Belfast’s noise punks Enola Gay have signed with Modern Sky UK and return with their first new music in over a year with the single ‘PTS.DUP‘. Enola Gay do not shy away from controversial subject matter. Ever opinionated, they continue to confront issues that exist in both the public domain and that have a personal impact. ‘PTS.DUP‘ is inspired by a personal attack that left a member with a fractured skull. The band castigate the Northern Irish conservative party the DUP and their influence on the impressionable youth of today suffering from identity erosion and abandonment by their own government. The band expand on the background to the track:
“Following a band member being brutalised in a sectarian attack that left him with a fractured skull, we felt a lot of raw hatred and some shame. After processing this, we reflected on the tribalism that fuelled the attack and our anger that followed. The attackers themselves are victims of jingoistic rhetoric that is insidiously normalised in the North of Ireland. In a country still suffering remnants of The Troubles. Young people left in the middle of the road turn to alt-right political parties masquerading as conservatism such as the DUP, searching for a sense of belonging. With talks of a united Ireland looming we should consider how and why Unionists feel and fear that they will be left with nowhere to call home when they shouldn’t have to.”
The complexity of Northern Ireland politics is a challenging theme to tackle in music but surely a young band from Belfast such as Enola Gay are entitled to express an opinion. To hear Ian Paisley at the start of ‘PTS.DUP‘ is confronting in its defensiveness. The immediate launching into the full force of the track is wholly appropriate for the subject matter. Chaotic, resentful, confrontational and violent in its delivery. In fact the adjectives just don’t seem strong enough. Anyone who has listened to debut EP Gransha will know this band do not do quiet. ‘PTS.DUP’ takes the noise level right over the top. Enola Gay ask the listener to consider how and why frustrated parts of the community are indoctrinated into resentment from an early age to suit a misinformed agenda. The lyrics are intelligent, thought-provoking and worthy of transcribing here:
“Maintain the division, let your trauma dictate decisions
Execute the executive like the Spanish Inquisition
There’s no room for religion- tradition built on suspicion
Decommission partition; make reformation our mission.”
In 2022 Enola Gay sold out their debut headline tour of 32 dates before going on to support Therapy? Over the summer NME said they were, “one of the most-booked new acts for European festivals”. They also played capacity sets across Europe and all this before the release of an album. Enola Gay have also confirmed their second EP is on its way with Johnny Hostile as producer. Hostile is best known for his production on both Mercury Prize nominated Savages albums Jehnny Beth is a fan of Enola Gay and the pairing transpired after Hostile reached out to the band directly. Already booked for a number of festivals this summer including Download and 2000Trees, Enola Gay have also announced a number of tour dates for June.
Enola Gay Live Dates
June
8th – Gullivers, Manchester
9th – The Parish, Huddersfield
10th – Download Festival, Donnington
12th – Yellow Arch, Sheffield
13th – The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
14th – Kazimier Stockroom, Liverpool
15th – The Prince Albert, Brighton
16th – Windmill Brixton, London
17th – The Louisiana, Bristol