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Song You Need to Know: Body Type, ‘Sex & Rage’

The track arrives as the first single from the long-awaited debut album from Body Type, Everything Is Dangerous but Nothing’s Surprising.

Ellen Virgona*

It’s been a couple of years between drinks for Sydney’s Body Type, but as they announce the release of their debut album, they’ve supported this news with the unveiling of a brand new single, “Sex & Rage”.

Ever since they first formed mid-way through the last decade, Body Type have been known as one of the most consistently impressive, powerful, and exciting bands on the Australian scene. Last releasing new music by way of the Christmas Eve single “Night Gratitude” in late 2020, Body Type have now proved they’ve not been taking some well-deserved time off, but rather working toward the next step in their career.

Today, the group have not only unveiled fresh new music, but announced that their upcoming debut album – Everything Is Dangerous but Nothing’s Surprising – will be released via Poison City Records on May 20th, with Body Type revealing their signing to the Melbourne label today as well.

“We fell in love with Body Type after coming across their early EPs a while back – the tracks ’Stingray’ and ‘Palms’ felt especially infectious and exciting, so obviously we’re delighted to be working with Body Type on their debut album this year,” explained Poison City founder Andrew Hayden.

“Body Type’s attitude and approach to the wide world of independent music is a great fit for Poison City and musically we hear a magical blend of soulful indie-rock and fierce angular-pop that feels urgent and relevant to these modern times.”

The first taste of this new record comes by way of their new single, “Sex & Rage” – an unapologetic and ragged piece of rocky post-punk which serves as a plea for exuberance and exhilaration in the face of banality and boredom.

“‘Sex & Rage”is a reflection on finding passion amidst feverish banality,” explains vocalist Sophie McComish.

“When you are uninspired, when you feel sad that the general public would rather look at their phone screens than what’s hanging on the walls of the Louvre; when lovers leave you just like they always do and everything feels like a cliché – remember the feelings that set you aflame, and the things that make those feelings happen. For me, it’s Body Type and cryptic crosswords.”

Named for (and dedicated to) writer Eve Babitz’s novel Sex & Rage, Body Type’s new single is set to appear on Everything Is Dangerous but Nothing’s Surprising when it arrives in May. Interestingly, despite the times we find ourselves receiving the track in, its origins go back quite some time, with Body Type having regrouped in early 2020 to record their album in just eight days – shortly before a global pandemic put everything on ice.

The track also comes accompanied by a powerful music video, directed by Madeline Purdy, which contextualises the message of the song, yet still manages to maintain the sort of playful, cutting, and incandescent approach to their work that the band employs.

“We wanted to show an overabundance of unorthodox, freakish human beauty, but have it stop before total chaos,” explains Purdy. “The strict confines of an audition room setting tinged every character with an inherent yearning to be liked by their audience.

“The clip had to show that sex and rage are inherent in every human being, but create different characters of us all. Despite that, we’re all on the same stage, singing the same song.”

Body Type’s “Sex & Rage” is out now, while debut album Everything Is Dangerous but Nothing’s Surprising will be released on May 20th via Poison City Records, with pre-orders available now.

Body Type Tour Dates 2022

Friday, March 4th
The Retreat, Naarm/Melbourne, VIC

Saturday, March 5th
Major Tom’s, Taungurung Land/Kyneton, VIC

Sunday, March 6th
Poison City Picnic @ Brunswick Music Festival, Naarm/Melbourne, VIC

Friday, April 8th
The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney, NSW

Saturday, April 9th
The Servo, Dharawal Land/Port Kembla, NSW

Tickets available via the Body Type website