Keg Return With New Single ‘Call Me Satan’, New Album & Headline Tour
South London mavericks KEG unleash just in time for Halloween their new single ‘Call Me Satan’
There are few bands more fun in the current London live than KEG - who are impossible to be drawn away from when watching them live. ‘Relaxin Next to the Hospital’ is the ultimate work of that hard-working loyalty - due March 5 next year with Alcopop! (DOSS, Alien Chicks & The Wytches) - and they fit right into that sphere of Alcopop! ready bands.
They have tons of artistic ambition and play with the confidence and freedom of a band that knows what they’re doing, mixing math rock in with post punk in a way that sees them as the perfect fit for the wheelhouse of the South London scene. It is on paper - a “break up album” that they’re working on - by someone trying not to try about it. The sombre autobiographics ring true on ‘Call Me Satan’ - as KEG are unafraid to embrace the wacky weirdness that’s evident by an inventive music video. They have after all, “grown up” - sacrificing their escapist charm for something that feels sardonic and shadowy with its grisly, multifarious form.
Lead vocalist Albert Haddenham is our narrator - but could double as a court jester with a sense of mischief in his eye that’s not yet lost. The hedonistic impulses of your 20s start to take their toll - even becoming the devil themselves, with a grotesque tapestry of rotten personalities mixed in with the narrative that KEG call their home. The band themselves are immersed wider than just this outfit - they have shared members and side projects with Pozi, Blue Bendy and Skydaddy, and Frank Lindsay, the ever-prolific guitarist, has produced the beat for Tony Bontana’s memorable ‘Battered Chips’. Meanwhile, conch-blower/tombonist Charlie Keen often embraces local Lewisham haunts with bants like Silver Birch - these influences come together under ‘Relaxin…’ that feels practically like a supergroup.
Speaking more about the track, Albert says: “The lyrics follow a possible trajectory of someone I didn't want to turn into. I conjured up a horrible little thought exercise and imagined how all the traits I didn't enjoy about myself would eventually turn out if I followed them to the extremes. It's mainly about trying to accept your foibles and accepting responsibility for your actions.”
Since their inception they have been an experimental band never afraid to say die. Their live performances have earned them tours with Squid, Warmduscher, Charles Hayward (This Heat) and festival slots at the likes of End of the Road and Green Man, having toured extensively throughout Europe.
Upcoming UK/Ireland tour dates:
10 NOV // Norwich, Voodoo Daddy’s
12 NOV // Birmingham, Hare & Hounds V2
13 NOV // Edinburgh, Mash House
14 NOV // Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
17 NOV // London, MOTH Club
24 NOV // St. Albans, The Horn
25 NOV // Bristol, The Louisiana
26 NOV // Brighton, The Hope & Ruin
10 DEC / Belfast, Ulster Sports Club
11 DEC // Dublin, Whelans
Relaxin’ Next To The Hospital by KEG
Due 5th March via Alcopop! Records
Relaxin’ Next To The Hospital by KEG
Due 5th March via Alcopop! Records
KEG are:
Albert Haddenham - Lead Vocals, Lyrics
Charlie Keen - Trombone, Synth, Conch Shell
Frank Lindsay - Guitars
Joel Whitaker - Bass, Guitar, Synths
Jonny Pyke - Drums
Jules Gibbons - Guitars
Follow KEG on Instagram
Photocredit Maisy Banks