THUR 15 APRIL 2021
"Methyl Ethel is one of Australia's weirdest, most beguiling bands, with its endlessly creative frontman Jake Webb nimbly leaping between sounds that draw upon classic pop, shoegaze, and R&B....and now the CoSigned act is back with a thrilling new song." - CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND
“Choc-a-bloc with hooks and head-nodding electro-pop from the get-go, Methyl Ethel have reached great new heights with this stellar effort.” - DIY ★★★★
“Their finest work yet.” – THE LINE OF BEST FIT
Methyl Ethel today mark their eagerly awaited return with the immediate new single 'Neon Cheap' alongside visual directed by Tay Kaka. Hatched at the end of a very creative period that produced the material that will constitute a new body of work, ‘Neon Cheap’ was written when all the touring for their Hurts To Laugh EP was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The single coincides with news they’ll be hitting the road this July for headline dates at Melbourne’s The Night Cat on Thursday 22 July and Sydney’s Roundhouse on Friday 23 July. The shows will see Methyl Ethel’s seven-piece live band perform inspiring and captivating in-the-round shows, for an immersive and hypnotic live experience. Tickets are on sale Friday 16 April at 9am AEST. The tour news comes fresh off the back of the announcement of co-headline shows with WA alumni POND at Perth's Magnet House for 30 April and 1 May.
Poetic as ever, musical polymath and Methyl Ethel’s centrepiece Jake Webb transports us from faces in phones to his world; where ‘Neon Cheap’ was born: “Picture yourself scrolling, mind-numbingly at 3am. Now, instead of scrolling, you’re traipsing some vegas-like strip. All the events and people you’d normally read about are there as you walk around, inoculated, casually observing. For me, this is ‘Neon Cheap.’”
‘Neon Cheap’ is Talking Heads by way of ELO with a dash of nu rave; beginning with an undulating vocal sample from an Italian folk song and climaxing with an irrepressible chorus, destined to be echoed by festival-going hordes. ‘Neon Cheap’ once again illustrates Methyl Ethel’s canny ability to create wholly addictive pop earworms.
‘Neon Cheap’ will be the first release following Methyl Ethel’s recent signing with Future Classic. Nathan McLay, Future Classic’s CEO and Founder, expresses his excitement: "Methyl Ethel is an iconic part of the Australian music landscape. We're delighted to be working with Jake in this vital period of his art practice."
Methyl Ethel is the nom de plume of West Australian songwriter, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jake Webb. Webb makes music that draws from myriad influences and a history of new wave and indie rock, whilst sounding like its own thing entirely. Across three albums (2015’s Oh Inhuman Spectacle, 2017’s Everything Is Forgotten and 2019’s Triage) and three EPs (2014’s Teeth and Guts, 2020’s Hurts To Laugh), Webb has proven to be a prolific and masterful purveyor of eccentric alt-pop.
Since their formation, Methyl Ethel has received countless awards and accolades attracting two Australian Music Prize nominations, a top 5 triple j Hottest 100 placement with Ubu - now an ARIA Platinum accredited single, an ARIA Gold single in Twilight Driving and an AIR Best Independent Album award for Everything Is Forgotten. Since 2015, Methyl Ethel has amassed more than 109 million streams globally and won over the hearts of countless fans the world over.
Methyl Ethel has morphed from a solo bedroom recording project into what is now a seven-piece live band who has toured extensively at home and abroad. The band has appeared at internationally renowned festivals including CMJ, SXSW, Outside Lands, Strangewaves, Levitation, Green Man, Austin City Limits, Field Day and more. In Australia, they have graced the line ups of Sugar Mountain, Groovin The Moo, Falls Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Yours & Owls, Spilt Milk, A Festival Called PANAMA and Laneway Festival, as well as selling out their own headline shows at some of Australia’s largest and most prestigious venues.
‘Neon Cheap’ marks the arrival of the next wave for Methyl Ethel and an exciting year to come.
‘NEON CHEAP’ IS OUT VIA FUTURE CLASSIC
