SCHØØL, with members from Rendez-Vous, Dog Park, Special Friend, Marble Arch and Liquid Face is a new signing on French label Géographie, and their debut single ‘N.S.M.LY.D.’ is an absolutely thrilling sign of things to come. Already one of the contenders for single of the year for me, the raw veracity and sheer swagger reminds me of previous debuts from bands like Fontaines D.C. and Horsegirl – a genetic code taken directly from The Velvet Underground and distilled with a little My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain, cloaked in a louche insouciance, a rough and tumble exterior and sweet melodies.
The track has a shoegaze majesty with an insistent synth riff, warped, scything guitars and a distant attitude-laden vocals.
The band says of the track, with its catchy synth:
‘N.S.M.L.YD’ (Nothing Satisfies Me Like You Do) is a pop song about being a fan of an idol. The idea behind the synth riff was to be as catchy as an old phone ringtone that gets stuck in your head.
This is an absolutely stunning debut with all the Doc Marten booted, leather jacketed sneery delivery you could desire. The accompanying video is as cool as the sound:
This is joyously stunning stuff for a debut. ‘N.S.M.L.Y.D.’ is out today and available to download and stream here. An album is ready and will follow later this year.
SCHØØL will be performing their debut gig supporting Drahla at Point Ephémère in Paris on 3 June 2024 – details here.
SCHØØL was formed in Paris in fall 2023 led by Francis Mallari (Rendez-Vous) with Erica Ashleson (Special Friend, Dog Park) on bass, Jack Moase (Liquid Face) on guitar and Alex Battez (Marble Arch) on drums.
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