Potato - Antiques and Interludes EP Review
Potato’s ramshackle art-rock captures the essence of DIY outfits like Man/Woman/Chainsaw and Truthpaste in a testament to their unique identity as a band
South-East London outfit Potato are a six-strong art-rock band that echo instantly, vibes of the likes of modern Man/Woman/Chainsaw and Truthpaste with a searingly confident blend of folk, post-rock and post-punk. It’s a band that have earned comparisons to King Crimson and Phillip Glass and feel incredibly confident with the debut of their new record, Antiques and Interludes, ahead of their debut album; and can regularly be seen at venues like The Shacklewell Arms and Windmill Brixton. If you haven’t seen them yet, now’s your chance to.
The four track EP starts with a ramshackle, oddball, soothing 2k24 Interlude that echoes their annual end-of-year video tracks – they’ve done one for 2k25 but presents a different spin on it that captures 2024, the year that was – and their achievements as a band. We then shift for EOY T3, recorded live – “it all works out in the end, even when it does not,” the live session that was recorded at St Giles’ Church perhaps best sums up Potato’s essence as an outfit “you try new things in the hope that it all works out,” has catches of Matt Berninger and the National here, riffing in a folky, almost Richard Dawson-esque storytelling. It’s about the dogged determinism for just giving it a go anyway and still finding peace in the end at the heart of it all.
Pre-Worms Interlude and the New EP Jam cap off a four-song tracklist that has an otherworldly sense of feel to it that is completely captivating. It’s a real-teaser piece for the upcoming album that – features twelve entirely different tracks – it looks at where the band has been so far, what has gotten them to this moment, and prepares you for where they are going next – Pre-Worms Interlude works as a nice little prologue for Worms, and the New EP Jam is just the band having fun at the end of the day. “am I drifting // is this real life told” questions the existentialism and the endless search for answers – whilst full on recognising that there may not be any.
As EPs go it is a real success that gets you into the mindset of who Potato are and their role as an outfit as a band. I’ll be checking out their record for sure.