Shrimp Eyes are a band from Peckham, South London, who make dreamy post-punk and have been getting themselves heard across the British capital with regular gigging. A proudly DIY band, Shrimp Eyes write, record, produce and promote all their music themselves. They are aiming to take their tunes beyond London in 2020, and have been spending the early part of the year working on new material.
This week they’re sharing the new song “Straight Up”, which they say “is a wry take on the pressures to come across well when meeting strangers at parties (that you don’t necessarily want to be at).”
While, right now, we would probably all love to be at a party, Shrimp Eyes remind us what awkward affairs they can be. They begin “Straight Up” with that social pull of “I don’t think I’ll come along,” which inevitably ends up with you being dragged there. Subsequently, you end up jammed in a corner with nothing to say to the unknown faces all around, spewing nonsense or zoning out. Shrimp Eyes deliver these playful observations over propulsive post-punk, underpinned by inventive percussion and colourful synth that cascades through the track like people partying all around. “I do not lie or tell jokes,” they wearily repeat in the hook, and by the mid-point of “Straight Up” they seem to be getting worn out, the guitar getting a little more fiery – but they never quite boil over, because they’re affable chaps, after all.
Watch the lyric video for “Straight Up” or listen on all the streaming platforms.
You can follow Shrimp Eyes on Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud.
