New Orleans no-wave punks Special Interest are sharing their first music on Rough Trade Records, a dynamic new track called ‘(Herman’s) House’ which comes with a video directed by Special Interest vocalist Alli Logout. Watch below!
Special Interest is a four piece punk band emerging from New Orleans, Louisiana. Combining elements of No-Wave, Glam and Industrial, they create a frenetic and urgent revisioning of punk and electronic music for a modern world gone mad. Propulsive analogue drum machines, a swirling layer of detuned samples, and driving bass lines create the foundation across which angular guitar work and dissonant synth lines glide. Front and center are Alli Logout’s (they/them) commanding vocals and razor sharp lyrics moving from high camp satire to insightful political imperatives, often within the course of one song.
Special Interest initially formed in 2015 to play one show in a basement. Originally, they were a two piece with Alli Logout and Maria Elena (she/her) playing guitars and power tools over the beat of a 70s Univox drum machine. Soon after they ditched the power tools and were joined by Ruth Mascelli (he/him) on electronics and Nathan Cassiani (he/him) on bass. The band quickly gained a reputation for their intense and energetic live shows – a dense wall of sound oscillating from aggressive and noisy to joyous and danceable, punctuated by the no holds barred on stage persona of their vocalist.
Listen / download ‘(Herman’s) House’ here.