South London sibling duo PUNCHBAG (Clara and Anders Bach) share new single ‘I Love This!’ out now via Mute. The track follows their acclaimed debut EP I’m Not Your Punchbag (released in May), and lands ahead of key festival slots at Reeperbahn and Iceland Airwaves later this year. ‘I Love This!’ captures what PUNCHBAG describe as “the extreme sport of everyday life” – celebrating the dizzying highs and dragging lows, and refusing to separate one from the other.
Written in Berlin at 3am in a burst of chaotic energy, Clara’s brain-rush lyrics (“fleas, drugstores, tea leaves, dopamine dreams”) spiral over Anders’ maximalist production, teetering on the edge of collapse. There’s a playfulness running through it too, a wink behind the chaos signalling that not everything here is meant to be taken too seriously, even when it’s hitting something painfully real.
Clara shares the following on the new single:
“I guess you could see this song as an anti-depression anthem! You can hear the highest highs and the lowest lows – almost like it’s soundtracking the extreme sport of everyday life. Because sometimes it really is an extreme sport, so the highs should be celebrated. Getting through a shit phase should be danced about! With synths, a dance tempo, and something to shout! All that positive stuff.”
With each release, PUNCHBAG are pushing themselves further – making the weird parts weirder, the pop moments pop harder, the loud bits louder and the quiet ones quieter – all part of their mission to distil the most intense, concentrated version of who they are as artists. That intensity spills into their live shows, where the duo’s chemistry and unfiltered energy have earned a reputation for setting rooms alight.
PUNCHBAG play Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and more festivals over the coming months.
Punchbag Live Dates
August
15 – Trondheim (NO), Pstereo Festival
29 – Tromsø (NO), Rakettnatt Festival
September
18-20 – Hamburg (DE), Reeperbahn Festival
November
8 – Kópavogur (IS), Iceland Airwaves
For more information on Punchbag please check their instagram and tiktok.