Since forming in the summer of 2020, London’s synth-punk quartet KILL, THE ICON! have spent much of their time in what the band describe as “a state of organized, rational anger.”
Bandleader Nishant Joshi views the band as a conduit for the nation’s anger therapy: “There is a sense of helplessness and hopelessness in modern Britain, which seems to only be getting sharper and sharper by the day. Workers across industries are going on strike. People have been simmering in misery for the last decade of austerity, and now they’re justiably furious. So we’ve embraced the spirit of punk, and we’re using our platform as a positive act of rebellion.”
Their new punk single "And Now, The Weather!" showcases the band's typically caustic commentary on the public reaction to ongoing climate protests. It pokes fun at Chelsea Tractors and our obsession with air conditioning, which Joshi describes as "part of society's selfish attitude towards social justice: our relative sacrifices are conditional upon our own comfort."
The song was given a world-exclusive premiere by John Kennedy on Radio X, who described it as "an urgent call to arms."
Musically, the track centres around the band's classic proto-punk style, with stabs of energetic synth and nods to dance-punk forebears such as The Rapture. The lyrics encapsulate why the band feel an urgent need to protest:
It affects me that it doesn't offend you!
It offends me that it doesn't affect you!
Joshi says: "Climate change has been contorted into a polarizing social issue by media commentators who are seeking to foment division. And regrettably, a slice of the public have lapped it up, meaning that politicians start to become wary about meaningful policy change, and any climate action invariably gets delayed. It's a well-trodden path in politics, and it ultimately means that the status quo is reinforced by those who benefit from it. It feels like the right-wing media serves us two options: that either climate change is a hoax, or that it is too difficult to fix, so we shouldn't bother at all."
"Protests from Just Stop Oil and Greenpeace have become iconic over the past year or so. They've evolved the meaning of radical peaceful protest, and asked a lot of questions of us all. When Just Stop Oil threw a can of Campbell's soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, it was a shocking photo that gained instant cultural significance. We had assumed that a sacrosanct, timeless piece of art had been irreparably damaged, before the subsequent revelation that the painting was protected by glass and remained unharmed. A common thread through our artwork is that we use floral visuals and anonymity, so I wanted to pay tribute to Just Stop Oil while also directing a nod to our own artwork for Buddhist Monk [the band's first single, released in 2020]."
The cultural significance and personal sacrifice involved in these protests is particularly relevant to Joshi, who was given a special honour by The FA for his activism during the pandemic, as well as having been involved in organizing the BLM protests which gained international recognition in 2020.
"If protest is the language of the disenfranchised, then it's our band's duty to be as loud as possible," says Joshi.
The band have been championed by the likes of John Kennedy (Radio X), Frank Skinner (Absolute Radio) and Mickey Bradley (BBC Radio). Support has also come from further afield, as bandleader Nishant Joshi was recently invited by Scroobius Pip for an hour-long interview on his Distraction Pieces Podcast.
Having played as a trio until now, the band's show at The Lexington on September 2nd will be their first as a quartet - adding Arun Dhanjal (Muscle Vest, Daytimers) to join as second drummer.
Upcoming Shows:
19th October @ Oslo, Hackney (supporting Benefits)
KILL, THE ICON!
Nishant Joshi (vocals, bass)
Ian Flynn (synth, production)
Florin Constantin Pascu (drums)
Arun Dhanjal (drums)
