Meet Man/Woman/Chainsaw, the quintet that are carving out a unique space in London's music landscape with their 'orchestral mayhem'. Check out our latest Hype playlist cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Ella Margolin.
Five teenagers, a violin, and a shared passion for pushing musical boundaries. It sounds like the setup for a particularly avant-garde sitcom, but it's actually the origin story of Man/Woman/Chainsaw, a London quintet who've been steadily amassing buzz in the capital's ever-churning indie scene. Preparing to unleash their debut EP 'Eazy Peazy' on Fat Possum Records, could this be the sound of the future?
At a time when so many seem to be peddling a tepid rehash of 90s Britpop, heating up the dying embers of the post-punk sprechgesang revolution, or trying to sound like The 1975's cooler, younger, less chaotic siblings, Man/Woman/Chainsaw offer something genuinely intriguing. Their brand of orchestral mayhem conjures images of Nigel Kennedy leading a punk revolution at the Royal Albert Hall – minus the Union Jack violin, thankfully.
When asked if there's anything they'd want readers to know about their music, the band offer a cryptic "If you know, you know." It's the kind of statement that would normally make you want to roll your eyes so hard they'd get stuck, but there's something about Man/Woman/Chainsaw that makes you want to be in on the secret. Perhaps it's the way they've managed to blend classical instrumentation with a DIY punk ethos without sounding like they're trying too hard to be clever.
The band – Vera Leppänen (vocals and bass), Billy Ward (vocals and guitar), Lola Cherry (drums), Clio Harwood (violin), and Emmie-Mae Avery (piano, synth and vocals) – have been honing their craft since the tender age of 16. In that time, they've racked up an impressive 100+ gigs, a feat that would make even the most jaded of toilet circuit veterans nod in grudging respect. It's almost enough to make one forget we're only a few years out from the dark days when the closest thing to a live gig was a Zoom karaoke session with your tipsy aunt Mildred.
