APRIL 2020

‘All those fucking buzzwords that made creators/reviewers feel like they’d tapped into a more valid emotional depth: “Dark”, “Edgy, “Dystopian”. As opposed to “funny”, “silly” and “light”. Well [you’re] here now. And that shit’s no use. Make us laugh.’

• Danny Baker (@prodnose), Twitter, 11:03 pm · 22 Mar 2020.

Doug Murphy and Paul Hamilton, barely visible beneath a moving carpet of biscuit wrappers, have slid off the sofa, duly inspired by both Mr. Baker’s tweet and the DVD of Preston Sturges’ film Sullivan’s Travels (1941 – too modern for ya?), wherein a top-flight Hollywood comedy director decides to make an earnest, hard-hitting movie reflecting the rise of fascism, unemployment and homelessness. Hitting the road as a faux hobo, he finds out the hard way that what the worst-off want is an escape from their worries, not to have their noses rubbed in to it. Easy laughs makes hard times endurable.

With a world united in turmoil by Covid-19, where anyone could be a victim or unknowing assassin, DMPH have jumped into their blue suede clown shoes and attempted to brighten your days with three new merry melodies concerning sexual politics (‘Talking About My Genitalia’), the socio-political elite (‘Featherstonehaugh, Featherstonehaugh, Wriothesley’) and the ever-rib-tickling refugee crisis (‘Rumours Of Peace’). The E.P. is available as a download HERE on Bandcamp, and you can view the chips-cheap video for ‘Talking About My Genitalia’ on YouTube.

Stay warm, stay safe, stay in.