Get To Know... Alien Chicks • Neu • DIY Magazine

Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Straight from the midst of the capital’s thriving grassroots scene come Alien Chicks, a trio who over the past few years have cemented themselves as an essential name on London’s gig circuit. Their debut EP ‘Indulging The Mobs’ - named for the raucous crowds at their now-renowned live shows - arrived in July, its surreal social commentary and sense of unsettling urgency making for a project that sees the band’s visceral dynamism successfully committed to tape. Part punk, part rap, part something else entirely, ‘Indulging The Mobs’ navigates the tightrope of sonic variety and cohesion with ease; its six tracks showcase the breadth of the trio’s sound, and yet its closer and opener are arranged such that the EP could be played on a loop ad infinitum - just another layer to Alien Chicks’ intelligent, playful artistry.

They’re currently over in the Netherlands, squeezing the last out of 2024’s festival season before embarking on a headline tour around the UK and Ireland. In between the madness, we caught up with two thirds of the outfit to dig a little deeper into their world…

Hey guys, how are you doing?
Hey there, Joe and Stefan here - we’re on our way to go camping to finish writing our future album!

What’s the first gig you ever went to?
Joe: My first gig was Lucy Spraggan at Shepherd’s Bush Empire - I went with friends around 2013.
Stefan: My first was The Libertines at Reading Festival in 2015. They’ve been a huge influence ever since!

What’s one album that changed the world of your teenage selves (and why)?
Stefan: My album of choice is Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’. Up until that point I listened exclusively to pop/pop-punk, so this was the record that got me into heavier music and bass.
Joe: For me, it’s Eagulls’ ‘Ullages’. At the time I was listening to lots of older bands and was convinced that good music was mainly a thing of the past. This band and a few others made me realise that there are some great up and coming bands, I just needed to find them.

Your debut EP ‘Indulging The Mobs’ has an air of the uncanny about it - familiar themes or motifs are distorted and made more dynamic in a Frankenstein-like sonic collage. Can you tell us a bit more about the project’s inspirations (musical or otherwise)?
We wanted an EP which is cyclical. Firstly, it starts and ends on the same riff, and also the first and last chords of each successive song make sonic sense next to each other. This means the EP can be played on loop as one continuous song. We wanted the tracks themselves to contain themes which are relatable and have snippets of different stories to them, while musically we’re massively inspired by bands like black midi, Pixies, Ocean Wisdom, and Joao Gilberto.

“We make a continuous effort to ensure that no two songs are the same.”

The EP also showcases a real breadth of sound - from the rap influences on ‘Curtain Up’ to the more melodic leanings of ‘Qwerty’. Why did you make these stylistic choices, and what did you want them to communicate about you as a band?
We love music that has many key, tempo, and genre changes throughout, as we get bored of playing/listening to the same phrase over and over again. We enjoy challenging ourselves to write music in different genres since we find it more satisfying, and make a continuous effort to ensure that no two songs are the same. Also, Joe has ADHD, and we think this comes across in the songs!

Tell us about the most memorable gig you’ve played to date.
Playing in Scunthorpe is definitely up there! There weren’t many people in the crowd so we decided to get extremely drunk before the set to see whether we could still play our songs or if it would be a complete car crash. Thankfully, it was the former and we celebrated by having quite a few more shots and a club night out with the locals. It ended up with the bass player throwing up in a plastic bag in the hotel room and chucking it down the road out of the hotel front door as there were no bins (just like in North London)…

You’re heading out on a whole string of headline tour dates this Autumn. What three things can crowds expect from an Alien Chicks live show?
Controlled chaos, sweat, and music which is impossible to dance to. We can’t wait!

Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you cooking?
We’d love to say a luxurious three course dinner but realistically, probs pizza. But can we come to yours instead? We hate cooking!

‘Indulging The Mobs’ is out now via So Recordings.

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