We've all raged at inanimate objects for misbehaving, and it's this feeling that Getdown Services are harnessing for their latest single, 'The Radiator'.
Wrangling innate human reactions, as well as the fairly weird and outcast ideas that float by them, is what the Bristol duo have been doing since their first appearance in 2022. Toting their unique view of the world through droll spoken word, combined with a killer mix of disco, electronica and tub-thumping rock, it's an addictive concoction. And this latest iteration of the duo - Josh Law and Ben Sadler - continues down this pathway.
The pair are channelling their inner Daft Punk while figuring out that maybe when we're mad at the door lock for jamming, or toast getting stuck in the toaster, there could be something beneath the surface (though granted, these are still beyond annoying).
Of course, this level of understanding only comes from being exposed to humanity in the wildest of wests - retail. "I used to work at Morrison's and people would have these meltdowns at the checkout, but you suddenly get this freedom where you're like, this isn't about me, something else is coming out here," Josh chortles. It's this last statement that rings true throughout most of Getdown Services' output.
"We've been trying to achieve the same thing since the start, which is to exorcise some demons via our music," Josh says. Part of this process is cramming as many different styles of music as possible into the Getdown Services output while maintaining a succinct, specifically theirs through line. "It feels like sometimes we're trying to write one big song," he explains. Ben adds, "We're trying to understand it ourselves, we're feeling our way through the darkness and occasionally hitting a wall with our torch."
Getdown Services have certainly established their penchant for hooks. Each track they've bestowed so far - including on 2023's debut album, 'Crisps' - offers a sticky, sonic substance to impart whatever wisdom or nonsense they feel like examining. Listing everything from AC/DC to Kylie Minogue, it's all based around something to feast upon while hammering home some of those observations of life. "We fire from the hip with that stuff. We like a lot of different styles of music, and I think the way we make music means that we're not necessarily limited," explains Josh. "And the way we do it live, because it's all just a track, we're not limited to being one specific style."
When it comes to 'The Radiator', it began the same way as its predecessors. As Josh explains, "I just came up with an idea for the track, and then I had these lyrics sitting around, and I thought I could work with it… You just sort of follow your nose." That simplicity is their charm. It's neither overthought nor lackadaisically thrown together. This is fresh from the gut, and that level of honesty is hard to come by.
"We try and do a lot with not very little," Josh says. "We don't have much equipment, and we're trying to stick to that." They've entered larger studios, and through fear of becoming a bit "Brian Eno" about the whole thing, they're much more ready to stick to their guns about what they've already established - often lo-fi, low-thrills, but all-heart. This is all thanks in part to their late start in the game. In their early 30s, the pair only really started writing a few years ago, in their late 20s, so it's very much the early doors still. But that's always where the best material lies, before any external noise seeps in.
"We're still figuring out what we're trying to do most of the time, so it's just going with your gut, and you know when you've done something that you think is right," Josh explains, "and you're just striving for that feeling most of the time."
"They have this stupid idea that they think we're fun..."
— Ben Sadler, Getdown Services
The pair's ascent from pals mucking about to signing to Breakfast Records not long after starting out, selling out shows across the pond, and a growing cult status has been a bit of a whirlwind. But they're dealing with it with the same nonchalance you'd expect from the band who happily munch on snacks on the toilet and sit in the bath for their videos.
"It's quite surprising anyone gets anything out of it. This band does sometimes feel like a private joke, maybe to a fault at times. It's amazing anyone at all really understands that," Josh laughs with a shrug. "It's a compliment. People who have no similarity to you, or come from a completely different background, if they can get something out of it, that's quite a compliment," he adds.
They're conscious of not being too isolating, but still, who doesn't love working their way into an in-joke? "Josh and I go way back, and we're really good friends at that. It's like the last thing you want to do is exclude people," Ben says. "You want to invite people to enjoy themselves completely, so it feels good that it translates."
How this whole thing has played out for them is a total surprise. Even the songs that have caught on, including 'Dog Dribble', are left-field picks the pair wouldn't have sussed as helping make a name for them: "We weren't even sure about putting that out," Josh says. Even the carefree way of Getdown Services can't escape the general pull of the public taking over. It's something the pair have noticed as the snowball's continued barrelling forward.
Most of this is thanks to the Getdown Services live experience. Here is where they've made a name for themselves. Sweaty collisions of rampant riffs and energy shaking up with a careening power - often topless - have led to people getting the wrong end of the stick, mostly. "They have this stupid idea that they think we're fun," Ben wryly says.
"It can be a bit weird, but it's nice. It's a bit of a cliche, but it's true when bands say once you put your music out, whatever people see it as, and whatever people see you as, that's part of the whole thing," he adds. "I think people might think we're a bit more laddie than we are, a bit more blokey, and a bit more sort of hateful. But only one of those is true," he deadpans.
Getdown Services are indeed in good standing. 'The Radiator' is the first step in whatever their second album will encompass. They've cracked the less-is-more formula, while still learning their way around what it is they want to bring to the musical table, and they're feeling good for the future. "That's a nice position to be in," Josh says. "It feels like we're gonna just keep going until we have a reason to stop, to be honest."
This is now Josh and Ben's full-time focus, day jobs be damned. Being such a small ship to run, they're laughing. "We don't need loads of money and stuff to operate. I can't see anything happening between the two of us, so I think we'll just crack on making more music," Josh says, as Ben adds, "What's important is that our enjoyment doesn't rely on the success or the progression, we just love doing it." And while there's still a world to set to rights to a studious, hook-laden beat and a feverish crowd to listen, Getdown Services will be here to fight the good fight.
Getdown Services' single 'The Radiator' is out now. They play LIDO (12th June), Truck (24th July), Latitude (25th July) and more this summer.
