As befitting a band who take their name from the Maltese word for frenzy, GENN thrive amongst chaos. “Craziness follows us,” laughs lead singer Leona Farrugia, alluding to the quartet’s colourful history, which has so far featured robbery, legal disputes, long-distance collaborations, and three members of the band relocating to Brighton from Malta. Guitarist Janelle Borg concurs. “[GENN] could have been a support group, but we decided to make music instead,” she deadpans.
Jokes aside, it’s this unique outlook and tight-knit gang mentality that make GENN such a thrilling proposition musically, as evidenced on March’s Liminal EP. Released through London-based indie Everything Sucks Music, the six-song collection sees Leona, Janelle and their bandmates Leanne Zammit (bass) and Sofia Rosa Cooper (drums) contrasting searing post-punk missives with more allusive meditations cocooned in psychedelic textures.
Sisterhood is an apt description for the creative dynamic within GENN: theirs is an unconditional bond, based on mutual affection and instinctive trust. Songs are born out of group jams, though the pandemic meant they had to adapt their process slightly to work at a distance. The songwriting on Liminal is the product of these remote sessions, with songs finalised post-lockdown at Brighton's Small Pond Studios with producer Sam Coveney.
Key reference points for the record included Baxter Drury, Metronomy, LCD Soundsystem and Captain Beefheart, as well as the band’s most enduring inspirations Warpaint. Listen closely, and you can practically hear the band shrugging off their Riot Grrrl reputation in real-time, as they move in a more experimental and neo-psychedelic direction.
Oliver Beardmore
Originally from Birmingham, Oliver made his lyrical ambition known at a young age with a trio of singles in 2017 and 2018 that drew comparisons to the songwriting of indie staples such as Alex Turner and Noel Gallagher. The unrelenting gigging that ensued culminated in a raucous sold out headline show at The Rocksteady, London in December 2019.
After a hiatus from the studio, Oliver returned with ‘Fiesta’, the lead single from his EP that is chalked for release in 2021. Oliver’s new direction defines a sonic palate which places him at the end of a more avant-garde lineage: inspired sonically by shoegaze and dream pop royalty My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive but with a melodic sensibility more akin to Lorde and Lana Del Rey.
While the lead single is more of a jet-propelled pop anthem: the upcoming EP is expected to further explore combinations of prehistoric guitar walls and reverb-drenched synths, with ethereal hooks and traditional songwriting prevailing at the project’s core.
Hamburger Momma
Local trio new on the scene but already making a name for themselves.
