TEEN CREEPS

With their debut album ‘Birthmarks‘ out now, Belgian punk trio Teen Creeps are sharing a new video for standout track “Hindsight“. The band have also announced a UK tour for this June with shows in London, Glasgow, Stoke, Milton Keynes & Brighton.

The audio for “Hindsight‘ was released some time ago, but now there is also a video to go with it. “It’s by far the most poppy song we have ever written. So we definitely wanted to do a video for this one. It just took some more time than the other ones”, says guitarist Joram De Bock.

For “Sidenote” they made a friend dance in front of a camera and the video for “Mercury” was made using family footage. This time they worked with an actual director, camera man and an actress. “So you could say this time it’s a “real” video”, says drummer Ramses Van den Eede.

The band joined forces with Jan Tillon and Patrick Van Den Storme, who also made the video for ‘The Point’ back in 2015. “We just know them from our favourite bar in Ghent, but they are actually both professionals. And since last time was so much fun, we kept saying we had to do another video together.”

The album cover for ‘Birthmarks’ literally comes to life in the new video. A girl wearing the mask from the artwork plays the main character. Singer-bassist Bert Vliegen: “We thought it would be fun to have the mask return. As a point of recognition, but also because the image fits the song. There’s a lot of dynamics going on: from sweet falsetto vocals and clean guitars to a lot of heavy distortion and shouting. Just like the creepy mask contrasts with the young girl wearing it.”

The girl is played by Maaike Somers, a young actress from Belgium. In the video she is getting ready to go out by putting on her make-up, getting dressed and… putting on the werewolf mask. She becomes someone else and she goes out to. She drifts around aimlessly, in desperate need of a connection. She ends up finding one with the band.

See Teen Creeps live:
17th June – Thousand Island, LONDON
18th June – Broadcast, GLASGOW
19th June – The Exchange, STOKE
20th June – Craufurd Arms, MILTON KEYNES
21st June – The Hope & Ruin, BRIGHTON

Links:
Facebook
Bandcamp

Today we’re excited to introduce you to Ghent-based trio Teen Creeps, who have just announced their debut album ‘Birthmarks‘ set for release April 6th. Combining a mixture of ’90s inspired alt rock with hard-hitting punk, the first single from the LP “Sidenote” is online now.

Speaking about the new track, singer-bass player Bert said “It’s about not fully committing to someone and getting nowhere because of it. Feeling something but holding it off because you don’t want to get hurt again. When I wrote the words I had just come out of a relationship and wasn’t ready yet for a new one. I met someone but things went sideways because of this.”

“The dancer in the video is Jules Jordens, an actor who is a friend of the band. He showed up with an entire dance routine that perfectly translates the vibe and energy of the song. Plus, watching him go at it brings smiles on our faces.”

Teen Creeps are a trio from Ghent. You may know drummer Ramses Van den Eede from weirdo rockers Hypochristmutreefuzz, singer-bass player Bert Vliegen from the slowcore bands Sophia and Horses or guitarist Joram De Bock from the former hardcore formation Deadender. But what the three do in Teen Creeps is something quite different.

They combine a mixture of alternative rock from the ‘90’s and punk that sounds both solid and melodious. The band itself describes its music laconically as ‘post-everything’, but you can clearly hear the influences of nineties bands Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Jawbreaker. As well as those of contemporary bands like Cloud Nothings and Yuck.

“In fact, we usually play indie rock, but the kind of music to which the term originally referred in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. That of bands like Superchunk and Archers or Loaf: guitar rock at the boundary between punk and melody. Not because we are nostalgic, but because we identify with the sound of that time. It is solid and energetic, but also melancholic and embodies lived experience. That is something that we are also striving for ourselves: it may ‘rock’, but we always put a lot of feeling into our music.”

Since its formation five years ago, Teen Creeps has performed as many shows as possible at home and abroad, appearing on stage at renowned festivals in the Benelux as Rock Herk, Absolutely Free Festival and Incubate. And playing clubs in Germany, France and Great Britain.

After an EP (2014) and a 7” (2015), Teen Creeps began work on their first full album. Their previous releases were all recorded in the rehearsal room, but for ‘Birthmarks’ they recorded in a real studio for the first time. The band went to London, where they worked with the producer Rory Attwell (Veronica Falls, The Vaccines, Yuck) at Lightship 95. A studio on a lightship anchored in the Thames.

“We got to know Rory when we were the opening act for his band Die! Die! Die! When it emerged that he had also worked as a producer on records of which we were fans, to us it seemed the perfect match. And indeed it was! The studio itself was a further reason for going to London. Because recording on a big, red boat naturally appeals to the imagination”, says guitarist Joram.

