Emerging with phoenix-like resilience from the ashes of the vibrant theatrical punk powerhouse Cheap Teeth, the newly formed Conscious Pilot takes the stage. Following the release of their debut single ‘Halfway To Hockney’, Conscious Pilot are back with their latest offering ‘Modern Religion’ on 19th January 2024.
Crafted by Joe Laycock and Jack Sharp, both former Cheap Teeth members, the dynamic duo has joined forces with musicians from Catholic Action and Pressure Retreat, birthing a post-punk revival supergroup. Rooted in Laycock and Sharp’s shared passion for immersive, beat-driven soundscapes, this newly forged ensemble pledges to urge the listener’s ear into progressively choppy waters whilst simultaneously grounding them in firm lyrical soil.
Being the inaugural track Conscious Pilot wrote for their debut EP, ‘Modern Religion’ signals a departure from their prior penchant for critical jabs at religion. Instead, the song acknowledges and appreciates the various means by which individuals validate their existence, whether through organised religion, music, exercise, or even seemingly unconventional activities like fishing. Carried by Sharp’s pulsing bass line reminiscent of a quirky rendition of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be with You”, ‘Modern Religion’ mirrors Conscious Pilot’s quest for meaning as they venture into a fresh musical direction.
Of the single, Joe Laycock said “Modern Religion was the first song we wrote. It formed the conceptual foundation for this EP and indeed the project as a whole. Written about a lost individual in a perpetual struggle to find meaning, (pushed towards a sense of collective faith in an atypical religious ideology), the song is a symbolic reflection of our formative period. After choosing to move on from our former band, Cheap Teeth, which had been our predominant focus for the past seven years, we were ourselves experiencing such a struggle.”