Squid

Emerging from Brighton toward the close of the 2010s, the propulsive post-punk sound of U.K. newcomers Squid began attracting notice after several early singles secured them a contract with Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground label. Momentum intensified through prominent festival bookings and the 2019 arrival of their Town Centre EP. Transitioning to Warp Records with Carey again at the helm, the band unveiled their widely praised first full-length, Bright Green Field, in early 2021. Their follow-up, the more progressive and rhythmically elaborate O Monolith, appeared in 2023.

While studying at university in Brighton, the quintet—Ollie Judge (vocals, drums), Louis Borlase (vocals, guitar), Anton Pearson (guitar), Laurie Nankivell (bass), and Arthur Leadbetter (keys)—secured their initial performance by answering a notice for a “young person’s jazz night.” Hastily assembling material, the group’s distinctive blend of half-shouted, half-sung vocals, jagged guitar lines, brass surges, and sustained synth textures drew attention within the U.K. underground, leading to shows throughout the South-East and frequent London appearances. They put out several tracks and singles, among them 2016’s “Perfect Teeth” and 2017’s “LINO,” before joining Speedy Wunderground, also home to black midi, TOY, and Kae Tempest. “The Dial” surfaced late in 2018, and the band gained further visibility in 2019 via sold-out concerts that included sets at Green Man and Glastonbury. Closing the year, Squid delivered another Speedy Wunderground release, the four-track Town Centre EP. After signing with the historic Sheffield imprint Warp Records in 2020, they began work on their debut album. Carey (Kae Tempest, black midi) handled production, allowing the musicians to refine their fusion of dissonant indie rock and post-punk into Bright Green Field, which Warp issued at the start of 2021. The record achieved both critical and commercial success, reaching the top of the U.K. Independent albums chart and peaking at number four on the pop chart. Additional touring and return visits to Glastonbury, Green Man, and other major festivals ensued. On the subsequent album the musicians pursued greater experimentation, drawing more explicitly from prog rock while endowing the new compositions with heightened rhythmic complexity. Much of the material was developed during live performances before being captured in Wiltshire. O Monolith arrived in June 2023.