Today, Northern post-punks Gen and The Degenerates share their brand-new video for fan favourite, ‘Girls’ (featuring Uninvited), taken from the band’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘ANTI-FUN PROPAGANDA’ out now via Marshall Records.
Gen and Co also share details for intimate shows in London and Manchester featuring both queer and female-centric acts. All show profits go towards The Mala Fund. The band will also appear at this year’s Reeperbahn Festival in Germany. A complete list of dates can be found below.
‘Girls’ is a fast, punchy anthem celebrating women and delivering a sharp critique of gender dynamics, with the accompanying video serving as a tribute to a friend who recently passed.
“My friend Lara passed away last year and was the life of the party,” says vocalist Genevieve Glynn-Reeves (She/They). “It was isolating going through the loss of someone who was such an influential part of your formative years without anyone else who knew her nearby.
“Shooting the video was a healing process for me and an incredibly affirming experience. There was such an incredible energy on set. It was like we'd thrown the best queer-girl party ever.
“Her brother Matt Chandler came on board to direct the video. He's an incredible director and included so many little nods to her in the video. We're so lucky to work with him. It became a beautiful, joyful tribute to Lara, with her lovely friends and even her mum kindly coming to take part at Matt's request.
“Walking away from that video, I felt so inspired by the sense of community I'd felt; I knew it went beyond just me and my experience. Community can be healing and precious for all sorts of reasons. I wanted to do more with this ethos, and the next logical step felt like live shows.
“Live music almost instantly makes you feel like something bigger than yourself when done well. It was also a chance to champion some new artists I believe in. I am so excited about the acts that we've got supporting us. I hand-picked them myself and will proudly share a stage with them all.
“With everything going on in a larger global sense, it is important to remember that our community should go beyond just those in our immediate vicinity. We want to donate the money we make from the show to the Malala Fund to help support education for women and girls worldwide.”
Recorded and produced by the infamous ROSS ORTON (Arctic Monkeys, Amyl and the Sniffers, Drenge, Gang of Four), the album is a coming-of-age story seeing the band as both a tightly knit unit and as individuals, find out who they are, and what they stand for. Late nights and early mornings, sexuality, gender politics and mortality, all while surviving your twenties in a volatile and confusing world fuelled by turmoil.
Sonically, their debut album ‘ANTI-FUN PROPAGANDA’ draws from New York punk and post-punk sounds – think Patti Smith, LCD Soundsystem and Sonic Youth. “The key with them all is that they can be obtuse and artsy or whatever, but they’re not afraid to just write a pop song,” guitarist Sean reasons. The record has its eyes open and its tongue sticking out, bursting with witty takes on the messiness of twenty-something life in a system stacked against you.
With a debut like theirs, full of personality, witty observations, and frenetic riffs, it’s clear that now is Gen and the Degenerates’ time. ‘ANTI-FUN PROPAGANDA’ is now on Marshall Records and available in Spatial Audio via supported streaming platforms—Limited edition vinyl bundles – HERE.
Be sure to catch the band playing live. A complete list of dates and more info can be found – HERE