New single ‘stronger’ is a three minute blast of bouncy indie dance, pointing to influence from Jamie xx, Kaytranada, Charli xcx and Caribou. A tale of resilience and self-empowerment, disguised as a thunderous break-up anthem, pecq find inspiration elsewhere within unpredictable sonic oddities such as “a broken shower fan in a venue that sounded like a dub siren”, “vocals echoing in a Berlin sewer” and “the crackly texture of a bunch of ants attacking a mic”.

Speaking more on the release of their new single, vocalist Jakes said: “‘stronger’ is a break up song with a twist – on the surface about independence from a person but actually starting as a mantra to my own body. I live with a bunch of immune conditions and when I’m down about being super sick I do this silly, sassy pep talk, hyping myself up to fight my body. The lyrics are all the opposite to how it feels but the more I repeat that I’m stronger than this, the more I eventually feel it.”

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Fittingly written and produced across numerous different time zones, the initial framework for ‘closer’ (a song which zeros in on the psychological impact of distance between loved ones) began in Paris with producer Nikò experimenting with pulsating 8-bit style synth lines. Vocalist and producer Jakes then chipped away at re-contextualising those embryonic ideas. With the pair sending the track back and forth whilst Jakes was travelling the world in Arlo Parks’ live band, ‘closer’ went through numerous different iterations and versions before reaching its final form.

Speaking more on the release of ‘closer’, Jakes said: “‘closer’ is about distance. I’ve been away for most of the past year touring. It was so freeing and inspiring to visit places I never thought I’d see, but after a few months I struggled being away from my friends and trying to finish songs with Nikò being in an opposite time zone. I was seeing all these new things but I couldn’t ever communicate them properly so they started to feel like a weird dream. So ‘closer’ was originally about isolation but it was finished on the plane trip home so a different mood crept in – getting closer to your besties, coming home full of fresh things to share.”

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On new single ‘out loud’, pecq’s command of sonic world building and gracious, propulsive pop songwriting is on full, undeniable display. Referencing the experimental, spiralling work of Ultraísta along with the meditative songwriting of Sampha as influences on their music, ‘out loud’ is, in contrast to its title, a song rooted in insularity.

Skittering, distorted cymbals guide its introduction, with Jakes’ captivating, fragile voice floating atop the sparse instrumentals as she sings “I don’t wanna talk about it anyway”. As ‘out loud’ moves through the gears, the song incorporates lush piano movements with striking atmospherics before exploding into a warped, drum & bass-influenced closing section.

Speaking more on the release of ‘out loud’, Jakes said: “‘out loud’ is about not being able to tell someone how you feel about them. As a queer kid with loads of immune problems, I learnt to pretty early on hide a lot of myself for self-preservation and music was always my place to get stuff out. This song is reflecting on the weight of repeatedly keeping things secret and I guess acknowledging that it doesn’t really work – feelings get stranger and bigger the longer you bury them, and grow into a force of their own that moves you forward whether you like it or not.

“We wanted to create that feeling of this hidden things trying to creep out – there’s lot of little moments of peaks trying to rise up and then getting cut down, drums trying to settle and then getting broken up.”

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“‘The Analyst is based on a conversation I had with a psychiatrist in A&E – numb and exhausted from the failure of months trying to keep someone else afloat. After so long in panic mode, I sat in that sterile stillness being told I’d given too much but it would never have been enough anyway – simultaneously absolved and told off,” says the duo.

The haunting textures, field recordings, atmospheric synth, and pulsating electronic drums blend seamlessly with intimate vocals, perfectly capturing the fragility and weariness of the moment after a crisis. The band’s music video, directed and shot by the band themselves, reflects this same introspective and meditative world, enveloping the listener in an eerie, vulnerable experience that complements the song’s deeply personal nature.

Overall, ‘The Analyst’ showcases pecq’s masterful ability to craft intricate and emotive alt-pop soundscapes, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of Amnesia’s Ritual.

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Released alongside an eerie, snow capped video directed by Zak Watson, ‘Left Behind’ succeeds in taking pecq’s world-building to an entirely new level. Equal parts haunting and euphoric, the new single is uniquely intense, detailed and personal. Buried amongst the characteristic analog synths, taut drums and detuned strings are heartbreaking details that give colour to the track: a field recording from the Paris Metro.

Nikò explains: “I wrote my first ever songs just after the suicide of one of my closest friends and former bandmate. I think everything I’ve written since then has been about that in some way. Music has been a way to stay connected to them and process the intensity of the things I saw and experienced. This song is the first time I’ve felt able to deal with a lot of stuff I was too scared to revisit before. A big part of that was writing the lyrics with Jakes which helped to distill and accept things that felt too big for my own words. Being able to share these intense feelings has been the best way for me to deal with them. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I hadn’t been able to talk to friends and make music.”

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Glassy, ethereal synths and taut drums lay the bedrock for the track, while Hannah (Jakes) Jacobs’ distinct vocal sustains the emotional intensity throughout. The intricate arrangement is matched only by pecq’s remarkable songwriting, whose characteristic open-heartedness injects a sense of intimacy into the eminently danceable.

About the tracks Jakes says: “’It’s A Lie’ is about breaking out of a manipulative relationship and reprogramming your own identity, inspired by my experiences with cult environments and controlling people (plus a little bit of 11 and 1 in Stranger Things). I don’t know if I’ll ever fully reclaim my sense of self but I wanted to capture the power of starting to hear and trust your own voice again.

“I wrote the demo in my room when I was isolating, starting with a drum loop from Niko. Once we’d started producing it together, we realised I’d started at a random point in the loop, so Niko had to relearn it all for the final takes.”

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