Drahla stream angular new EP ‘Third Article’

Leeds trio Drahla are now streaming their new EP ‘Third Article’ in full.

A short but punchy introduction to the angular wares of the off-kilter new band, its three track are enough to show the kind of idiosyncratic thinking that should set them up as one to keep a firm eye on in the coming months.

Delve into the release via the medium of chat below, and stream the EP in full underneath.

Hello Drahla, please tell us a potted history of the band so far.

Rob: We have known each other for years but formed the band at our friend’s wedding November 2015. We wrote a batch of songs and played our first show at the infamous Red Shed in Wakefield the following July.We then went into the studio with MJ for the first time to record Fictional Decision and Dog Collar Guillotine which was released October 2016 (physically released through A Turntable Friend records March 2017).We were then asked to do the Too Pure Singles Club and Faux Text was released in April. Since then we have had the opportunity to do a session with Marc Riley and have had the pleasure of touring France, Spain and the UK with METZ. We’ve also done a load of UK shows in between all this.

You recorded with MJ for this one - what’s he like to work with?

Mikey: MJ is a treat to work with! I think it’d be hard to envisage recording with anyone else at the moment. I don’t think we’d be in the position we’re in if we hadn’t recorded with him. He’s played live with us a couple of times now and did the Marc Riley session with us back in September too. He also introduced us to Chris Duffin who’s played Sax on a couple of recordings and also occasionally joins us at gigs. Both have become great friends and I suppose the best studio moment was hearing Chris put the Sax down on Faux Text. We felt overwhelmed that evening for sure.

What bands do you all bond over and what influences have fed into ‘Third Article’?

Rob: Wire was definitely a big inspiration for us to start the band. Other bands we’re collectively into are Joy Division, New Order, Ought and Miles Davis to name a few.

Can you tell us an interesting story about one of the tracks on your EP, please?

Luciel: The lyrics on Circuit were inspired by a home recording I had of my younger brother George (he was about 5 at the time). He was explaining a movie he had just watched and said the line “….and at the end there are diamonds”. He was so excitable in his delivery and it always stuck in my head. I used the line but in a different context, using the word diamonds more metaphorically than literally.

You’re releasing through your own label - are you intending to develop that into a bigger project? Have you got designs on releasing other bands and running it as a fully-fledged thing?

Rob: We have no intentions as of yet, we released it on our own label out of simplicity.

If your first EP is an opening statement to the world, what statement is ‘Third Article’ making?

Luciel: I don’t think there’s necessarily a statement to the EP, it’s a bi-product of our creativity and ideas and the time.