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Aug 13, 2024 By Andy Von Pip Photography by Marieke Macklon

Manchester-based synth-pop band W.H. Lung has taken a fresh approach with their third album, Every Inch of Earth Pulsates, aiming to encapsulate the energy, essence, and dynamism of their live performances. This focus has become crucial for the group as they have emerged as one of the most captivating and exuberant live acts in the UK.

To achieve this, they moved their recording base to Sheffield, collaborating for the first time with producer Ross Orton (known for his work with MIA, Arctic Monkeys, and Working Men’s Club). Orton managed to capture the band’s live essence to a remarkable degree. “Ross is the Sheffield Steve Albini,” says lead singer Joseph Evans. “He’s the king of not overthinking it and trusting the process of the art of recording songs. He was always there to stop us fucking around with cerebral stuff and get it down.” Guitarist Tom Sharkett agrees: “He was the exact producer we needed without us even realizing. His productions and mixes are bombastic, lively, and in your face. He brought a real dose of magic to the songs we’d written.”

While the new album, following Incidental Music (2019) and Vanities (2021), aims to capture a moment’s energy and live vibrancy, it is not a raw or unpolished record. It remains a meticulously crafted, intricately layered, and superbly produced work. Staying true to W.H. Lung’s style, it traverses genres from dance to pop to indie, while maintaining their unique sound. It represents a significant evolution, building on their established base while venturing into new territory. “The big difference with this record is its directness in every sense,” says Sharkett.

The band has also released a new single, “The Painting of the Bay,” a bold synth-pop track highlighting a more electronic side of the album. Singer Joseph Evans shares about the single: “On the day this song was written, I was hurting and had gone to a gallery to try and find some peace. I stood for a while in front of a painting by Cezanne called ‘The Bay of Marseilles.’ I love this painting but I was looking and looking and just feeling nothing, which made me feel worse. I came home and found that Tom had sent me an idea he’d done on the acoustic and straight away the whole song just took shape, I think I wrote it stood up in the kitchen.”

Track List - Every Inch Of Earth Pulsates

1. Lilac Sky
2. Bliss Bliss
3. Thinner Wine
4. Bloom and Fade
5. How to Walk
6. Flowers in the Rain
7. I Can’t Lie
8. The Painting of the Bay
9. I Will Set Fire to the House

W.H. Lung November 2024 UK Tour

16/11/24 - New Century Hall, Manchester
17/11/24 - Mono, Glasgow
19/11/24 - Cluny 2, Newcastle
20/11/24 - Strange Brew, Bristol
21/11/24 - Islington Assembly Hall, London
22/11/24 - Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich
23/11/24 - Bodega, Nottingham
24/11/24 - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

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