“Propped Up” is the first single to be taken from the debut album Hide and Seek (due out on 10 July via Fortuna POP!) from Mammoth Penguins, the new band fronted by Emma Kupa, formerly of BBC 6 Music favourites Standard Fare. With a stirring chorus that makes you want to pump your fist and a call-and-response section that begs you to join in (“regrets, mistakes,…”), the rip-roaring “Propped Up” talks about how we’re all dependent on others to distract us from negative thoughts.
Hide and Seek is an exhilarating collection of indie anthems, with Emma’s candid songwriting and heartfelt vocals at the fore. Chugging away like a great lost Weezer record, the songs are bold, loud and outrageously catchy, with lyrics that hit just the right chord, exploring the burgeoning responsibilities of being in your late 20s/early 30s.
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When the much-loved Standard Fare called it a day after nine years and two albums, Emma Kupa upped sticks and moved from Sheffield to Cambridge, where she recruited Mark Boxall (bass) and Tom Barden (drums). Previously the bassist and lead singer in Standard Fare, Emma relished the switch to guitar in Mammoth Penguins, allowing her the space to deliver her trademark soaring vocals and to indulge in the occasional mean guitar solo. With Tom’s driving energy and Mark’s bouncy pop bass they quickly developed their riff-tastic powerpop sound.
Recorded at Sickroom Studios in Norfolk by producer Owen Turner (Magoo, Factory Floor), Hide and Seek captures the band at the age they’re at right now, reflecting on different aspects of being in their late twenties. With Hide and Seek, Mammoth Penguins have produced a wonderfully varied record, each song a story, nuggets of joy, despair and hope.
Live Dates:
3 July – London – The Shacklewell Arms (supporting Darren Hayman)
21 July – London – The Lexington (Headline show – Album Launch Party)
24-26 July – Indietracks Festival
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