“(Dead Naked Hippies) take twisting, sharp-as-a-knife guitar lines and wield them like a weapon” DIY Mag

Thrashing into life in late 2016 with their caustic brand of punchy post-punk, Dead Naked Hippies return with their first track of 2018 – the raw, gritty and atmospheric Guillotine. Capturing the trio, and frontwoman Lucy Jowett especially, at their most honest both sonically and thematically, the track builds on a steady release of acclaimed singles.

Opening with a low-key guitar and drum groove, before bursting into fiery life for a cathartic chorus courtesy of Jowett’s trademark vocals, this conflict of duelling musical identities echoes the lyrical messages being conveyed. “Guillotine is an exploration of grief” the vocalist explains, “It’s the fine line between wanting to retaliate to someone who has caused you hurt, versus choosing to cut out the dead weight they have created in your life.”

Serving as an excellent vignette for this universally relatable emotional struggle is just one facet of the track, and Dead Naked Hippies’ ethos as a whole; the connection between the musical identity and personality of the group runs deeper.

It’s no coincidence that the band feel so at home in their own skin on Guillotine:  “Dead Naked Hippies has always been about the connection and energy between the 3 of us and our audience, and this has become a lot more prevalent over time. We went into the studio set on capturing some intimate moments so decided it was integral for us to only record what was vital in our three piece set up, adding minimal overdubs,” Jowett reflects from a collective point of view, and then on a personal note – “The lyrics are a release for me after personally facing a difficult past year; it’s the most honest we’ve ever been. A lot of my writing revolves around my own struggles with mental health, and as a young woman facing modern society.”

By creating a vehicle, alongside band mates Joe Clarke (guitar) and Jacob Marston (drums), through which to express and tackle her own internal issues, Lucy and Dead Naked Hippies offer a space for others to do the same. Whilst cutting and scuzzy, Guillotine is also triumphant call to arms: “It’s so important that we stick together and keep it real.”

Received well across the board, the band have had multiple successes worth shouting about. This comes from support at BBC Introducing, as well as at key UK tastemakers DIY, DORK and the Metro, to a sold out show at Live at Leeds resulting in a slot at the iconic Leeds Festival in 2017, and supports with Dream Wife and Mexican garage-punk heroes Le Butcherettes. This acclaim, as well as the band’s consistently improving song-writing and visceral live shows give the real sense of an act on the cusp of doing something special.

Guillotine by Dead Naked Hippies is out now. It was produced and mixed by Matt Peel (Pulled Apart By Horses, Eagulls, Menace Beach) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (Placebo, Maximo Park, Our Girl).

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