A guttural, urgent post-punk fever dream, Talk Show’s “Red/White” is all-consuming – a sweaty and smoldering seduction off the South London band’s debut album, ‘Effigy.’
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Stream: “Red/White” – Talk Show
It’s like a knife to the chest, or a punch to the gut.
Talk Show waste no time getting into it on “Red/White,” bludgeoning the ears with raw, unrelenting energy and unapologetic ferocity. Caustic drums churn out a searing 2-step pattern befitting the best in UK garage as Harrison Swann lets loose, his deep baritone hot on the mic as he lures listeners deep into the band’s dark drama. The scene is frenzied, fierce, and focused, and the goal is our surrender to the sound: A guttural, urgent post-punk fever dream, “Red/White” is all-consuming – a sweaty and smoldering seduction.
could you could you could you could you could you
I only want to dance with my lover
and just left right left right this time
left right left right
could you could you could you could you could you
I only drink the wine when I want to
and it’s red white red white this time
red white red white
Released January 18, 2024 via Missing Piece Records, “Red/White” is the third single taken off Talk Show’s forthcoming debut album Effigy (out February 16). Following the band’s recent songs “Gold” and “Closer,” “Red/White” is two minutes of nonstop post-punk ecstasy: A blustering hypnosis for the mind, body, and soul.
It’s a stunning reminder that there’s no one quite like Talk Show right now – a post-punk band that invariably leaves us breathless, shaken, and invigorated with every move they make. Formed in 2017 while students at Goldsmiths, University of London, the four-piece of vocalist Harrison Swann, bassist George Sullivan, drummer Chloe MacGregor, and guitarist Tom Holmes have become one of London’s hottest indie acts over the past five years, releasing two EPs that showcase the breadth and depth of their singular and ever-evolving artistry.
Atwood Magazine praised Talks Show’s 2022 sophomore EP Touch the Ground as “an industrial record of raw energy, seductive beats, and unapologetic attitude.” Two years later, they’ve brought that same gut-punching passion to their debut album, and nowhere is that felt more directly – and dynamically – than through the visceral charm and churn of “Red/White.”
“‘Red/White’ has definitely been one of the songs that’s evolved the most on the album,” frontman Harrison Swann tells Atwood Magazine. “We wanted to really lean into something that was going to be a real mix of guitar driven electronica. We wanted something proper fast. Vocally I felt it was important to have a calmer delivery, compared to the other tracks on the album, as I think it helped to add to the hectic atmosphere in the song. We envisioned it being that feeling when you stand in the smoking area of a club, in the middle of January, and it’s absolutely freezing cold.”
“For me ‘Red/White’ stands out the most on the album, as we really tried to aim for something different than what we’d done before. Mixing DnB drum beats with Peter Hook-esque bass lines felt like a bizarre mix in the studio, but I’m really proud of what the song has become.”
It’s a blistering, brutal cacophony from start to finish: One that demands the undivided attention of its audience as Swann sing-speaks right into our ears, sending chills shooting down the spine through the raw intensity of his and his bandmates’ performance.
could you could you could you could you could you
left right left right
could you could you could you could you could you
red white, red white
could you could you could you could you could you
don’t say my name if you’re girl…
could you could you could you
only to my place if you have to
“I try to always leave our songs up to as much interpretation as a listener wants or needs,” Swann says. “I don’t really enjoy it when my favourite artists explain the meaning behind their tracks, so I massively avoid explaining lyrics outright. I prefer setting an atmosphere and leaving space to maneuver, because personally I think you can get way more out of the music that way.”
“Musically the big inspiration behind this track was ‘I Adore You’ by Goldie. It creates such a beautiful, cinematic atmosphere to get lost in, plus the drums are just fuckin wicked.”
“Red/White” is a hypersonic introduction to Talk Show.
You won’t get every single thing you need to know about this band from one two and a half minute song, and yet… you will. Talk Show’s essence radiates throughout “Red/White,” their spirit bleeding through the scorching, acrobatic guitars, the restless, roaring drums, and Swann’s heated, demanding vocals. From end to end, this music is bold, brazen, and utterly remorseless.
Effigy promises to live up to the hype as a one-of-a-kind post-punk masterpiece, but for now, join Talk Show in their latest reverie, and take a walk on the wild side of life: Red, white, left, right, this song pulls out all the stops.
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:: stream/purchase Effigy here ::
:: connect with Talk Show here ::
Stream: “Red/White” – Talk Show
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© Ashley Rommelrath
© Ashley Rommelrath
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