The Wytches have released “Talking Machine,” the title track from their upcoming fifth album, also titled Talking Machine. The record is set for release on October 10th via Alcopop! Records. On the new single, the band intentionally looks back to their earlier influences to propel their sound forward. For the four-piece, which now consists of Kristian Bell, Daniel Rumsey, Mark Breed, and Bhav Thaker, this creative decision to “go backwards to go forwards” marks a new chapter for the long-standing UK punk scene fixture.
Of the single, and the album title, Bell states,
I saw the term “Talking Machine” in a book I was reading about Thomas Edison. It was a nickname for gramophones. I thought that was fitting enough for an album title, but I guess like a lot of people, the whole AI thing has been on my mind a lot and I saw a connection there too. Thomas Edison would host these events called Tone Tests where he’d demonstrate how much audio recordings had advanced by fooling the audience in to thinking they were listening to musicians playing live but it was actually all pre-recorded, playing from a gramophone. People feared that a lot of jobs in the entertainment industry and beyond would be replaced by technology, a lot like what’s going on now.
Since forming in Peterborough in 2011, the band has garnered widespread support from tastemakers like Pitchfork, NME, and KEXP. The new album and single arrive after an extended period of live shows that have solidified the band’s reputation for visceral, high-energy performances.
