#workintv

Formed precariously throughout the COVID lockdowns, Work In TV found themselves dedicated a significant amount of their time towards music when their evenings could see them do nothing other than stay in their rehearsal studio in Sheffield. When the world finally opened back up again, the band jumped at performing live shows in Sheffield this year, attracting fans of artists like Foals, Interpol and Talking Heads. Now finally sharing their debut single after all this time, Work In TV’s hard work seems to have paid off, as ‘Spiral’ defines their sound and space within an industry that’s clearly yearning for a band of their flair and individuality.

Boasting a sound very clearly their own, ‘Spiral’ captures an essence of many genres, blending the best bits of everything from indie pop to synth to rock into one vibrant, addictive package. Things set off with a clanky beat, a groovy guitar riff and underlying bass twangs, all coinciding to create quite the eclectic mix that together merges into something almost teetering on folk undertones. The vocals add their own swagger atop the sound, carrying a charismatic confidence that over time slowly seeps into more of a hoarse madness to match the lyrical journey, all whilst matching up with the instrumentals energy too. With the chorus incorporating some nostalgically brimming synth sounds, the volume and pacing amps up to match the added atmospheric spirit, pulling you in with the most obsessively catchy hook: ‘what’d you think I need?’ As things simmer down for the bridge, the soundscape strips down to the bone as a drum clash dissolves out, leaving just tensely building electric guitar plucks and vocals to be central stage. Quickly things build back up, getting your adrenaline-pumping and your hair-raising at every new instrumental addition, volume raise, and the overlaid mismatch of vocals that together get ever-more desperate as things close out with quite the fizzling conclusion.

With a sound so interweaved within its lyricism, ‘Spiral’ feels more of an experience than just a song to be listened to, as its internal monologue of a narrative and progressively more chaotic sound both capture a spiralling breakdown. Described by the band as ‘kitchen sink realism’, its words carry a harsh and honest message of faltering mental health, leaning into feeling invasive with how it leaves you to believe you’re peering into someone’s deepest and darkest thoughts at one of their lowest moments. With a repeated emphasis on the choruses hook ‘what’d you think I need’, ‘Spiral’ gets progressively more desperate as it progresses, feeling both like it’s pleading for an answer and also frustrated that everyone is constantly offering what they think would help instead of hearing them. Asking ‘Won’t you come spiral with me? ‘Cause all my best friends are trying their best but I don’t think it’s what I really need’, it’s evident there’s a loneliness within the head of our protagonist, as they ask for company whilst his friends lack the awareness of how to be there for them in their slow decline. Closing out with the frantically spoken bridges realisation, ‘I’m taking applications for someone to be me, so I can sit here and drink’, it’s clear that the deeper into their spiral they fall, the further they want to disassociate from themselves and their life. Lyrically, ‘Spiral’ feels one of a kind, delivering a take on mental health that’s so incredibly real and unwaveringly poignant, with a new line lingering upon each listen.

Check out the engagingly unique experience of ‘Spiral’ for yourself here, as Work In TV prove themselves to be an exciting and highly refreshing upcoming band to keep an eye on!

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow