PORIJ are serving up their very own, innovative take on dance with debut album ‘Teething’.
Words: Ciaran Picker.
Photos: Jesse Glazzard.
When Porij released their breakout single ‘Nobody Scared’ in 2021, it appeared as if the world was their oyster. They snagged not only a support slot for electronic superstars Metronomy but also for indie-pop heavyweights Coldplay, setting them on a course set for the stars. It seemed as if Porij were not only destined for the big time but that it was imminent.
Beneath the surface, though, the band were at a crisis point, with two members leaving in early 2022, replaced with quite literally hours to spare before huge moments in Porij’s career; drummer Nathan Carroll entered the fold at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, while guitarist Jacob Maguire’s first day included a live session and a gig. Luckily, though, this haphazard way of working not only suited the band, but actually made them shine even brighter than before.
The line-up, completed by vocalist Scout ‘Egg’ Moore and bassist/keyboardist James Middleton, are totally fearless, always looking to subvert natural pathways and push their genre forward. Their debut album ‘Teething’ is a case in point, with the album art - a massive tooth against a white background - being pretty much the only straight-up thing about the record.
Somehow, Porij have not only fused together house, garage, and techno but even managed to place them alongside moments of shoegaze guitar, classical piano, post-punk reverb, and Tarantino basslines. The record has the potential to make you dance, cry, and headbang, evidence that Porij refuse to be boring and that they have poured their whole selves into the record.
To prove this point, their recent single ‘Unpredictable’ is all about a period where vocalist Egg felt that they were constantly in flux. More than that, though, the song is a totally different incarnation than the original concept, emphasising Porij’s obsession with warping boundaries.
“It was originally quite dark house music, but I think it was just too on the nose,” Egg levels. Nathan agrees, “We tried a whole load of small changes, like different high-hat patterns or whatever, until we just lost all perspective and had to say, ‘Right, let’s do something totally different’.” The result was, in Egg’s words, “wonky garage”, creating a bouncy, upbeat dance anthem reminiscent of ‘After Laughter’-era Paramore: gut-wrenching lyrics complemented by a shiny, summery soundscape.
Clearly, Porij haven’t just gone into a studio and produced an album for the sake of it; they’ve lovingly crafted and curated a body of work that is authentically human. It’s real life in all its humdrum glory, taking apart the most traumatic of times stitch by stitch and rebuilding to beats and tricks that amplify and reinvigorate the subject matter, making for one of the most impressive debut albums you’re ever likely to hear.
Sadly, though, part of being alive is struggling through, just about managing to keep your head above water. When Egg looks back at the start of the album cycle, Porij were stuck in this exact pattern. “We started writing it in 2022. We’d played something like 27 festivals and done a headline tour, but we still had no money and were basically just sending ideas to each other via Soundcloud links, travelling up to James’ house, and hoping something would come of it.”
With this context in mind, whilst trademark Porij ethereality is slathered across the LP, this project is physically more present, more rooted in the grit and grind. Egg’s stark vulnerability and penetrating lyricism give long-term fans the same quality that made them fall in love with the quartet, now with added tooth and claw.
