Nun Habit dances among the Marigolds

Nun Habit are Emma, Greg, Kate, Rachel and Selina – a London-based, queer 5-piece, who play fun, fuzzy gar-age pop. They write songs about eczema, the perils of online dating, otters, and people on Twitter continually announcing the death of Prince Philip in the months and years leading up to his actual death. The Nuns are all about loud noises and having a good time. They’ve spent the last four years writing, gigging, and looking after each other and are finally ready to release an album.

Formed in 2016, the band bonded over a shared love of Britpop, classic rock, adidas trainers and cooking delicious meals for each other. They’ve played the Edinburgh Fringe, the Roy-al Albert Hall (supporting “ILL”), and Salford’s “Sounds From The Other City”, but are best loved for their riot-ous packed-out headline shows at London venues like Paper Dress Vintage, The Victoria, The Amersham Arms.

An imagined takedown of those that mock the Eczema-afflicted, Nun Habit’s new single Marigolds’ is a moody, rhythm-driven track with tongue placed firmly in cheek. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the disparaging comments which singer Greg (who has eczema) would occasionally attract for wearing rubber gloves for doing the washing up—one of the less serious but nonetheless annoying symptoms of a toxic-masculine culture. As with most Nun Habit songs, the track was written collaboratively: from this initial idea the band worked together to craft the sound and structure.

The two guitar lines (played by Greg and fellow guitarist Selina) play off each other, both driving the song forward and providing texture which is anchored by the disco-inflected drums (Emma) and bass (Kate). Rachel’s keyboard line weaves through the rest, adding depth and atmosphere.

First released as a demo in 2019, the song has evolved over time—developed through extensive live performances (the band have played every-where from the Edinburgh Fringe to the Albert Hall via Salford’s Sounds from the Other City festival) and with some final polish added by Ric James’ (Foals, Yassassin) production wizardry. A video for the song, filmed in self-iso with some card backgrounds and a whole load of rubber gloves, will be released on 14th June.

The B-Side is a remix by Bristol-based DJ and producer Josh Albiston. Stripping away the vocals and bringing the driving bassline to the fore, Albiston’s new edit is a moody, house-influenced track running to almost twice the length of the original.

The single follows a AA side, released in April, which drew praise from numerous outlets and gained radio play both in the UK and Australia, including repeat plays on Soho Radio. Hedge Fun, the band’s debut album, will follow in the summer.

Music | Nun Habit (bandcamp.com)

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