{"id":45320,"date":"2026-05-16T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45320"},"modified":"2026-04-19T09:51:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T13:51:38","slug":"punchbag-are-zooming-in-and-its-gloriously-unhinged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45320","title":{"rendered":"PUNCHBAG are zooming in and it\u2019s gloriously unhinged"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>South London&#8217;s favourite sibling chaos agents are back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PUNCHBAG \u2014 the duo of Clara and Anders Bach \u2014 have just dropped their second EP, <strong>&#8216;I Am Obsessed&#8217;<\/strong>, via Mute. It hits like a shot of espresso someone spiked with distortion pedals. Five tracks. Under fifteen minutes. Zero chill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The EP arrives with a video for focus single <em>Playing God<\/em> \u2014 a track that started life as a Hinge date gone wrong and has since evolved into something way bigger and more pointed. Clara puts it plainly: <em>&#8220;When there&#8217;s so much power being abused all the time, we don&#8217;t want to become numb to that and forget about it.&#8221;<\/em> Consider it officially dedicated to every man steering a ship aground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ieh5Z1IhQ2A?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zooming In Until It Gets Weird<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The band&#8217;s own description of the EP might be the best press quote we&#8217;ve read all year: <em>&#8220;If our first EP was a selfie, these new songs are like zooming in and thinking, &#8216;fucking hell my pores look huge&#8217;.&#8221;<\/em> That&#8217;s the energy. &#8216;I Am Obsessed&#8217; takes PUNCHBAG&#8217;s already-maximalist alt-pop and cranks the contrast up until everyday life starts looking grotesque and kind of beautiful at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clara&#8217;s vocals are the throughline \u2014 cutting through pounding percussion, snarling guitars and soaring synths with total conviction. She swings between sugar-rush pop hooks and full-on defiant release, and it works every single time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Track by Track<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44756\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"PUNCHBAG are turning everyday chaos into a banger \u2014 and we\u2019re obsessed\">What&#8217;s In My Bag<\/a><\/em> opens with glitchy, overstimulated energy that sets the tone immediately. <em>Pile Of Clothes<\/em> is tongue-in-cheek anxiety at its finest. <em>Playing God<\/em> is the live favourite you&#8217;ve probably already heard about. <em>I Love This!<\/em> plays like an anti-depression anthem \u2014 euphoria and exhaustion crashing into each other at high speed. And the title track closes things out by treating obsession not as romance, but as something far more invasive and all-consuming. Bleak? Maybe. Banger? Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First Physical Release + Tour<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Big news for vinyl heads: this is PUNCHBAG&#8217;s first-ever physical release. It&#8217;s dropping as a Dinked Early Doors 12&#8243; pairing <strong>&#8216;I Am Obsessed&#8217;<\/strong> with their debut EP <strong>&#8216;I&#8217;m Not Your Punchbag&#8217;<\/strong> in one combined release. Two EPs, one slab of wax \u2014 go get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re also on the road right now through a UK and European headline run, wrapping up at The Lexington in London on 9th May. If you haven&#8217;t caught them live yet, sort that out. Their shows are notoriously closer to group therapy than a gig, and that&#8217;s a compliment of the highest order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tour Dates<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>April<\/strong><br>13 \u2014 Paris, Supersonic (FR)<br>15 \u2014 Dresden, Polimagie Festival (DE)<br>16 \u2014 Rotterdam, MOMO Festival (NL)<br>17 \u2014 Osnabr\u00fcck, Popsalon Festival (DE)<br>21 \u2014 Leeds, Oporto (UK)<br>22 \u2014 Glasgow, Nice N Sleazy (UK)<br>23 \u2014 Manchester, YES Basement (UK)<br>24 \u2014 Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach (UK)<br>26 \u2014 Bristol, Louisiana (UK)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>May<\/strong><br>09 \u2014 London, The Lexington (UK)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen &amp; Watch<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Stream <strong>&#8216;I Am Obsessed&#8217;<\/strong> EP: <a href=\"https:\/\/mute.ffm.to\/pb-iao-ep.bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow PUNCHBAG on Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/punchbagpunchbag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@punchbagpunchbag<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>South London&#8217;s favourite sibling chaos agents are back. PUNCHBAG \u2014 the duo of Clara and Anders Bach \u2014 have just dropped their second EP, &#8216;I <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45320\" title=\"PUNCHBAG are zooming in and it\u2019s gloriously unhinged\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13,23,25,28,30,1907],"tags":[13890,13895,13896,13891,424,13116,729,13894,13673,13892,12956,13893,12268],"class_list":["post-45320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electronic-music","category-indie","category-live","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","tag-aggressive-hopecore","tag-alt-pop","tag-anders-bach","tag-clara-bach","tag-electronic","tag-i-am-obsessed","tag-london","tag-mute-records","tag-new-ep","tag-playing-god","tag-punchbag","tag-rave-pop","tag-synth-pop"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0587.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bMY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44320,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44320","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":0},"title":"PUNCHBAG go full tilt on new EP \u2018I Am Obsessed\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"South London sibling duo\u00a0PUNCHBAG\u00a0are back and turning the emotional volume way past the red. Clara and Anders Bach have announced their second EP,\u00a0\u2018I Am Obsessed,\u2019 landing\u00a010th April via Mute, and it\u2019s shaping up to be their most intense, unfiltered release yet. To mark the announcement, the band have shared the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"PUNCHBAG press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7038.