Fresh powerhouse five-piece The Publics have spent years building their reputation live. Supporting The Sherlocks and The Lottery Winners, performing at YNOT? and Splendour, and appearing on a slew of other lineups, the Mansfield band have taken their punchy sound to new heights in 2024, all in the lead-up to their brand new EP I Know The World Stopped, But Why Did You?.
The project starts out with an ‘Emergency Broadcast Service’, setting the tone for the amped-up roar of the noisemaking quintet that will be served up across the next five tracks. ‘Red Flag Verified’ is the first up to bat, telling the first of their small-town stories with ferocity and a stomping backdrop of riffs and drums.
‘Gaslighter’ starts with a tight and attention-grabbing drum fill, unleashing rising riffs set to electrify crowds before the lyrics arrive to deliver a harsh reality. ‘D.B. Cooper’ brings back the brutality, the almost accusatory tonality in the verses becoming an anthemic chorus.
The title track opens with a spacious release of energy, a moment to catch your breath before listeners are brought into that bouncy indie feel, lamenting youth over a nostalgic lead guitar line. Final track ‘Murphy’s Law’ goes from solemn and reserved into a momentous last hurrah for the project, the epitome of all The Publics are.
Speaking about the EP, the band explain, “Most of our songs are written as character studies based on either people we’ve met or from stories that our friends have shared about people they know. ‘Relatability’ is a huge factor in people connecting with a song and we don’t feel as though we’ve lived very ‘relatable’ lives. By telling others’ stories our songs’ cover a range of topics, It also means that when we do write personal songs, such as I Know the World Stopped, but Why Did You? and Murphy’s Law, they tend to have that extra kick to them!”