Bristol-based post-punk quartet The New Cut has released new single “And As Always” via Modern Sky off the back of support slots with SPRINTS, Buzzcocks and The Bug Club. The four-piece blend the energy of The Fall, Wire and The Monochrome Set with modern themes. This is evidenced on spidery new single “And As Always” which takes this retro sonic inspiration as a starting point to explore parasocial relationships with online personalities. Specifically, the new single depicts lead vocalist Henry Gerrard’s struggle with socialising in his formative years and his subsequent leaning towards internet personalities as a teenager.
Certain educational channels would end up being a turning point for Henry, giving him new perspectives and, more importantly, teaching him to worry less about the social pressure whilst growing up. This feeling is reflected in the band’s emergence onto the UK music scene and a reminder from formative years of trying too hard to fit in, to stay focussed on the important aspects in their work: the music and creativity, not the image and social responsibility. Alongside high-profile support slots the band has run the gamut of tastemaker festivals in The Great Escape, Dot To Dot and Left Of The Dial, earning fans along the way with their direct approach to updating 80s indebted post-punk and New Wave.
On the new single, Henry Gerrard says, “We feel as if we are taking new steps with the band every year and an important aspect of any growth or success we see is to stay grounded. The music industry is full of creative and generous people, but it still feels sometimes as if I’m still trying to fit in. ‘And As Always’ recounts my formative years and is a reminder that, changing for the sake of blending in didn’t work before, and it won’t work now. It’s a track to focus myself on my principles, being creative for things that are important to me and letting my ‘image’ or social life work itself out.”
