Shopping – “Initiative” Video
The UK-based political punk trio known as Shopping have been on our radar since 2015. That year, we designated them a Best New Band, interviewed them about consumerism and their fun musical process, and the band released their sophomore album, Why Choose. They haven’t slowed down, and despite living continents apart, they still find time to jam. Following 2018’s The Official Body, the band is announcing their fourth album, All Or Nothing, along with a massive string tour dates.
Today, we get to listen to the band’s lead single, “Initiative,” which is being released along with a music video. This single, much like Shopping’s earlier output, is bright and jangly. The whole group shouts, “Why won’t you show some initiative?” in a way that makes you think about your own disposition towards taking action. It’s confrontational, yet still dance-ready. Accompanying the track is a weird, dysphoric video that shows Shopping members taking turns being an office worker, handing off phone duties and paper shredding to one another.
The video was directed by Jack Barraclough, who also directed their 2018 video for “Wild Child.” In a press release, the band said, “We found ourselves singing about being true to yourself, in an often binary and belligerent digital age, and reclaiming agency when it feels like our personal freedom and privacy is constantly eroding.”
Watch the video for “Initiative” below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “All Or Nothing”
02 “Initiative”
03 “Follow Me”
04 “No Apologies”
05 “For Your Pleasure”
06 “About You”
07 “Lies”
08 “Expert Advice”
09 “Body Clock”
10 “Trust In Us”
TOUR DATES:
02/07 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East
02/09 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol
02/10 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Nottingham
03/05 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
03/06 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
03/07 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore
03/09 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project
03/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
03/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
03/12 – San Diego, CA @ UCSD
03/14 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress (Spring Thing)
03/16 – Sat. March 21 – Austin, TX @SXSW
03/23 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Bark
03/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Purgatory
03/25 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
03/26 – Washington, DC @ DC9
03/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
03/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
03/29 – Portsmouth, NH @ The Press Room
03/31 – Toronto, ON @ The Monarch
04/02 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx
04/03 – Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail
04/04 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
04/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
04/07 – St. Louis, MO @ Sinkhole
04/08 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse
04/09 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
04/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
05/05 – London, UK @ The Lexington
05/06 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
05/08 – Utrecht, NL @ ACU
05/09 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow (SkyBar)
05/10 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar
05/11 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
05/14 – Vienna, AT @ Fluc Café
05/15 – Prague, CZ @ Meetfactory
05/16 – Munich, DE @ Milla
05/17 – Bern, CH @ Reitschule/Rössli
05/19 – Winterhur, CH @ Albani
05/21 – Luxembourg, LU @ De Gudde Wellen
05/23 – Offenbach, DE @ Hafen 2
All Or Nothing is out 2/7 on FatCat Records. Pre-order the album here.