Shopping release their new album The Official Body produced by Edwyn Collins on the 19th of January. The title is a play on the idea of official bodies of power and control, as well as the construct of a physical body that fits within the societal paradigm of what is “acceptable.” Watch the video for ‘The Hype’ that creates a catchy groove with a message, here:
The band features Rachel Aggs from Sacred Paws/Trash Kit, who recently hosted a show about queer music in the DIY community for BBC 6Music.
Following the release of their 2013 debut Consumer Complaints, and 2015’s follow up Why Choose, post-punk trio Shopping found themselves in an unrelenting cycle of touring, making their way across the UK, Europe, and the US.
“As a band that only ever writes collaboratively, it’s essential for us to actually be together in the room before any songs start to formulate. It can be a little daunting when we all turn up, and we only have an afternoon to pull a song out of thin air”.
“We’ve always felt like what we do is political in that it’s cathartic and healing in some way, but at some point it just felt like making ‘political’ music was a bit like putting a tiny band aid on an enormous wound,” says Rachel Aggs (vocals, guitar), as she describes the sense of disorientation that lies at the foundation of the album. Add to that a sprinkling of Brexit, Trump, a principally imploding world, and you’ve got yourself The Official Body.
Rachel refers to “feeling used and undervalued as a queer and/or person of colour making music or art” as the inspiration for the song ‘Suddenly Gone’.
After the release of The Official Body, Shopping will once again hit the road, with an American tour scheduled to kick off in March 2018.
Tracklisting:
1. The Hype
2. Wild Child
3. Asking for a Friend
4. Suddenly Gone
5. Shave Your Head
6. Discover
7. Control Yourself
8. My Dad’s a Dancer
9. New Values
10. Overtime
Image:Jenna Foxton
