Everything Everything on their AI-powered new album 'Raw Data Feel': "I didn't want to sing about the same shit anymore
With their new album 'Raw Data Feel' just announced, and lead single 'Bad Friday' streaming now, frontman Jonathan Higgs explains what's coming next for Everything Everything.
Everything Everything are back, with news of a brand new album and the first track from it.
The album, 'Raw Data Feel', is set to arrive on 20th May. It's previewed by a lead single from it, 'Bad Friday', and the accompanying video, which you can check out below.
That's not all, either. The band are also announcing a limited edition lyric book, 'CAPS LOCK ON: Lyrics + Debrid 2007-2022', which will arrive the same day as the album, through Faber Music.
Explaining the meaning behind 'Bad Friday', frontman Jonathan Higgs explains: “This song is about being a victim of violence, explaining it away through the gauze of a ‘crazy night out’. We wanted the video to have a monochrome Ink Spots classicism to it, disrupted by elements of A.I.-generated imagery. This reflects the approach to writing and producing the song - the minimalistic combined with the surreal and disorientating.”
Alongside all the new release news, Everything Everything have also revealed the support acts for their forthcoming UK tour which kicks off next month. Do Nothing, Phoebe Green, Liz Lawrence and L’objectif will be joining them on the run.
Finlay Holden caught up with Higgs to find out more about the band's sixth album. You can read the full chat in the new issue of Dork, out this Friday (11th February) - but until then, check out the excerpt below.
Everything Everything's upcoming sixth LP 'Raw Data Feel' is turning inward. "I don't want to be defined as a political singer," frontman Jonathan Higgs states. "This record isn't really looking at the world. Instead, it's very personal. It's about getting over trauma, but using characters to play that experience out, so I don't have to deal with it head-on."
Marketing a trauma-processing record embedded in upbeat electronica is, unfortunately, far from abnormal in current times. "A lot of people probably do have trauma from this period we've all gone through, whether they directly relate to what I'm saying or not," he confides. "I'm trying not to make [the theme of trauma] super obvious, but a lot of the songs converge towards the same thing, which is unusual for us."
Trauma is dealt with indirectly, at an arm's length and never as an isolated focus. "Not really thinking about it fully, but just distracting yourself from the truth." This procedure is expedited by the second, tightly interwoven theme of 'Raw Data Feel'. As Jon elaborates: "I speak about using technology to deal with something rather than me dealing with it myself. I used an AI's brain to write my songs because I don't want to talk about those things right now; that's kind of the idea – relying on technology like a crutch, and this modern loneliness where your only friend is your phone."
Hold on, AI writing songs? Yes, you read that right, Dear Reader. Midway through the creation of this new record, the band had a spark of inspiration and reached out to "some professor" who required data to fuel the mind of this artificial intelligence. "I chose four elements: the entire terms of conditions from LinkedIn; Beowulf, the ancient poem; the sayings of Confucius, the philosopher; lastly, four hundred thousand comments from 4chan." An eclectic combination, for sure.
The album, 'Raw Data Feel', is set to arrive on 20th May. It's previewed by a lead single from it, 'Bad Friday', and the accompanying video, which you can check out below.
That's not all, either. The band are also announcing a limited edition lyric book, 'CAPS LOCK ON: Lyrics + Debrid 2007-2022', which will arrive the same day as the album, through Faber Music.
Explaining the meaning behind 'Bad Friday', frontman Jonathan Higgs explains: “This song is about being a victim of violence, explaining it away through the gauze of a ‘crazy night out’. We wanted the video to have a monochrome Ink Spots classicism to it, disrupted by elements of A.I.-generated imagery. This reflects the approach to writing and producing the song - the minimalistic combined with the surreal and disorientating.”
Alongside all the new release news, Everything Everything have also revealed the support acts for their forthcoming UK tour which kicks off next month. Do Nothing, Phoebe Green, Liz Lawrence and L’objectif will be joining them on the run.
Finlay Holden caught up with Higgs to find out more about the band's sixth album. You can read the full chat in the new issue of Dork, out this Friday (11th February) - but until then, check out the excerpt below.
Everything Everything's upcoming sixth LP 'Raw Data Feel' is turning inward. "I don't want to be defined as a political singer," frontman Jonathan Higgs states. "This record isn't really looking at the world. Instead, it's very personal. It's about getting over trauma, but using characters to play that experience out, so I don't have to deal with it head-on."
Marketing a trauma-processing record embedded in upbeat electronica is, unfortunately, far from abnormal in current times. "A lot of people probably do have trauma from this period we've all gone through, whether they directly relate to what I'm saying or not," he confides. "I'm trying not to make [the theme of trauma] super obvious, but a lot of the songs converge towards the same thing, which is unusual for us."
Trauma is dealt with indirectly, at an arm's length and never as an isolated focus. "Not really thinking about it fully, but just distracting yourself from the truth." This procedure is expedited by the second, tightly interwoven theme of 'Raw Data Feel'. As Jon elaborates: "I speak about using technology to deal with something rather than me dealing with it myself. I used an AI's brain to write my songs because I don't want to talk about those things right now; that's kind of the idea – relying on technology like a crutch, and this modern loneliness where your only friend is your phone."
Hold on, AI writing songs? Yes, you read that right, Dear Reader. Midway through the creation of this new record, the band had a spark of inspiration and reached out to "some professor" who required data to fuel the mind of this artificial intelligence. "I chose four elements: the entire terms of conditions from LinkedIn; Beowulf, the ancient poem; the sayings of Confucius, the philosopher; lastly, four hundred thousand comments from 4chan." An eclectic combination, for sure.
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