The Act: THE MANATEES

The Track: 'CALL YOU A CRIMINAL'

The Format: DIGITAL SINGLE

The Release Date: SEPTEMBER 27TH 2023

The 10" Vinyl Link: Limited Edition 'Silver' 10" Vinyl

The Digital Link: Listen Here

The Video: Watch Here

The Tour Tickets: Buy Here

The Truth: Modern indie dancefloor dreamers The Manatees release a brand new single called 'Call You A Criminal' on September 27th. This is the first track to come from the trio's second EP which will be released on 23rd Feb 2024 and is produced by Tarek Musa (Spring King / Dead Nature). It follows a bouncy summer of shows at Y Not Festival, Isle Of Wight and BBC Introducing x The Hundred at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and ties in with an 11 date UK headline tour - see dates below.

It all fits, too: hailing from a sleepy town on the south coast of Englandshire and now residing in London, The Manatees consist of hyperactive schoolfriends Jay, Tyler and Miller and a litany of unfeasibly large trousers. Their shiny-but-questioning alt.melodic quests touch on hip hip samples, funk-driven basslines and sparkling guitars and have drawn knowing comparisons with everyone from MGMT to Klaxons via Jungle, Wolf Alice and The Strokes.

"‘Call You A Criminal’ is the most pop-like track we’ve ever put-out," muses Jay. "It harbours the frustration and complexities of timing and distance in a relationship, becoming locked off from someone physically and beginning to resent the place you find yourself. In my case it’s a city, London, a concrete barrier I have a strong love / hate relationship with. I’ve been here a little while, and it’s safe to say I’m on better terms with the city now, but I wrote this song early on whilst I was feeling a little enclosed. Ultimately it’s inescapable, a release, and learning how to navigate relationships from the inside out."

So rest assured there is depth to The Manatees' pop delight - the debut 'Dream In Colour' EP came out in April and openly tackled the anxieties of finding your feet in an ever-changing world, emphasising the desperateness and loneliness of growing up. Yet even this couldn't quell The Manatees' hyper-popping genre-hopping essence rare, inspiring sold out shows at The Victoria and Sebright Arms and warranting a Jack Saunders Next Wave interview on Radio One as well as much love from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6music.

Next up come these big-trousered live shows here:

23rd September - Bristol - Crofters Rights
26th September - Leeds - Hyde Park Book Club
27th September - Edinburgh - Sneaky Pete's
28th September - Newcastle - Bobiks
29th September - Liverpool - Kazimier Stockroom
30th September - Manchester - The Castle Hotel
4th October - Birmingham - The Victoria
5th October - Nottingham - Chameleon Arts Café
12th October - London - The Lexington
13th October - Brighton - The Prince Albert
14th October - Southampton - The Loft

Tickets Here

"There's an obvious audience for The Manatees, one always eager for that next big song that's just the right mix of nostalgia and modernity." - Record of the Day