June 26, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Ex-Chumbawamba member Dunstan Bruce to release first solo single “Fucking Expensive” on July 3rd

2 min read

Agent provocateur Dunstan Bruce made his mark on both underground and mainstream music as a member of anarchist punk band Chumbawamba, having sung lead vocals on their international smash hit “Tubthumping”. Now, Dunstan is set to release his first solo effort, a subversive new single provocatively titled “Fucking Expensive”.

Some say that simple ideas work best, and this new release proves that — everything about this song holds your attention, and that’s really saying something these days.

Huge beats pull the song along like a truck, cinematic orchestral strings create tension, and Dunstan’s vocals hold everyone and everything to account. From the get-go, the song hooks you in, inviting the listener to join in on every verse and chorus. (We think It’s quite an earworm!)

“Fucking Expensive” is punk in every way, only without the guitars — a new anthem for the crazy times we currently live in that everyone can relate to. Both FE and its funk-tinged flipside “PIN Number” eschew genre, but Dunstan’s punk roots still shine.

For this single (his first musical outing under his own name), Dunstan collaborated with producers and Oscar-winning team Tarn Willers and Jimi Ogden who captured his distinctive vocals while delivering two tracks crafted with originality and inspired style. Dunstan recorded the tracks in Brighton in the studio of MY LIFE STORY frontman Jake Shillingford, whose vocals also appear on both tracks .

The new double A-side single will be released in two stages.

July 3 “Fucking Expensive” b/w “PIN Number” will be released on all major digital platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and Bandcamp for streaming as well as for download.

July 26 A double A-side limited-edition 7” single in black and white vinyl variants will be released via Warsaw-based Heavy Medication Records.

Here’s what the producers had to say about FE:

“Fucking Expensive is a mindset, a declaration of the inherent value of everything in life. From the mundane to the extraordinary, we recognise the priceless worth of existence. It’s not about monetary value; it’s about cherishing every moment, every relationship, and every experience as irreplaceable. Fucking Expensive reminds us that life’s richness lies in the appreciation of its infinite complexities. It’s a philosophy that transcends material possessions, embracing the profound truth that everything and everyone is fucking expensive.”

Dunstan’s history and much of his legacy comes from the original and constant band that was CHUMBAWAMBA. One of the original DIY bands, Chumbawamba went from operating out of a squat in Leeds to touring the world, selling over 5 million albums, and attaining triple platinum status — while shouting all the way with their agitpop. Dunstan is also a filmmaker (I Get Knocked Down, A Curious Life, This Band is So Gorgeous), and as a musician, he still plays gigs around the country with his band INTERROBANG.

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