Through nine numbers, Teen Creeps adheres to its mixture of fuzzy guitars, melodious vocals and energetic drums on ‘Birthmarks’. But at the same time the band also pulls out all the stops. ‘Sidenote’ opens strongly, but is quickly followed by the poppy ‘Hindsight’. On ‘Mercury’, the bass guitar comes to the fore, and in ‘Good Intentions’ the tempo slows for the band’s best number so far. “We have tried to do new things within the framework in which we work. We remain true to ourselves, but we do not want to fall into repetition either”, says drummer Ramses.

Textually ‘Birthmarks’ has become a personal record, singer Bert explains. “It is an album about frustrations, shortcomings and disappointments. About misplaced hope and false expectations, about people hurting and being hurt and not being able to deal with it. Very personal for me, but that is something that I have learned with Teen Creeps: to make myself vulnerable in my texts. ‘Birthmarks’ contains the most honest lyrics that I have ever written. The title refers to events that you carry with you for the rest of your life, whether good or bad. Just as a birthmark is not necessarily beautiful or useful, it is forever.” 

‘Birthmarks‘ artwork:

‘Birthmark‘ tracklist:
1. Sidenote (video)
2. Hindsight
3. Mercury
4. Will
5. Good Intentions
6. Thread
7. Hemispheres
8. Unravel
9. Forging Kindness

Links:
Facebook
Bandcamp

Belgian punk trio Teen Creeps have released a second single from their upcoming album ‘Birthmarks’, which is due April 6th via PIAS. “Mercury” is a mid-tempo gem from their upcoming debut.

Singer Bert says the new song “Mercury” is about falling back into the bad habit of procrastination. “You have big plans, but you’re not getting anything done. Because you’re just too scared to get things started. So you just leave it and go out. And hate yourself for it.”

The video is made up of old footage from guitarist Joram’s family. “My family has all these videos going back to the 60s and the 70s. I’ve had the idea of using them with a song for some time, but ‘Mercury’ is the first one where it fits”, he explains. “I made the video chopping up an evening long recording of my great-grandparent’s 40th wedding anniversary in 1975. It’s especially fun to watch my own grandparents drinking and dancing way back before I was even born.”

Teen Creeps are a trio from Ghent. You may know drummer Ramses Van den Eede from weirdo rockers Hypochristmutreefuzz, singer-bass player Bert Vliegen from the slowcore bands Sophia and Horses or guitarist Joram De Bock from the former hardcore formation Deadender. But what the three do in Teen Creeps is something quite different.

They combine a mixture of alternative rock from the ‘90’s and punk that sounds both solid and melodious. The band itself describes its music laconically as ‘post-everything’, but you can clearly hear the influences of nineties bands Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Jawbreaker. As well as those of contemporary bands like Cloud Nothings and Yuck.

“In fact, we usually play indie rock, but the kind of music to which the term originally referred in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. That of bands like Superchunk and Archers or Loaf: guitar rock at the boundary between punk and melody. Not because we are nostalgic, but because we identify with the sound of that time. It is solid and energetic, but also melancholic and embodies lived experience. That is something that we are also striving for ourselves: it may ‘rock’, but we always put a lot of feeling into our music.”

Since its formation five years ago, Teen Creeps has performed as many shows as possible at home and abroad, appearing on stage at renowned festivals in the Benelux as Rock Herk, Absolutely Free Festival and Incubate. And playing clubs in Germany, France and Great Britain.

After an EP (2014) and a 7” (2015), Teen Creeps began work on their first full album. Their previous releases were all recorded in the rehearsal room, but for ‘Birthmarks’ they recorded in a real studio for the first time. The band went to London, where they worked with the producer Rory Attwell (Veronica Falls, The Vaccines, Yuck) at Lightship 95. A studio on a lightship anchored in the Thames.

“We got to know Rory when we were the opening act for his band Die! Die! Die! When it emerged that he had also worked as a producer on records of which we were fans, to us it seemed the perfect match. And indeed it was! The studio itself was a further reason for going to London. Because recording on a big, red boat naturally appeals to the imagination”, says guitarist Joram.

Through nine numbers, Teen Creeps adheres to its mixture of fuzzy guitars, melodious vocals and energetic drums on ‘Birthmarks’. But at the same time the band also pulls out all the stops. ‘Sidenote’ opens strongly, but is quickly followed by the poppy ‘Hindsight’. On ‘Mercury’, the bass guitar comes to the fore, and in ‘Good Intentions’ the tempo slows for the band’s best number so far. “We have tried to do new things within the framework in which we work. We remain true to ourselves, but we do not want to fall into repetition either”, says drummer Ramses.

