JOHN Shares Single / Live Video For “Non-essential Hymn”

JOHN, the London duo of John Newton (drums, lead vocals) and Johnny Healey (guitar, backing vocals), shared their new single “Non-Essential Hymn” off their upcoming album Nocturnal Manoeuvres (Pets Care Records/Brace Yourself Records), out October 8th. “Non-Essential Hymn” also serves as the towering closer for the LP, which gradually blossoms from the band’s propulsive post-hardcore into a noisy, trance-inducing finale, powered by Netwon’s driving drums and Healey’s Sonic Youth-esque guitar heroics. The release is accompanied by a live performance video showcasing the duo’s sharp musicianship and bristling energy, right off the back of their recent packed-out sets at the U.K.’s End of the Road and Green Man Festivals. Watch the live video produced by Tom Hill and filmed at The Bookhouse Studio in South London.

“Echoed by the album’s title Nocturnal Manoeuvres, Johnny and I often found ourselves discussing the 24/7 demands of our accelerated presentafter all, it’s pretty hard to ignore when staring over the ever-expanding city from our native Crystal Palace” Newton says. “The song became a nod to these now ‘essential’ obligations, the lyrics recalling the security guards of the city, denying their natural circadian rhythm in order to protect ever-lit office buildings. We wanted to mimic the incessancy and repetition of these traditions, and we felt like the meditative quality of the closing section helped give some semblance. It became quite obvious when recording the album that this depth (both audible and structural) meant that the track needed to sit as the album closer, and it’s become a real stand out moment for us both.”