Noise Rock Duo JOHN Share Live Cut Of New Single “Non-Essential Hymn”

JOHN – the moniker of London duo John Newton (drums, lead vocals) and Johnny Healey (guitar, backing vocals) – shared their new single “Non-Essential Hymn” off their upcoming album Nocturnal Manoeuvres, out October 8th via the band’s own Pets Care imprint and Brace Yourself Records. Serving as the album’s closer, “Non-Essential Hymn” is a propulsive post-hardcore style effort, bringing in shoegaze, noise rock, and punk into the 6 minute behemoth.

The release is accompanied by a live performance video recorded at the Bookhouse Studio in South London, showcasing the duo’s raw musicianship, providing a truer spirit of the track. Sonic Youth-esque guitar riffs and pummelling percussion build and build for the track’s duration, as the pair turn two instruments into a wall of sound.

“Echoed by the album’s title Nocturnal Manoeuvres, Johnny and I often found ourselves discussing the 24/7 demands of our accelerated present—after all, it’s pretty hard to ignore when staring over the ever-expanding city from our native Crystal Palace” Newton says. “The song became a nod to these now ‘essential’ obligations, the lyrics recalling the security guards of the city, denying their natural circadian rhythm in order to protect ever-lit office buildings. We wanted to mimic the incessancy and repetition of these traditions, and we felt like the meditative quality of the closing section helped give some semblance. It became quite obvious when recording the album that this depth (both audible and structural) meant that the track needed to sit as the album closer, and it’s become a real stand out moment for us both.”

Watch the live recording below:

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