Textually ‘Birthmarks’ has become a personal record, singer Bert explains. “It is an album about frustrations, shortcomings and disappointments. About misplaced hope and false expectations, about people hurting and being hurt and not being able to deal with it. Very personal for me, but that is something that I have learned with Teen Creeps: to make myself vulnerable in my texts. ‘Birthmarks’ contains the most honest lyrics that I have ever written. The title refers to events that you carry with you for the rest of your life, whether good or bad. Just as a birthmark is not necessarily beautiful or useful, it is forever.” 

‘Birthmarks‘ artwork:

‘Birthmark‘ tracklist:
1. Sidenote (video)
2. Hindsight
3. Mercury (video)
4. Will
5. Good Intentions
6. Thread
7. Hemispheres
8. Unravel
9. Forging Kindness

Links:
Facebook
Bandcamp

Today we’re excited to introduce you to Ghent-based trio Teen Creeps, who have just announced their debut album ‘Birthmarks‘ set for release April 6th. Combining a mixture of ’90s inspired alt rock with hard-hitting punk, the first single from the LP “Sidenote” is online now.

Speaking about the new track, singer-bass player Bert said “It’s about not fully committing to someone and getting nowhere because of it. Feeling something but holding it off because you don’t want to get hurt again. When I wrote the words I had just come out of a relationship and wasn’t ready yet for a new one. I met someone but things went sideways because of this.”

“The dancer in the video is Jules Jordens, an actor who is a friend of the band. He showed up with an entire dance routine that perfectly translates the vibe and energy of the song. Plus, watching him go at it brings smiles on our faces.”

Teen Creeps are a trio from Ghent. You may know drummer Ramses Van den Eede from weirdo rockers Hypochristmutreefuzz, singer-bass player Bert Vliegen from the slowcore bands Sophia and Horses or guitarist Joram De Bock from the former hardcore formation Deadender. But what the three do in Teen Creeps is something quite different.

They combine a mixture of alternative rock from the ‘90’s and punk that sounds both solid and melodious. The band itself describes its music laconically as ‘post-everything’, but you can clearly hear the influences of nineties bands Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Jawbreaker. As well as those of contemporary bands like Cloud Nothings and Yuck.

“In fact, we usually play indie rock, but the kind of music to which the term originally referred in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. That of bands like Superchunk and Archers or Loaf: guitar rock at the boundary between punk and melody. Not because we are nostalgic, but because we identify with the sound of that time. It is solid and energetic, but also melancholic and embodies lived experience. That is something that we are also striving for ourselves: it may ‘rock’, but we always put a lot of feeling into our music.”

Since its formation five years ago, Teen Creeps has performed as many shows as possible at home and abroad, appearing on stage at renowned festivals in the Benelux as Rock Herk, Absolutely Free Festival and Incubate. And playing clubs in Germany, France and Great Britain.

After an EP (2014) and a 7” (2015), Teen Creeps began work on their first full album. Their previous releases were all recorded in the rehearsal room, but for ‘Birthmarks’ they recorded in a real studio for the first time. The band went to London, where they worked with the producer Rory Attwell (Veronica Falls, The Vaccines, Yuck) at Lightship 95. A studio on a lightship anchored in the Thames.

“We got to know Rory when we were the opening act for his band Die! Die! Die! When it emerged that he had also worked as a producer on records of which we were fans, to us it seemed the perfect match. And indeed it was! The studio itself was a further reason for going to London. Because recording on a big, red boat naturally appeals to the imagination”, says guitarist Joram.

Through nine numbers, Teen Creeps adheres to its mixture of fuzzy guitars, melodious vocals and energetic drums on ‘Birthmarks’. But at the same time the band also pulls out all the stops. ‘Sidenote’ opens strongly, but is quickly followed by the poppy ‘Hindsight’. On ‘Mercury’, the bass guitar comes to the fore, and in ‘Good Intentions’ the tempo slows for the band’s best number so far. “We have tried to do new things within the framework in which we work. We remain true to ourselves, but we do not want to fall into repetition either”, says drummer Ramses.

Textually ‘Birthmarks’ has become a personal record, singer Bert explains. “It is an album about frustrations, shortcomings and disappointments. About misplaced hope and false expectations, about people hurting and being hurt and not being able to deal with it. Very personal for me, but that is something that I have learned with Teen Creeps: to make myself vulnerable in my texts. ‘Birthmarks’ contains the most honest lyrics that I have ever written. The title refers to events that you carry with you for the rest of your life, whether good or bad. Just as a birthmark is not necessarily beautiful or useful, it is forever.” 

‘Birthmark‘ tracklist:
1. Sidenote (video)
2. Hindsight
3. Mercury
4. Will
5. Good Intentions
6. Thread
7. Hemispheres
8. Unravel
9. Forging Kindness

Links:
Facebook
Bandcamp