Van Zeller return with fiery new single ‘The Coward’

Bristol punks Van Zeller made a promising start with their full-of-energy debut 7” back in March. Working with Spring King’s Tarek Musa, the four-piece make brilliantly scrappy punk that’s seen them tear around the UK in support of the likes of Blaenavon and Cloud Nothings.

Before they head out on their own headline tour next month, they’re releasing new single ‘The Coward’, and we’ve got the first play on DIY. As riotous as their first showing, vicious vocals battle with chunky power chords in the track’s verse before the two meet up for a glorious battle-cry in its chorus.

Speaking to us via email, the band’s Ben says: “I wrote the song very quickly one night, took it to the others the next day and we just learnt it on the spot and then played it that evening. I was thinking about what it means to be a man in this day and age, especially over what masculinity should entail as a concept, and the toxic nature of the idea itself, at a time when I myself was acting like a complete bastard.

“In terms of who ‘the coward’ that the song relates too actually is, that should be made fairly clear to the listener by the end of the song. I guess you could say that the song is extremely personal in one respect, but I really wanted to explore the changing nature of masculinity itself, especially from the perspective of a twenty-something growing up in a different time to that of previous generations’.”

Listen to ‘The Coward’ and view Van Zeller’s upcoming tour dates below.