In an age of plastic pop, instant gratification and nostalgic overload, it’s great to come across a band that doesn’t remain stuck in the past, but instead takes its influences, remasters its craft and redefines the blueprint. With a market that is saturated with alternative bands, I can hand on heart say that Stepford Wives are one of the best that I have heard in a while. Hailing from the sunny hills of Saddleworth, Oldham, Stepford Wives are comprised of Niklos Jackson (guitar, lead vocals), Rowan Heywood (bass, backing vocals), Jarrod Ogden (drums) and Dom Wint (lead guitar).
Staying true to their punk roots, Stepford Wives are purveyors of post-punk, incorporating the DIY ethos and ideology without the archetypal rebellion or abrasive attitude. Instead, Stepford Wives are a diverse demographic of middle-age and youth, fused together to form an unconventional dynamic, that doesn’t follow the crowd and are making their own rules up as they go along.
As an ever-evolving four-piece, Stepford Wives have accelerated their success due to their show-stopping songs and sell out gigs, as well as their industrious and enterprising approach. Having released their first single, Follow This Way in 2019, the band has quickly gained a solid fan base, catching the eyes of local press, radio stations, leading to their third single, All On Me, appearing on Soccer AM in 2020.
Following the release of their double A single Changing For You and Soul Waves on 4th December 2020, Stepford Wives have released their 4 Track debut EP on 11th December 2020. Released through A1M Records Ltd, the EP can be purchased via the bands website, and is available in CD format. Stepford Wives EP Limited Edition CD Digipack
All On Me
What could have been recorded in 1977, All On Me is that emblematic song that digs up the crown jewels of Punk’s lineage and wears them with shining glory. It’s Punk Perfection, that boycotts the synthetic sounds of mainstream trends and reminds us what is eternal and deep-rooted in our musical psyche.
Through the scrapey riffs, rumbling bass, strumming stomps and interlude of tribal beats, All On Me is an amalgam of the rhythmically free and the fiercely foe. Along with the adrenaline infused vocals, All On Me doesn’t hold back, grabbing you by the jugular in a head-spinning frenzy. Sounding like a Joy Division, Slits and Adam Ant lovechild, All On Me angle-grinds through the metallic mist, whilst prowling into deeper depths.
Living In The Shadows
Straight on the back of the Post-punk revival of the late 90s and early 2000s, Living In The Shadows could easily have been a hit single from that era, whilst retaining an original outlook. It’s a mesmerising track, a meticulous production, which sees Stepford Wives bridge the gap between bands such as Interpol, The Editors, The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand with the resurgence of post-punk in the last ten years.
With its predatory, angular riffs, Living In The Shadows spins from its vortex, gasping for air, whilst being awakened by the primal wails and primitive beats. It’s a confrontational collision, that artfully exerts tension, creating a brooding backdrop amongst the raucous mayhem.
Along with the jangly riffs, Living In The Shadows, is redolent of new-wave brilliance, glimmering from its reflection whilst relaying the darkness. It’s through the diverse vocals that Living In The Shadows moves beyond punk sensibilities, dipping into an animated showmanship, that is emotionally driven, with both true grit and determination.
Changing For You
Changing For You is one of those infectious tracks that reanimates from the dub/ska recesses of post-punk, whilst taking a solidarity stance with cinematic new wave. It delivers with an understated cool, and the dead-pan vocals are a polished intermix of urban angst and robust rebellion.
It is an anthemic track, whose jangly riffs rotate and refract its sidewalk prisms, radiating light down the dark-wave alleys. Through the subtle shifts and fiddle-esque loops, Changing For You harnesses the disdain of its inner baroque-rock, whilst remaining true to its DIY core.
Along with the raw lyrics and backing vocals, Changing For You bespeaks a combatant collective, reminiscent of early Clash and The Specials, whilst abandoning the protest narrative and political baggage.
Soul Waves
Soul Waves marches in solidarity through its post-punk pathways, whilst taking an eerie excursion into dark-wave territory. Through the militant beats and spine-tingling riffs, it evokes a sense of battle and survival in a barren wasteland. It’s a sublime track, which sees Stepford Wives permeate angst and melancholy with a more introspective and theatrical demeanour.
Through the nihilistic nuances and subdued crooning, Soul Waves tilts towards neo-goth and neo-progressive rock, exhumed from its ghostly past. Along with the choral chants, Soul Waves shouts from the terror terraces, revisiting the tribal brotherhood of The Clash whilst extracting blood from The Damned.
Along with the dub-bass, Soul Waves distils a spiked spirit reminiscent of Bauhaus that is testament to the bands’ fluidity and skill at alternating between an array of sub-genres of post-punk.
With a few live gigs on the horizon in 2021, you can catch The Stepford Wives next at The Castle, Manchester on Saturday 10th April 2021.
