FIGHTMILK announce second album ‘Contender’

Following delays due to COVID-19, London’s FIGHTMILK have finally announced details of their forthcoming second album ‘Contender’. The LP has a release date of May 14th, 2021 via independent record label Reckless Yes and will be available on cream/smoked vinyl and ‘lucky dip’ eco vinyl, CD, and digital.

The band recently revealed the first taste of the record with AA side lead single If You Had A Sister… / I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space which is out now and available to stream on all good digital platforms. You can listen to If You Had A Sister… via Bandcamp below.

Commenting on the tracks, vocalist/guitarist Lily said: “‘If You Had a Sister…’ is a bit slower and quieter than the fast guitar pop of the last album, and it’s about all kinds of dark things—but if there was ever a time for songs you can do ominous slow dancing to, it’s now.”
 
“I was inspired to write ‘…Space’ by watching someone who keeps loudly proclaiming they’re going to save humanity and change the world constantly make excuses for why they haven’t got round to it. It’s largely about emotional labour and rockets and I’m dead proud of it.”

While the band planned to take their time crafting forthcoming second album ‘Contender,’ they hadn’t factored in a global pandemic and the delays it would cause. Marking a maturing of their sound the record also sees a step-change in their writing and recording, as they welcomed new member Healey (formerly of Wolf Girl) on bass, and took a more collaborative approach than past efforts.

“LP2 is shaping up to be all the things I like about the first record, blown up by about a thousand,” enthuses guitarist/vocalist Alex. “‘…Space’ is a pretty good idea of what that sounds like in practice—poppier, sweeter, and more dramatic in all the right places, roughed up a bit by some exceptionally angry guitars.”

Like the writing process, recording also took more time, again thanks to Covid-19. Recorded in two sessions a year apart at Dean Street Studios in London, the band saw plans for a UK tour suddenly pulled as the release of the first single from the record, I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space, coincided with the first lockdown in March 2020.

While waiting to be able to return to the studio and complete work on the project, the band took creative detours throughout 2020 with home-recorded Christmas (Fightmilk and Cookies) and cover (The FME EP) EPs raising money for Girls Rock London and The Trussell Trust. 

Tour plans may remain on hold for the time being but now ‘Contender’ can wait no longer, and will be released on 14 May 2021 via Reckless Yes.

‘Contender’ track list

1. (contender)
2. Lucky Coin
3. Hey Annabelle!
4. I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space
5. The Absolute State Of Me
6. Girls Don’t Want To Have Fun
7. Cool Cool Girl
8. (tender)
9. Banger #4
10. If You Had A Sister…
11. You Are Not The Universe
12. Maybe
13. (bartender)
14. Overbite

More info on FIGHTMILK

Taking influence from a broad spread of artists including Sharon van Etten, The Beths, Charly Bliss, Bully, Speedy Ortiz, Liz Phair, The Lemonheads, Japanese Breakfast, and that dog., FIGHTMILK are the perfect soundtrack to your “why can’t I adult like everyone else my age?” life.

The band formed in the beer gardens of London in 2015 when Lily and Alex decided to turn their then-recent respective breakups into FIGHTMILK, creating an indiepop soundtrack by which to navigate millennial life. Their first two EPs – one self-released in 2016 (The Curse of Fightmilk), and the next (Pity Party) put out through uber-indie label Fierce Panda – strode ahead of signing to Reckless Yes for the release of their first album.

Their 2018 debut LP Not With That Attitude was released on limited edition pink vinyl, CD and digital, gaining a fan in Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music) as well as praise from Echoes and Dust, Drowned in Sound, and Louder Than War Magazine, appearing in many end of year picks.

Now sold out (but still available digitally of course), their debut is well loved by listeners and critics alike who recognised a perfectly written set of alt-rock tunes capturing the chaos and shambles of relationships wrapped in anthemic power-pop riffs.