The Tubs try to locate The Ignorant Sound on debut single I Don’t Know How it Works.
An admission of pure incomprehension, The Tubs spend the single’s 2.30 minutes failing to grasp almost every aspect of modern existence. Operating a simple can opener? They don’t know how it works. Logging on to their favourite ‘chatting app’? They don’t know how it works. Creating jangle music from deep within the throes of Capitalist Realism? They simply don’t know how it works.
The Tubs were formed by two of the primary songwriters from the critically lauded pop group Joanna Gruesome: Owen ‘O’ Williams & George ‘GN’ Nicholls. In the winter of 2018, the two songwriters rented a caravan in rural North Wales with the view of expanding the dimensions of their ‘jubilant’ (New York Times), ‘hook stuffed’ (Pitchfork) compositions. The results were a set of pop songs containing an almost unreasonable volume of melodic hooks.
They then recruited another JG member Max ‘Wozza’ Warren (responsible for the Gob Nation punk label), before completing the line up with Sam Ayres and Rachel Kenedy from the ‘savage, sacharrine’ (NME) pop group Flowers.
The influence of Flying Nun and Chapter Music acts on The Tubs is clear, as well as the band’s appreciation of contemporary antipodeans such as The Goon Sax and Twerps. But The Tubullar Sound’s breadth is always growing wider and wider, absorbing influences that range from needling Post Punk to Cleaners from Venus style jangle to traditional British Folk music.
The group have already been harnessing vibrations at venues around London, allowing front person O Williams a platform to aimlessly flail from side to side and strike his own head in an attempt to make a visual case for the Ignorant Sound. After receiving a hugely positive response to their recent shows with Flasher, Porridge Radio and Public Practice, The Tubs have reportedly grown greedy, petulant and hungry for the sweet nectar of applause.
I Don’t Know How it Works/Silver Moon will be released as a 7″ single with artwork by the group’s George ‘GN’ Nicholls.