We’ve featured Norwegian post punk duo Ask Carol on our NMR playlist before, but we’ve never covered them in writing. Thankfully their new single ‘Do It in LA’ was released last week and that gives us chance to correct our omission.
They were formed back in 2016, and they’ve clearly taken the ‘grafting’ approach of touring extensively to grow their support base. Along the way they’ve supported the likes of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and performed in countries as far afield as USA, South Korea and the Philippines. They released a self titled EP back in 2018 and a succession of singles this year, my favourite being the high tempo ‘Run with You’ that they released a few months back.
New track ‘Do It in LA’ was conceived after a trip to L.A. to meet potential ‘big shot management’ was postponed due to Covid. Given they were ’stuck in Norway‘ they wrote a song in a joking homage to the place they couldn’t visit, as the band explain. “it’s a half satirical comedy about the shallow, plastic fantastic society, half an honest testimony to us dreaming ourselves away to sunny Californ-i-a, and LA.”.
Now the song opens with the line “I know it sounds cliché, it's sunny every day, in LA”, and in that spirit it’s true that the song isn’t necessarily breaking new ground, but it’s irresistible with catchy vocals and tongue in cheek lyrics that will bring a smile to your face. It really just sounds like the duo wanted to have fun and release all their pent-up energy, and in doing so they’ve created a song that will be an absolute belter live.
Ask Carol plan to release an album early in 2021, meanwhile they’ve also announced that a October planned gig in Oslo has been moved to Feb next year. More details on Facebook.