doops: everything’s fine
Single via Hot Earth Records
Reading trio doops announce the release of their bold new single everything’s fine. A vibrant and atmospheric sweller, the track brings an ethereal flair whilst retaining a driving sense of energy, blending shoegaze tones with psychedelic-rock tendencies. Released via their freshly launched DIY imprint Hot Earth Records, the track striking evolution in their sound and spirit – layered, restless, and inventive.
Produced by Shuta Shinoda (Ghostpoet, Anna Meredith, Spiritualized) and recorded by Spencer Withey (Ladylike) at Farm Road Studios, everything’s fine opens with plucky guitar tones stooped in blue sky reverb comparable to early Foals, before introducing a driving, repeated bass line reminiscent of Radiohead. As the track’s vocals enter, the psychedelic tone of the track flourishes into life, drifting through the floating vocals towards a beguiling chorus.
As the track progresses, it makes a sonic jump at the midpoint, swapping atmospheric reverbs for tightly strummed guitars that eventually build into an climactic, intense and explosive wall of cymbals and overlapping fuzz. The track floats to a close with a reiteration of the main riff.
Lyrically, frontman Andy peers into the greyscale mundanity of modern working life – of adult disillusionment, responsibility, and what it means to simply “be fine” in a world of broken promises and creeping burnout. He explains: “This one came out of frustration. It started as an instrumental with a floating fourth member, Cameron, and grew into something that felt true to us. Lyrically, it’s more straightforward than anything we’ve done. It’s about growing up—not the rose-tinted version, but the version where you’re making hard choices and realising ‘just fine’ might be the best we get. That can be okay. It can even be beautiful.”
Having opened Opus Kink, Do Nothing, and Plantoid, the band have played a number of prestigious venues including Brixton Windmill as well as slots at a number of major UK festivals. With everything’s fine, doops showcase exactly why they’ve gained such slots – displaying an ability to capture emotion through their music whilst delivering interesting, well crafted guitar led instrumentation. It’s anxious, beautiful, and bruisingly honest, perhaps their most compelling work to date.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.
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