at the time. I quite like the idea of a song sounding so big and dark and kinetic but with lyrics set mostly in quite a small space where nothing really happens except for unexpressed turbulent emotion.
“Structurally it's unusual for us in that it a) doesn't have many guitars on it and b) has a shifting hook/chorus which doesn't happen at the times you'd necessarily expect. It was more of a textural exercise to record too which was really enjoyable and interesting - there are two drumkits on the recording and also synth undercurrents to make it extra propulsive and intense."
"Fault" is the first track to be from Desperate Journalist’s upcoming fourth album, "Maximum Sorrow!", recorded in Crouch End during lockdown and dropping on July 2nd.
-Robb Donker Curtius
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Desperate Journalist are a post punk band, formed in North London by Jo Bevan (vocals), Rob Hardy (guitar), Simon Drowner (bass) and Caz Helbert (drums).
The band played their first gig in February 2013 at the Silver Bullet in Finsbury Park. After self-releasing debut EP Cristina, they were quickly signed by Fierce Panda, who released Organ and Happening as singles, leading to their debut album, Desperate Journalist, in November 2014, recorded at Dean Street Studios with Keith TOTP.
In 2015 the band played Indietracks, headlined the 100 Club, and released a new EP, Good Luck. In 2016, they toured Europe in the spring, and supported Chameleons Vox on a UK tour in August, as well as recording their second album.
Grow Up was released in March 2017, backed by a headline tour of the UK and Germany, including a date at Scala. The first single, Hollow, was released in October 2016. It was reviewed well by Stereogum, and was picked out as Song of the Day by KEXP. Second single, Resolution, about New Year's Eve parties, was released on 1 January 2017 and was playlisted by BBC Radio 6 Music.
Third single, Be Kind, was released in March 2017, two weeks before the album. It was playlisted by Virgin Radio UK. The fourth single, Why Are You So Boring?, a 'protest song about tossers' was released in June 2017. The band toured throughout 2017 making summer festival appearances at Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Tramlines, and Benicàssim, and supporting the Slow Readers Club on tour in November.
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