moa moa don their 'Yellow Jacket' for new track

Words: Sam Geary 

Council Records signings moa moa make their debut with the hypnotic 'Yellow Jacket'.

Produced by singer James Ratcliffe, the song's lyrical theme of jealousy and love are paired with wonky-pop meets psych structures.

Recorded from their Tulse Hill, south-east London base, ‘Yellow Jacket’ is the first of three singles to be released in 2020 which lean on Ratcliffe’s experience writing and producing across a number of genres, to create something ever-changing and unpredictable.

“Musically, I wanted us to create something that mirrored the simplicity of the subject matter in an interesting way, which comes through in the contrast between the neanderthal rhythm and the more cutting, thick guitars. 'Yellow Jacket' is the symbiosis between a neanderthal approach to rhythm and pithy reharmonisation's of vicious guitar riffs," says Ratcliffe.

"Lyrically, the first and second verse chart the call and response of a couple articulating their emotions (poorly). I wanted to use the kind of cliche's that we all find ourselves using when we're trying to navigate feelings of jealousy, love and desire, poking fun at the idea that by doing so, we're successfully achieving some kind of self-preservation. Because deep down we all know we're not really, and it’s just a silly dance."

moa moa play London's Paper Dress Vintage on March 18.