screensaver

Share new single + video 'Drainer'

Second album Decent Shapes
due 20th October on Upset the Rhythm

Praise for previous single 'The Guilt'

"The first single off of the upcoming Decent Shapes is wrapped around a hammered-steel pulse, twisted into a heat-warped vision of punk that sears the skin. The bass bubbles in the synapses, the keys leak an irradiated angst, and the vocals of Krystal Maynard vamp with a pinch, preen, and power that’s been passed down from Poly to Corrine Tucker to Jenny McKechnie." – Raven Sings the Blues

Sophomore album from Australian post-punk quintet, FFO Malaria, ESG, The Cure, Pylon, Gang of Four, Bush Tetras

Album: Decent Shapes
Label: Upset the Rhythm
Release: 20/08/23

Melbourne/Naarm five-piece screensaver return with second single 'Drainer', from their forthcoming sophomore album Decent Shapes. Following on from lead single 'The Guilt', 'Drainer' is a fierce synth-punk anthem dedicated to the kinds of people in your life who drain your emotional energy. The people who you know you need to cut ties with but time passes and you're stuck, doomed to repeat the same cycle.

Of the track and video, screensaver's Krystal Maynard says, “In the clip we’re really trying to communicate a sense of frustration but with a light hearted approach, highlighting a few of the everyday things that can happen in your day to day to put you in a shitty mood. It’s not a literal interpretation of the song’s lyrics but more about capturing a mood; the live set at the end is the cathartic release where the band gets to shake off all that draining energy.”

The track is accompanied by a video from producer, musician and videographer Grace Stevenson (Rebel Yell/100%). Shot on camcorder, the visualiser was filmed around the inner north suburbs of Melbourne where the band live and in an industrial area of Thornbury. The clip captures the everyday annoyances that can build up to put you in a downer mood, juxtaposing the band's deadpan expressions with Krystal Maynard's high-intensity performance before they all head to an industrial area to release all their pent-up frustration by playing 'Drainer' live.

Watch/listen to 'Drainer'

https://youtu.be/aTzO5Sh5k2k

On Decent Shapes - the second album from screensaver - there is bubbling tension, a low grade but growing fever, a rising rage. The frustration is so tangible you can taste it. Detachment and dissociation become survivalist coping mechanisms.

Thematically, screensaver's latest offering finds them exploring existence on an ever-growing trash heap where we’re desperate for the new, the nice and the shiny. A world where materialism reigns supreme and corporate niceties litter the public dialogue but behind closed doors the sentiment is warlike, total domination is the only answer to the bottom line. All of which is underpinned by the band's sonic sense of urgency and a commitment to creating a sound that taps into the mood and spirit of post-punk whilst also allowing space for new wave elements and electronic experiments to shine through.

Decent Shapes was recorded and mixed by Julian Cue, who was also the recording engineer for Expressions of Interest. Defined by a kinetic energy, dynamic range and brooding atmosphere, the 10-track release comprises some tracks that were mainstays within the band's live shows - featuring in their US tour set-list - alongside others which were written later in the recording process. During the creation of Decent Shapes, the band also experimented with swapping instruments, allowing for different playing styles and songwriting approaches.

screensaver was formed in 2016 as a trans-Pacific project between Krystal Maynard (Bad Vision/ex Polo) and Christopher Stephenson (Spray Paint/Exek). Their debut album Expressions of Interest received support from the likes of Brookly Vegan, Beats Per Minute, DIY and Post-Trash and last September the band played a 12-date tour across the US.

screensaver share new single 'Drainer' from 'Decent Shapes', due 20th October on Upset The Rhythm

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