ĠENN are a 4-piece, made up of, Janelle Borg – guitars (she/her), Sofia Rosa Cooper – drums (she/they), Leona Farrugia – Vocals (she/they), and Leanne Zammit – bass (she/her). Majority queer, the first iteration of the band started 10 years ago in Malta, before moving to Brighton, where they met Sofia. Still Brighton based, they are Anglo-Maltese, with Jamaican and Portuguese roots.
With a tour taking place next month, they share new single ‘Rohmeresse’. It’s a shape-shifting track that moves through the influences and locations of their collective upbringing. With the band’s mixed heritage, they’ve always had a collection of influences running through their veins and ‘Rohmeresse’ sets a scene for ĠENN’s ability to weave comfortably through an ever-moving cinematic landscape.
On the song, vocalist Leona Farrugia said,
“I’ve often felt a pressure running through everyday life: a pressure to be productive whilst being true to oneself. Modern life can be very dissociative and small tasks become a real burden to uphold. I wanted to capture these thoughts through the track, whereby these emotions gradually build to a point of ecstasy.”
The track’s title nods to French new wave director Éric Rohmer, who’s characters often struggle through the morals and desires of quotidian life. The recurring gang vocal similarly echos the constant negotiation of the everyday: “I wanna stay in all day, I wanna sleep in all day”. Mundane distractions such ‘peeling potatoes’ become somewhat significant, and perhaps sinister reminders of a time slipping by. This also inspired the video.
ĠENN have also been announced to support the infamous Pussy Riot on their UK tour from the end of the month, until their own headline dates in Bristol, London, and Brighton. Tickets on sale HERE.
