Higgs and co happy to mix their music with a little politics All kinds of Everything
Jonathan Higgs reckons British and Irish acts are beginning to follow in the footsteps of their ‘woke’ American cousins. Electro Pop outfit Everything Everything have made a name melding world weary, nightmarish lyrics with pop hooks and friendly synth sounds, and the band are welcoming current musical trends towards important social issues.
Frontman Higgs told The Beat that he’s happy that political messages are being heard in pop music once again.
“People have been kind of asleep for a long time in pop,” he said.
“I think strong political messages and social themes have been missing from pop music for a long time, but I think we’re on the verge of a return to that sort of thing.
“Young people are becoming well more politically engaged and you can see it coming out in grime in hip hop and a lot of American music
“America are there before us, which doesn’t happen that often actually!
“I hope we’re on the verge of a new era of more politicised pop music – that would be nice, we could do with it.”
Everything Everything emerged from a post indie landscape where more contemplative, inwardlooking artists came to the fore.
The hedonism of the ultra cool era that preceded their rise stands in stark contrast to hellish visions of drone strikes and political despots peppered through their music.
Their world weary and at times absurdist approach to songwriting have became a calling card.
But Higgs reckons political and social activism have become the new cool among a generation of ‘woke’ youths.
“This whole thing of being woke, or however Americans want to put it is being normalised now and it’s pretty cool I think,” he said.
“Political issues may have been ignored or maybe there was just more of a hedonistic vibe to the way people were making and consuming music”.
“Britain is incredibly politicised at the minute and we’re seeing that come through more and more and of course the conversations that are happening in Ireland right now are really interesting too.
“It’s inevitable that these conversations come out in art.”
Does Jon feel a moral obligation to keep these issues to the forefront of his music?
“No.
“If I chose to turn my back on it completely I wouldn’t be worth less as an artist – I hope – I think it’s just what speak to me, so it’s inevitably what comes out.”
The Manchester based band have had a productive eight years in the business, they released their fourth album in 2017 to extremely positive reviews and are showing no signs of slowing down.
Their music is regularly described in reviews as math rock though Higgs reckons that his band don’t really fall into the genre.
“I’ve always been a bit confused by the labels we’re given,” he said. “I don’t mind that one I just don’t think it’s very accurate.
“I mean, thats certainly the type of stuff we were listening to when we were 20 but I don’t think that we sounds very ‘mathy’.” So who and what are they? “I think that it’s pop music in the same way The Beatles is pop – it’s not bubblegum b****x but it’s definitely has it’s roots in popular music.
“We do tend to push it further outside of what are normal comfort zones.”
Everything Everything are facing into a busy summer schedule of tour dates including an appearance at the Sea Sessions festival in Donegal which runs from Friday the 22nd of June until Sunday the 24th.
They also return in August to play Indiependence festival in Cork on the 5th.
The Donegal date is first the band will play in Ireland since their
March show in Dublin was cancelled after wintry conditions brought about by the Beast From The East meant that the band stayed stranded in Manchester.
An Irish crowd is always an exciting prospect for the band who
play the Sea Sessions festival for the very first time, and according Higgs they intend to put on a real show for their Irish fans.
Also on the weekend bill is Dizzee Rascal, Walking On Cars and Rudimental.
ltickets for the Donegal festival are still on sale at www. seasessions. com
'I hope we’re on the verge of a new era of more politicised pop music – that would be nice, we could do with it’