Nottingham’s Do Nothing made a strong first statement when their debut album ‘Snake Sideways’ broke into the Top 10 of the Independent Albums, Independent Album Breakers, Vinyl Albums and Record Store Charts last year – supported by acclaim from Clash, DIY and So Young plus praise from kindred spirits Yard Act. Now they begin the next stage, as they unveil the stand alone new single ‘Summer of Hate’ – their first new music since the album was released.
Nottingham’s Do Nothing made a strong first statement when their debut album ‘Snake Sideways’ broke into the Top 10 of the Independent Albums, Independent Album Breakers, Vinyl Albums and Record Store Charts last year – supported by acclaim from Clash, DIY and So Young plus praise from kindred spirits Yard Act. Now they begin the next stage, as they unveil the stand alone new single ‘Summer of Hate’ – their first new music since the album was released.
‘Summer of Hate’ sees Do Nothing in a more playful mood than we heard on the often nerve-wracking ‘Snake Sideways’. As we’ve come to expect, Chris Bailey’s expressive style and surrealist slant sets them apart from the pack.
Evidence: what other song ruminates on bullying while also noting relief at never having eaten horse, dedicates a verse to ‘Terminator’ star Linda Hamilton, and flashes back to the childhood trauma of having never seen a picture of a dinosaur?
‘Summer of Hate’ was written by the band and recorded at JT Toar in their hometown of Nottingham with their friend and producer Louis Milburn of Folly Group.
Chris Bailey says, “‘Summer of Hate’ is a fun song for the summer, despite being released now when the lousy summer has long since passed. We wanted to put it out now, because we liked it but weren’t sure where it belonged with the rest of the new material. It’s sort of about bullies, and rejection, and how growing up doesn’t necessarily mean that that stuff goes away. We tried to have fun with it and not be stressed – which was easy because we were at home and with friends in the sunshine.”
‘Summer of Hate’ emerges as Do Nothing – completed by Kasper Sandstrom (guitar), Charlie Howarth (bass, synths) and Andrew Harrison (drums) – continue to work on their second album, which will follow in 2025.
The quartet all met in secondary school in Nottingham and played in bands together before forming Do Nothing and debuting in 2018 with ‘Waitress’ followed closely by ‘Handshakes’. Their influences are diverse, from Spoon, Deerhoof and LCD Soundsystem back to The Pop Group, Tom Waits and Simon & Garfunkel – a mix which may well explain why their sound is continually evolves in unexpected directions. There’s also an ethos of letting the music speak for itself, a quality heightened by their appreciation of artists who feel accessible and real rather than the grandeur of a rock star. Their rise took shape with two EPs, ‘Five Dollar Bill’ and ‘Glueland’, before ‘Snake Sideways’ was released last year.
The release of ‘Snake Sideways’ saw Do Nothing play a UK headline tour with highlights such as KOKO in London and a homecoming at Nottingham Rock City. This year has been focused primarily on festival dates like Y Not?, Victorious, Secret Garden Party, Bearded Theory and In Colour as well as shows further afield in the Netherlands and France.
