Nothing says summer like a song released in October, but then Do Nothing are happy to do things their own way. Read our latest Dork Mixtape cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Adrian Vitelleschi Cook.
While most bands are content to colour within the lines of the ‘don’t call us post-punk even if we probably are’ British indie scene, Nottingham’s Do Nothing seem hellbent on eating all the crayons and finger-painting on the walls. Fresh from leaving critics tongue-tied but clapping frantically with their Really Very Good debut album ‘Snake Sideways’, the quartet have decided to flip the seasonal script as they return with ‘Summer of Hate’, a single that arrives just in time for… um… Santa?
“It clearly wanted to be a certain kind of a song, and I mostly just made sure not to get in its way,” frontman Chris Bailey explains, fresh off taking his “silly dog” on a walk before heading back to the studio to finish the last track from their next record. “What came out was a summery-sounding song, and now we’re releasing it just in time for Christmas.”
That kind of off-kilter timing is quintessential Do Nothing, a band that has always seemed to operate on their own peculiar wavelength. Since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with ‘Waitress’, they’ve been satisfyingly square pegs in round holes, crafting a sound that’s part spikey angularity, part surrealist poetry slam.
‘Summer of Hate’ continues this tradition, albeit with a twist. It’s a more reflective piece, tinged with nostalgia. “Not at all in keeping with tradition, this one sort of just came out quite quickly and easily,” Chris recalls. This approach to songwriting – letting ideas bubble up organically rather than forcing them into predetermined moulds – seems to be serving Do Nothing well. Bailey speaks of the band’s next album with an enthusiasm that’s both palpable and slightly bemused. “It’s going alarmingly well actually, the writing’s mostly done,” he reveals. “We’ll do some pre-production and mess around with the songs a bit, then we’re heading into the studio in November with Louis Milburn (who also worked on ‘Summer of Hate’).”
The mention of Milburn, known for his work as part of the equally enigmatic Folly Group, hints at a continuation of Do Nothing’s penchant for left-field production choices. It’s a collaboration that seems to have energised the band, with Bailey going so far as to say, “I guess I just think it’s way better than the last one.”
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves with album number two, let’s circle back to ‘Summer of Hate’. The single serves as a bridge between Do Nothing’s past and future, a standalone piece that doesn’t quite fit with their new material (“lthough we might change our minds on that”) but is too good to leave unreleased. It’s a song that Bailey describes as “quite sentimental really, probably more so than we’d usually allow.”
This sentimentality is woven through lyrics that touch on childhood memories, bullying, and the strange cultural touchstones that define a generation. From the Terminator and Linda Hamilton’s way with an automatic weapon to the horse meat scandal, ‘Summer of Hate’ is a collection of references that somehow coalesce into a familiar, coherent whole. “I think maybe I feel more comfortable expressing things in a sort of joke form than saying them clearly and seriously, as if people should actually listen to what I reckon,” Bailey admits, his self-deprecation belying the sharp observational skills that have become a hallmark of Do Nothing’s output. “Those references just sort of appear while the song’s being made, rather than having them beforehand and trying to build around them,” he muses. “Like I’ll have some sort of point to make or feeling to get across, and that’ll just be the way it ends up being expressed.”
“What came out was a summery-sounding song, and now we’re releasing it just in time for Christmas”
As for the band’s debut album ‘Snake Sideways’, Bailey seems reluctant to dwell on it. “I’m not sure that I’ve really looked back on it yet – sort of jumped headfirst into writing the next thing, and I’ve been sort of consumed by that all year,” he says. “I don’t much like listening to our stuff once it comes out; maybe I’ll listen to all of it in one go when I’m old.”
This forward-looking approach has defined Do Nothing’s 2024, a year that Bailey describes with characteristic dry wit: “It’s been a whole lot of writing, broken up by festivals and nice little trips around Europe. Overall, a year that I can’t and won’t complain about, which is saying something because I like to complain about things even if they’re good.”
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Bailey hints at some personal struggles following the release of ‘Snake Sideways’. “I definitely had to perform a bit of brain maintenance around last Christmas, after the release cycle was over,” he reveals. “I had a tricky time making that last record, so I went away and fixed myself up, and now I’m finding things enjoyable again.”
This newfound enjoyment seems to be feeding directly into the band’s new material. While Bailey is coy about specifics, he does offer one tantalising tidbit. “What I can say is that the whole record is about wanting to be alone all the time, forever.” It’s a theme that feels particularly resonant in our hyper-connected age, when you can be oversaturated and socially exhausted all while sat in a room entirely on your own.
“We intend to be playing lots of new material”
As for when fans can expect to hear more, Bailey remains characteristically vague on release dates. However, there is a glimmer of hope for the impatient. “We’re looking at doing a short run of shows early next year, and we intend to be playing lots of new material. Come and hear it in the real world!”
It’s an invitation that encapsulates Do Nothing’s ethos – direct, slightly off-kilter, and really quite alluring. As they continue to carve out their unique space in the music landscape, one thing is clear: Do Nothing are a band who prefer to let their music speak for itself.
And speak it does, in a voice that’s by turns witty, reflective, and utterly distinctive. There’s sincerity, too, though, as Bailey is keen to stress how much this all actually matters. “I’d like anyone reading this particular article who cares about our band to know that we’re sincerely very grateful for it,” he offers, “and that we can’t wait for you to hear all the stuff we’ve been doing.”
And hear it we will, even if it’s out of step with its seasonal labels. If the Aussies can do barbeques on the beach for Christmas dinner, why can’t we have a little bit of Do Nothing? Exactly. ■
Do Nothing’s new single ‘Summer of Hate’ is out now. Follow Dork Mixtape on Spotify here.
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