Troutflies fly out of the blocks with new single ‘Pugh’
The track is the first single to be pulled from their upcoming album ‘Wild Troutflies’, out October 13th.
Photo: Rhani Mahabir-Stokes
Leeds-based lo-fi folk oddities Troutflies have announced their upcoming album Wild Troutflies and its lead single Pugh. The group, led by Reuben Pugh and Guy Godivala, have recently signed with Private Regcords and performed a slew of live dates around the UK this year.
On the track, the band says, “I was going to save it for the next album because it’s most different to what we’ve done before. It’s about a church in York that turns into a nightclub and, because my surname’s Pugh, I’ve always thought it was funny that people were drinking on pews”.
To describe Pugh as dreamy is an understatement. The song begins with a lovely opening lyric “Dancing with the comfort of where I come from” that really sets the tone for what’s to come. It’s literate, curious and able to transport you right into the world of Troutflies with its soothing cadence and hazy delivery.
There is more than a bit of Leonard Cohen’s brooding, soft, deep vocals and David Berman’s conversational vocal and lyrical style here. It all feels like you are washed up in a glorious haze floating through the early morning sky. It’s as dry as it is dreamy, with the acoustic guitars, melodica and distant echoing drums really acting as a musical anchor to the somewhat psychedelic and ethereal vocals and lyrics.
The song glides smoothly like a boat down a river, never losing momentum but never attempting to change shape or structure either. It is literate and descriptive but still, most importantly, incredibly engaging. There is more than enough here to keep you wanting to keep coming back for more.
The band say that they recorded Wild Troutflies in just a few days in their flat and they describe it as a “walk down an anti-jangle road.” Pugh may be just our first step down that road, but I’m looking forward to carrying on that journey to see where the rest of Wild Troutflies will take us.
Live Dates:
13th of September – Glasgow, The Doublet
24th of September – Cardiff, Porters
26th of September – Bristol, The Louisiana
3rd of November – Manchester, Kamera
Wild Troutflies is out October 23rd via Private Regcords.
