CLUNK Recommends | Y - Why

Meg Ivy Brunning

Music journalist and photographer based in Cardiff (for now). Just trying to write about music that moves me in someway. If you do wish to find me though, I’ll usually be tucked away listening to music, talking to an animal on the street like a modern day Snow White or at a gig somewhere!

London band Y sign to Hideous Mink and SO Recordings for the release of their debut single ‘Why’

I’ve never been in a most pit before, mostly because I’m 5’6 on a good day and don’t fancy getting thrown around, but I’d rethink it for Y’s debut single ‘Why‘.

There’s no steady introduction, you’re thrown right in, as screams of “why” emerge through the spaces where the guitar and synth doesn’t. The saxophone dominates, acting as the lead vocal on the track, pulling you in and then pushing you away, until you’re le feeling a little dizzy, but satisfied all the same.

Playfully described as “wonk rock”, London newcomers Y were founded by Adam Brennan and Sophie Coppin. The band were born during a period of isolation, comprising of members from or involved with Fat White Family, Meatrae and Pregoblin. All of these different influences that can be clearly heard on this genre-defying track, that is as bold as much as it is unclassifiable, making for an unbelievably explosive debut release.

Speaking on their debut single, the band confessed: “‘Why’ is a song that calls everything into question – It’s an ode to the unanswered, endless questions from the trivial, to the deepest philosophical mysteries. Saxophone dominates the chorus as synth and guitar take the space of the traditional lyrical verses as ultimately we found THE question can only be answered through music.”

Y will be celebrating their debut release by visiting their old stomping ground for a show at The Windmill in Brixton, January 24th. They are also heading out to support Fat Dog and Keg this February. Their live shows are promising to deliver a heart racing performance that will solidify them as one of the most exciting new acts in the scene.

And hey, maybe I’ll see you in the middle of a mosh pit? Or maybe I’ll be tucked away in a corner. Either way, I’ll be sure to enjoy every single second of what’s to come from Y.

Listen to ‘Why’ here: