The Jacksons, Oasis, Dire Straight, AC/DC; brotherly outfits have a long and storied history in the pantheon of pop music, most notably from the Gallagher brothers infamous spats But another set of brothers have entered the fray. London-via-Bradford trio Sister Wanzala, comprised of twins Chris and Mark plus elder brother Pat, have returned from a brief exodus with new single ‘Fader Creep’. We last heard from the boys two years ago with the release of their debut EP ‘Bodies On The Loose’, a perfect piece of disco-addled guitar pop whose infectious grooves and gorgeous three-way vocal harmonies belied the often thought-provoking subject matter of the songs.

Released via London imprint Hairy Recordings, ‘Fader Creep’ sees the band taking a more stripped back approach, with minimal overdubs giving the track a distinctly ‘live’ feel. It’s instrumentally dexterous, subtly funky and quietly compelling. Listen to the new track now and read our interview with singer/guitarist/humorist Pat, who’s given us the low down on Sister Wanzala 2.0.

You recently returned from a lengthy hiatus, what made you pick up your instruments and play together again?

“Fear. I started having visions of turning 50 and not having a hobby. I want a Sunday afternoon residency in a rustic home counties pub. Play soft rock to roast potato posse. I’m looking forward to getting married and starting a family and all that stuff but I do think it’s important to plan for the inevitable divorce. Getting the band back together is a part of that forward planning.”

Tell us about your new single ‘Fader Creep’.

“Music recorded in one take. Vocals in about two. We recorded the last EP quite forensically and I’m pleased with how it came out but, for Fader, and it’s companion, we wanted a scabby snapshot of what we sound like now.”

What can we expect to hear from Sister Wanzala 2.0?

“Guitars. Lots of them. During our aforementioned year off we bought some synths and drum machine. We’re not going to use any of them. They’re great fun. I love them. But, the feeling of a good old piece of wire under your fingers is better. I still think there is a lot to explore with the guitar. St. Vincent is doing some amazing stuff, pushing boundaries. PJ Harvey is doing great things with various stringed instruments, her songwriting is in a different class. So we’re going to follow their lead. Inevitably we’ll fall short and do OK things with the guitar, but that’s fine.”

You’ve hooked up with Hairy Recordings, how did this come about?

“They asked, we said no. They asked again, we said no, again. They asked a third time and we said “ok fine”.

I think they’re mad. We’re a one hit wonder. We’ll never top Shy Heat. So what they’re doing hanging around with us is anyone’s guess.

But they’re fine people, India and George. They have great ideas. They give us space. They work with other great bands. They put on great parties. And most of all, they listen when Mark talks… someone has to. I don’t.”

What’s in store for Sister Wanzala this year?

“We’re currently working on an EP. It’s sounding quite doomy. When we first released Bad Brains, 3 years ago, we wrote in our “press releases” that we wanted to make people dance and cry. I still like that concept but I don’t think we ever quite got there. So we’re going to double down on that.

Other than working on that, we’re going to play every gig we get asked to do and post memorable content on our social media channels.”