Anglo-Maltese quartet ĠENN team up with Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffat on moody new single ‘Jaguar Sun’ which is being released as a 12” by Mogwai’s Rock Action Records. They head out on an extensive European and UK tour through October and November – tickets here.
Unfurling over 6 minutes, ‘Jaguar Sun’ is ĠENN re-introducing themselves as masters of atmosphere, the sonics sprawl but never stray from an equally telepathic sense of groove. Vocalist Leona Farrugia is equally at home delivering whispered couplets as spreading her wings with soaring runs. They meld with Aidan Moffat’s textured vocals in a link-up that was manifested at the very beginning of the track’s writing process.
On the collaboration, Leona says: “We started jamming out the song and immediately I was intrigued by the idea of a duet. I could see the vision. When it developed even more, I could really hear Aidan’s voice… almost like a god coming from the heavens. I imagined the juxtaposition of the grit of Aidan’s voice but also his storytelling and aura in general.”
After reaching out, Leona and Aidan spent a summer trading emails about the media and culture they were consuming, and how this influenced the track: “it’s quite rare these days to find people who are willing to give you their time, and stop and think with you, and create something with you that is worthwhile and significant to both.”
On what the themes of the track developed into, Leona explains: “At the time I wrote the lyrics I had a lot of questions on whether one can really be ‘free’ and what the act of ‘freedom’ really is, how that translates in everyday life, the choices we make etc. The idea that sometimes we are mere observers or simply a protagonist watching from afar – AKA life being acted out. It is almost like a surreal experience / magical realism. We are sometimes so far removed from the reality that everything is lost, there is no sense of a higher self.”
This is echoed by Aidan Moffat who offers on the collaboration: “ĠENN were already on my radar, so the request to join them for a song was a very pleasant surprise. The instrumental they sent over was brilliantly and suitably moody to accommodate my gruff ramblings, so we had a chat about the song’s themes. I’d been reading about Einstein’s block universe model, and the philosophical questions it raises. Is free will real? Are our stories already written? It seemed to suit Leona’s themes well, so I recorded the vocal on my laptop in an empty studio room while the Arab Strap album was being mixed next door.”
Matching the thoughtful approach to lyricism are the culture touch points ĠENN point to around creating ‘Jaguar Sun’. The title for the track was inspired by the ‘Under the Jaguar Sun’ by Italo Calvino, it is an unfinished novel written just before his death which attempted to tell a story for each of the senses. Further literary influence comes from The Unbearable Lightness of Being, alongside the film La Chimera, and Low’s Double Negative album.
‘Jaguar Sun’ was co-produced by the ĠENN with Johnny Hostile (Savages/Jehnny Beth), Grammy Award winner Johnny Breakwell (Pinkpantheress) and Tom Hill.
Formed on the island of Malta, Brighton-based / Anglo-Maltese outfit ĠENN is: Janelle Borg – guitars (she/her), Sofia Rosa Cooper – drums (she/they), Leona Farrugia – Vocals (she/they), and Leanne Zammit – bass (she/her). ĠENN is a self-described sisterhood founded on instinctive trust and an experimental collision of multinational backgrounds, with Maltese, British, Jamaican, and Portuguese roots represented across its four members.
ĠENN’s bold geographic move was mirrored by their genre-blending 2023 debut, unum. Notable press / radio acclaim arrived from BBC6, KEXP, Pitchfork, The Independent, Loud & Quiet, CLASH, Under the Radar, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, with a short film for the single ‘The Sister Of’ also achieving a UK Music Video Award nomination. Last year’s ‘Reverberations’ marked a brand-new chapter, as it saw the band team up with Savages / Jehnny Beth producer Johnny Hostile.
It’s little surprise that this has led to diverse invitations onto an international stage, appearing at renowned showcase festivals such as Eurosonic (NL) and The Great Escape (UK), alongside tours with Sub Pop Noise Rock heavyweights METZ, burgeoning post-punkers Deadletter and global art collective Pussy Riot.
ĠENN ON TOUR
October 2 — Paris, FR — Supersonic
October 3 — Eeklo, BE — N9 Muziekclub
October 5 — Berlin, DE — Schokoladen
October 6 — Hamburg, DE — Hafenklang
October 7 — Prague, CZ — Kulturní Klubovna
October 8 — Pfarrkirchen, DE — Spitalkirche
October 9 — Freiburg, DE — Slow Club
October 10 — Offenbach am Main, DE — Hafen 2
October 11 — Olpe, DE — Onyx
October 13 — Stuttgart, DE — Café Galao
October 14 — Tübingen, DE — Shedhalle
October 15 — Biel/Bienne, CH — Le Singe
October 16 — Torino, IT — Magazzino sul Po
October 17 — Pesaro, IT — Venue TBA
October 18 — Roma, IT — Wishlist
October 20 — Bologna, IT — Freakout
October 21 — Piove di Sacco (Padova), IT — Officina 19
October 22 — Aarau, CH — KIFF
October 31 – Leeds, ENG – Belgrave Music Hall
November 09 – Norwich, ENG – Voodoo Daddy’s
November 10 – Birkenhead, ENG – Future Yard
November 11 – London, ENG – The George Tavern
November 19 – Brighton, ENG – Green Store Door
November 26 – Southampton, ENG – The Joiners
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