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7038.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7038.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7038.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7038.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44756,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44756","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":1},"title":"PUNCHBAG are turning everyday chaos into a banger \u2014 and we\u2019re obsessed","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s a moment we\u2019ve all had. You\u2019re digging through your bag \u2014 past the crumpled receipts, the rogue lip balm, the granola bar you forgot about \u2014 and you think: this is my life now. South London siblings Clara and Anders Bach have turned that exact feeling into a certified\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;electronic music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"electronic music","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"PUNCHBAG press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0027.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0027.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0027.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0027.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0027.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43723,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=43723","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":2},"title":"PUNCHBAG are back with euphoric chaos on new single \u2018I Love This!\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"August 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"South London\u2019s wildest sibling duo, PUNCHBAG (aka Clara and Anders Bach), are back and firing on all cylinders with their latest single\u00a0I Love This!\u2014a defiant, adrenalized blast of rave-pop that punches through the emotional grey zone and comes out glittering. It\u2019s out now via Mute. Following their riotous debut EP\u00a0\u2018I\u2019m\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;electronic music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"electronic music","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"PUNCHBAG press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5335.jpeg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5335.jpeg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5335.jpeg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5335.jpeg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5335.jpeg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21385,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=21385","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":3},"title":"PLAZAS unveils &#8216;Empathy EP&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Indie-electro-pop artist\u00a0PLAZAS has released her brand new\u00a0'Empathy EP'. The Vancouver-based artist teamed up with music publication IMPOSE to reveal the\u00a0new EP.\u00a0PLAZAS 'Empathy EP'\u00a0is available now\u00a0via NBD Label via digital download and cassette. You can take a listen to the EP via Soundcloud below. \u00a0 \"Occasionally there is that record that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;electronic music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"electronic music","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"PLAZAS","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/23983ddd-0a50-4187-a16a-6c75d3e1268d.jpg?fit=550%2C366&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/23983ddd-0a50-4187-a16a-6c75d3e1268d.jpg?fit=550%2C366&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/23983ddd-0a50-4187-a16a-6c75d3e1268d.jpg?fit=550%2C366&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34206,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=34206","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":4},"title":"6TH CROWD shows the power of human connection in &#8216;You&#8217;re Not An Island&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"May 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Electronic producer\u00a06TH CROWD has shared her new electro-wave single\u00a0You're Not An Island, complete with video. This infectious vibing track is another taste of her debut\u00a0'Avoid The Void' EP.\u00a0The solo project of\u00a0Dari Maksymova, she has a knack of luring us into her adrenaline-inducing musical world, where analogue and digital thrive together.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;electronic music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"electronic music","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"6TT CROWD press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/6D6C57C2-A223-49D5-AC47-33728D8B773E.jpeg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/6D6C57C2-A223-49D5-AC47-33728D8B773E.jpeg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/6D6C57C2-A223-49D5-AC47-33728D8B773E.jpeg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/6D6C57C2-A223-49D5-AC47-33728D8B773E.jpeg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41676,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=41676","url_meta":{"origin":45320,"position":5},"title":"The Dream Eaters return with new single \u2018Program Me, I&#8217;m a Machine\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Brooklyn\u2019s dream-pop duo The Dream Eaters are back with a mesmerizing new single, Program Me, I'm a Machine\u2014a synth-heavy, hypnotic ride that blends robotic detachment with eerie human emotion. Drenched in retro-futurism and deadpan humour, the track wrestles with the fine line between devotion and submission, posing the question: Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;electronic music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"electronic music","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4107.jpeg?fit=631%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4107.jpeg?fit=631%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4107.jpeg?fit=631%2C634&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45322,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45320\/revisions\/45322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}