Living Body have just released the single ‘CONSUMER’, their first new music in over two years. And in further exciting news, the Leeds-based band comprising Jeff T. Smith, Jack Burgess-Hunt, Alice Rowan (Mayshe-Mayshe), and two drummers, Sarah Statham (Crake, Fig by Four) and Matt Simpson (formerly of Middleman) will on Thursday be embarking upon a 14 date tour of the UK which will be their first tour in four years.
Speaking about ‘CONSUMER’, Jeff T. Smith says, “We’re sort of to the point with technology where algorithms and AI have the ability to understand, anticipate and predict human behaviours, desires, choices and crucially, how they spend their money, with greater accuracy than other human beings actually can. We are social creatures at the end of the day, and our need for connection with others has become depressingly mediated by technology. Somewhere in this process corporations have managed to inject their will into our need for genuine human connection and use their algorithmically generated knowledge about our own desires to keep us locked into a niche where they can try to sell us things.”
And turning his attention to the band, Smith says, “The interplay and polyrhythms between the two drumkits and the duelling vocal harmonies between myself and Alice are a big factor in the live band’s sound. We make experimental guitary synthy pop tunes that emphasise vocal melody and hooks with occasional rock moments, lots of bliss and sometimes some maths. Other contributors to the project have included Tom Evans (Vessels) and Katie Harkin (Harkin, Sleater-Kinney, Courtney Barnett).”
Living Body’s tour dates are:
February 23: Manchester -The Peer Hat
February 24: Edinburgh – Sneaky Pete’s
February 25: Newcastle – Summerhill Bowling Club
March 2: Wakefield – Establishment Music Hall
March 6: Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
March 9: Derby – Dubrek Studios
March 10: Sheffield – Hatch
March 11: Bolton – The Factory
March 20: Portsmouth – Edge of the Wedge
March 21: Bristol – Crofter’s Rights
March 22: Newport – Le Pub
March 23: Oxford – Port Mahon
March 24: London – The Cavendish Arms
March 25: Leicester – Duffy’s Bar
Watch the live session video of ‘CONSUMER’ here: