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Let The Rhythm Method take control: "We want to entertain people"

London’s premier pop masterminds have finally arrived with their debut album.

The Rhythm Method have always been as much a philosophy as a band. The past five years have seen them cultivate a real following, their own singular brand of Methodism picking up a wide range of supporters from The 1975's Matty Healy and his mum Denise Welch, to Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell and rocket man Elton John.

Now their debut album is here, it feels like a culmination of the past five years of The Rhythm Method’s journey.

The album is a perfect snapshot of the band in all their idiosyncratic glory. No one else sounds quite like The Rhythm Method in 2019 - maybe no one else wants to sound like The Rhythm Method in 2019 - but their unique blend of instantly relatable suburban ennui, pop hooks from the cool and hip to the weird and chintzy, coupled with a tender heart marks them out as one of our finest new pop bands.

The thing that perhaps stands out the most about The Rhythm Method is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Make no mistake this is very important to them, but there’s a refreshing lack of earnestness that makes them so engaging.

In a way, the band now cherish their outsider status whereas previously they used to yearn for massive success and instant acceptance.

“It’s like in Spanish markets where you have those fake football tops that actually still look quite cool,” laughs Joey.

The defining thing about The Rhythm Method is Joey’s lyricism. His considered and, at times, deeply hilarious vignettes about the ridiculous and sometimes heartbreaking reality of everyday life in the UK give The Rhythm Method’s songs their personality. You can hear it instantly from the first introductory monologue banger ‘Ode 2 Joey’ before culminating in his closing tender ode to his home city ‘Wandsworth Plain’ written with his lyrical hero Chris Difford of Squeeze.

“I guess over the last five years I’ve done some growing up in a way,” reflects Joey. “Not too much, obviously. I’m a lot less angry nowadays. I used to be a very angry young man. Not outwardly but very insular and angry with myself and the world. Just bitter about other things or other bands. I still get that sometimes, but that’s just down to jealousy I suppose. I’m always going to be envious of people doing better than us. My lyrics get funnier now, and they’re also getting a little weirder as I’m trying to write our second album. They’re a bit more poetic and going down a strange path.”

Already halfway along that strange path is an album track like ‘Salad Cream’, on the face of it a bizarre advertising jingle, Rowan instead describes it as a key song in illuminating The Rhythm Method and what they are.

Taken from the July issue of Dork. The Rhythm Method's debut album 'How Would You Know I Was Lonely?' is out now.

Words: Martyn Young

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