This afternoon we’re very pleased to bring you the new video from excellent cosmic lo-fi group It Hugs Back. Many moons ago, and in another websheet incarnation, The Quietus put them on at a gig in London. Since then, their sound has evolved nicely, ending up with the excellent, driving shoey heard on the video above, shot on the iPhone of Matt Simms, a gent also to be found playing in Wire. We dropped It Hugs Back a line to find out more – and they gave us their new album to stream too, you can listen below:
What have It Hugs Back been up to lately?
Matt Simms: Our second album finally came out last week, three years and three weeks after the release our first record. We spent quite a while making it, on and off for just over a year, and in between my touring with Wire, but that’s one of the good things being in this band, we’re all up to different things, musically and otherwise, but whenever we do see each other its always fun and productive, and thankfully it’s seems to keep going on and on by itself somehow. This past week we recorded two new songs and I have hope that the next album wont take so long.
What has been inspiring your new music?
MS: Lately I have been listening to lots of Grouper, who has made some of my favourite records of past few years… Also, the oh sees, Talk Normal, The Sandwitches, Kevin Ayers, The Toms (this has become a steady band favourite – one man band, called Tom, of course, making Beatlesy classic power pop from 1979), also love the Weyes Blood record from last year, definitely enjoying the resurgence in the long guitar physcadelicness of purling hiss, & White Hills. Just discovered the William Tyler record Behold The Spirit, which has definitely inspired me to play more acoustic guitar again lately!
Can you tell us how you made your video?
While we have absolutely zero budget, we do have the luxury of time, especially when touring… While waiting to play in Birmingham on a Sunday bill with six other bands and our stage time being pushed ever further back, the idea for the video developed, more as a joke to be honest, but on returning to our Travelodge that evening the joke became a strange reality and through my iPhone and iMovie it got done! Proudly d.i.y! We have spent three weeks of our lives in one Travelodge on the m4 alone while in it hugs back..Scary.
