David Wrench and Evangeline Ling – aka audiobooks – have returned with a new single, ‘Tryna Tryna Take Control,’ a unique collision of Wrench’s squealchy synth lines and bossonova beat setting with Ling’s narrative that wittily peels back the layers on a goody two shoes with with plastic bravado, before launching into cheeky hook laden chorus hoisted aloft by a cavalcade of calypso powered pop. They have also announced a string of UK live date, including Colours Hoxton in London on 23 February. The band have been confirmed to appear at End of the Road Festival 2022.
Speaking about the single audiobooks say: “After having to wait so long between finishing recording Astro Tough and its release, we wanted to record and release something quickly. This track draws musical inspiration from 70s Brazilian legends Caetano Veloso, and Milton Nasciomento as well as smooth 80s pop stars Sade and Terence Trent D’Arby …. but all put together with a very post punk attitude.”
They add, in their characteristically cryptic fashion: “Things are not always as they appear. Goody Two-Shoes are often very confusing. On one level they want everyone to see their halo and on another they want to put everybody else down. Their halo is made of plastic, it’s just for show! What better name for an Owl than Ronnie O Sullivan? The enigmatic snooker genius who can simultaneously play with wild instinct and killer precision.”
Live Dates
23 Feb – London, UK – Colours Hoxton
24 Feb – Brighton, UK – Komedia Studio
25 Feb – Margate, UK – Elsewhere
26 Feb – Dark Arts Festival Leeds, UK – Belgrave Music Hall
27 Feb – Future Days Festival, Birmingham, UK – The Crossing
01 Mar – Glasgow, UK – Broadcast
02 Mar – Hull, UK – Adelphi
03 Mar – Blackpool, UK – Bootleg Social
30 Mar – Leciester, UK – O2 Academy*
31 Mar – Cambridge, UK – Junction Clifton Way*
02 Apr – Newcastle, UK – Boilershop*
23 Apr – DIY Festival, London, UK – Pickle Factory
01 Sept to 04 Sept – End of the Road
*supporting Dry Cleaning
“Multi-instrumentalist and super-producer/mixer Wrench, known for his work with Frank Ocean, the xx, Caribou, David Byrne, Manic Street Preachers, and Goldfrapp, is as comfortable unleashing monolithic psychedelic wig-outs and heavy dub-driven monsters as he is crafting irresistible synth-pop bangers. Writer, vocalist and visual artist Ling is as chameleonic as she is charismatic, able to jump from detachment to rawness to aggression to tenderness to hilarity to toe-curling awkwardness, often within the same song.
On Astro Tough audiobooks are completely sincere. They’re also completely joyous, wild, angry, powerful, hilarious, vicious, vulnerable and intense, and most of all completely brilliant. It’s the sound of David Wrench and Evangeline Ling reaching new peaks of creativity, more confident than ever before in their abilities to forge something focussed, singular and unique out of the explosive combination of their talents.”