More about: Poppy

The quality of the Reading and Leeds festival 2019 line-up has just been cranked up a notch with the news announced today that Poppy will play The Pit, the stage formerly known as The Lock Up.

The Pit is curated by Radio 1 Rock Show host Daniel P Carter makes is a perfect fit for Poppy to make a rare UK appearance.

The announcement comes a few days after the release of a new EP titled Choke - the heaviest and most experimental release so far, and a direct rebellion against the lighter sounding electronic pop stylings which make up most the Poppy back catalogue.

The artist’s turn towards metal first became notable with the release of the 2018 Am I A Girl? album cut ‘X’ as a single. 'X' is all about light and shade: Beach Boys melodies flipping into nu metal wig outs. The template is mirrored with the Choke EP cut ‘Scary Mask’, which features references to the pop past flipping into a Slipknot-esque wall of sound.

Though Poppy's a big fan of metal, a staunch Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails fan, the EP is far from a guitar record and uses some magnificent analog synths which convey the artist's love of Gary Numan.

Predominantly dark in feel, themes on the Choke EP include, but aren’t limited to the apocalypse and alien invasion. But in speaking to Poppy about the EP for this interview, there's a certain level of resolve intended in the lyrics that make the songs not so bludgeoning.

As for how this will come across on stage, thanks to the power of the backing band called, of all things, Icky Babies, the material will make an immense impact. Plus, as Poppy's ill-content to stagnate, the costume and stage design ought to be something special.

In other Poppy news, the artist is set to release a debut graphic novel that is going to tell the tale of the genesis of this character. A character who’s built an online church and devout following of fans who identify as Poppy Seeds, and earned millions of streams for bizarre, humorous, hypnotic Youtube videos. Videos directed by Poppy’s core collaborator Titanic Sinclair.

More about: Poppy