Oxford 6-piece The People Versus return with the alluring, atmospheric new single ‘Lonely Teen’. Having already made a big impression with their first few releases following radio play across BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Introducing as well as appearances on BBC News, the band have built a growing hype around their infectious indie-come-dream-pop sound.
Bringing together a wash of synths, subtle modulated guitar lines and dappled electronics over the grounding bass and tight beats, ‘Lonely Teen’ perfectly blends dreamy, swirling early 4AD style atmospherics with elements of up tempo indie to create a melancholic yet danceable soundscape. Topped with the ethereal, emotive, strikingly heartfelt and honest voice of lead singer Alice Edwards, the track is given a strong central hook made all the more beautiful by the subtle backing vocals.
A track which touches on Alice’s own journey of coming out and the feeling’s surrounding it, the single is not only a personal recollection for Alice but also a track which treads through the conversions and feelings that many in the LGBTQ+ community have had to face. The band explain:
“Lonely Teen was written after guiding a close friend through their coming out and the reflection it caused about Alice’s own coming out as Non-Binary and Asexual. It’s a song about difficult conversations.”
Launched alongside the band’s new website ‘Let The Words Out’. Let The Words Out was conceived by the band as an anonymous platform which provides support through community without endangering individuals.
Users are free to type whatever they need to say before pressing send. In response, they are then shown how many other users have shared similar words. The band’s aim is to remind those struggling that you are not alone.
Alice adds: “I used online safe spaces a lot in my journey discovering my asexuality – I learned about asexuality and queerness online, so any chance to try and pay that support forward is a blessing. As for coming out, I did it slowly. It can be difficult only knowing what you’re not, but after a few years I realised that I was asexual, and suddenly the pressure was off – same with my thoughts on gender, once I realised I could be agender, that I didn’t have to feel dysphoria – rather, focus on gender euphoria, everything became so peaceful and calm. I hope this site can offer both catharsis and a reminder of the community that loves you.”
Since forming in 2019, The People Versus have gone from strength to strength. Following early support from BBC South Today Live News and BBC introducing, placements at international film festivals and a spot as Richer Sounds artist of the week, 2022 has kept them on a steady incline with premieres from Steve Lamacq (BBC Radio 6) and John Kennedy (Radio X). No strangers to the live circuit following tours across Denmark with Northern Assembly and Sold Out headline shows at Oxford O2 and St Pancras Old Church London, the band have also made their mark on the festival circuit packing out tent performances at Truck Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival.
A band built on their genre straddling appeal, transportive soundscapes with a growing fanbase and building tastemaker support, The People Versus are once again showcasing their unique sound and infectious songwriting.