A synth patch named after a hairy frog fish spawned a whole EP. Dublin psych-pop duo Unique Freaks, also known as THEE U.F.O, have released their new EP ‘Hairy Frog Fish,’ out now, with lead single “Explode Ur Head” arriving alongside its own official music video. The EP collects songs that grew out of the “Hairy Frog” synth patch but didn’t make it onto the album, including the title track plus “Kick It Down (Take It),” “Letting Go Of The Controls,” and “Explode Ur Head.”
Frontman Darragh Hansard has a story for each one. “Hairy Frog Fish, a ridiculous name for a ridiculous song,” he says. “Messing around on the synth and made the sound of the Hairy Frog Fish. I guess I was making a song for cyberpunk.” He calls “Kick It Down!” the one with the least thought and the most fun, while “Letting Go Of The Controls” went deeper. “Having major control issues as it relates to life and death and the general narrative of my own life, it’s time I let things happen as they must. I’ll still be here doing my thing.”
“Explode Ur Head” came out of a heavy Peaches listening phase. “A dum dum fun punk song,” Hansard says, paired with a deliberately cheesy workout rage video inspired by Jane Fonda and WWF’s attitude era. “Made on a Wednesday over a few beers. We wanted it to be low quality, however it turned out worse than we had thought lol. Hope you all enjoy!”
Unique Freaks are in a real moment of blossoming. They began as an industrial duo, stumbled into freak-folk on debut ‘Light Boat Drones,’ then unleashed two psychedelic ear-bleeders in ‘Ponderous Fug’ and ‘Beaming A Moments Reflection,’ both critically acclaimed. In summer 2024 they shifted toward shorter, more concise songs on the ‘Glowing Friends’ EP, their first release as Unique Freaks, and all that sonic shifting has fed into this latest project. The new material takes a pop approach in its production while the duo’s whimsical, often vulnerable personalities bleed through.
Throughout their time as THEE U.F.O, the Freaks have shared stages with Godcaster, Jim Jones All Stars, Meatbodies, Acid Mothers Temple, Cardinals, Search Results, and more, plus a spot at All Together Now 2023. In September 2024 they debuted a new live line-up featuring two drummers and a psychedelic light show, aiming to make their shows more overwhelming and bizarre, and 2025’s ‘Enjoyment Planted’ landed on Nialler 9’s best Irish albums of the year list.
Live Date:
Friday, September 25th – Whelan’s, Dublin