Awake and Hungry

From the tumultuous melting pot of the London musical circuit, Folly Group were cast. The first signing to So Young Records, the new label set up by the tastemaker magazine.

With three of the quartet moving in together to a house in Leyton (which would eventually become their studio too), Sean Harper, Louis Milburn and Tom Doherty inevitably found themselves experimenting. The addition of close friend Kai Akinde-Hummel, playing percussion and sampler, proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle, and soon Folly Group’s unique positioning of tone and atmosphere had morphed not just into a coherent project, but a furiously brilliant live prospect also.

Tired of the boundaries being a ‘band’ can sometimes self-impose, whether it’s a particular image or creative method to maintain, the group steer closer to the looseness of a ‘collective’, always keen to combat the feeling of stasis with an open door policy to any sound, visual or collaboration. Whilst still early, Four Wheel Drive showcases this versatility throughout, veering from anxious freneticism to primal danceability at the flick of a switch.

Whether a listener comes away with their life changed - or merely having enjoyed a spot of light entertainment - is not the group’s focus. Rather, they as artists aim to provide a reflection of the base rhythms and sounds of shared lived experience, evoking endless, often subconscious enjoyment as you find yourself falling into step with the project.

For fans of the Rapture, Bloc Party and Yard Act.