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Thriving in harsh conditions: A new era of deep tan on ‘hollow scene’.

We got in touch with the London trio to talk New single ‘Hollow Scene’ and the influences behind their upcoming debut EP.

by Cherry Walker & Karl Johnson

East London’s own deep tan have been steadily carving their name into London’s underground scene and new single hollow scene is another exceptional example of the legacy they are beginning to pave. Written and recorded during 2020 – the most tumultuous of times for us all –  deep tan’s unique blend of swampy and ghostly post-punk sets the perfect tone for the message of resilience their upcoming debut EP lends us. Hollow scene is the last single taken from the EP, which arrives June 4th.

The shuddering thud of hollow scene reflects the intimacy of walking alone at night-time through a big city, a city you know so well but scares and excites in equal measure. Moments of discordance mould with an unstoppable strut and groove that glides beside you, allowing eerie vocal melodies to flicker in the candlelight of self-doubt. There’s an underlying tension with deep tan‘s music that makes trying to define it incredibly difficult. We got in touch with the East London outfit to discuss their new single and upcoming debut EP on Practise Music.

Hi deep tan! You’ve just released ‘Hollow Scene’, which is cut from your upcoming debut EP. What’s the message behind the new track?

“Hollow scene is about the feeling of having to move through life with a certain level of detachment in order to function. Gatekeeping empathy for the sake of an easy life, if you will. It’s a pretty draining business, though, and can make any real search for meaning feel futile. Meursault was wrong and he was right. Robert Smith, however, is always right.”

Sonically where does the EP take influence from?

“The Cure, and we also spent most of winter listening to German psych and experimental music from the 70s and 80s. We also took a lot of inspiration from meme accounts we follow. Surreal memes, the best of memes..”

Is there a recurring theme that runs through your EP? How does ‘hollow scene’ fit in?

“The EP was written and recorded in 2020, and is named ‘creeping speedwells’, which is a homage to the garden plant that’s commonly thought of as a weed. 2020 was year where we developed a newfound respect for weeds, which thrive in tough conditions. ‘Hollow scene’ is about developing a certain kind of resilience, but also questioning it.”

Live music is coming back! You’re going to tour with Yard Act soon! What instantly excites you about this and further live gigs?

“Recreating the hunger games in service stations. Drinking the warm rider beer in the green room of whatever venue that’ll have us.”

Pre-order deep tan‘s debut EP creeping speedwells here, out on Practise Music June 4th. Find the band on Spotify here.