Photo credit: Sophie Webster
"Multiple kinds of maximalism that grabs you via sheer bombast" - Stereogum
"This London sibling duo sound like they’ve mainlined all permutations of British synth and dance-pop from the past 30-odd years, and – surprisingly – it works" - PAPER Magazine
"Freewheeling, cathartic rave-pop" - NME
"Gloriously untamed and utterly magnetic” - DIY
"Unhinged pop that is both infectious and confrontational" - CLASH Magazine
"A glorious mosh-mash that works better than it should on paper" - Wonderland Magazine
"They're what happens when punk energy collides with pop hooks and shared DNA."
- Dork Magazine
Today South London sibling duo PUNCHBAG (Clara and Anders Bach) have announced a new EP, I Am Obsessed, out April 10, 2026 via Mute.
Opening on off-kilter piano stabs, the title track sets up a tension that quickly gives way to something far darker beneath their restless leftfield pop. Clara’s lyrics frame fixation as bodily and inescapable, from dirt under fingernails to crumbs in bedsheets and thoughts that won’t leave your chest.
"It's about being completely obsessed with something or someone, but not in a cute way, more in a ‘your whole body is under attack’ kinda way. It's sort of disordered, chaotic, overwhelming," Clara explains.
Watch the video for “I Am Obsessed” HERE.
The new single follows July 2025’s release “I Love This!” (also set to feature on the EP), a wide-eyed surge of feeling that reinforced PUNCHBAG’s instinct for pairing pop immediacy with emotional overload.
Speaking more on their upcoming second EP, the band said: "If our first EP was a selfie, these new songs are like zooming in and thinking, ‘fucking hell my pores look huge’. This EP is turning up the contrast on everyday life, rinsing the disgusting dish towel so far that all the gunk comes out. It’s pushing PUNCHBAG’s sonic world even further, into a grander landscape, and dramatising the everyday more than ever before."
With each release, Clara and Anders continue to push their instincts further, tightening their sound and leaning harder into the extremes that define it - all part of a wider mission to distill the most intense, concentrated version of who they are as artists.
That intensity spills directly into their live shows, where the duo’s sibling chemistry and unfiltered energy have earned a reputation for turning rooms into something closer to group therapy than a gig - a visceral, communal thrill and a celebration of feeling too much, all at once.
Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, PUNCHBAG's debut EP I'm Not Your Punchbag (released May 2025) was a breathless introduction. Veering between chaos and clarity where sweetness clashed with distortion, every track felt like a full-body jolt. The EP saw the band receive early tastemaker press: NME (Radar Interview), Dork (HYPE Cover + ★★★★ review), CLASH (Next Wave), Wonderland (New Noise), DIY (★★★★ review), plus further tips from PAPER Mag, The Line of Best Fit, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Popjustice and many more.
PUNCHBAG were also named a Spotify RADAR: First Listen artist and sold out their debut headline show at Bermondsey Social Club, before further sold out headlines in the capital at Windmill Brixton and The George Tavern, alongside festival slots at Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves, The Great Escape, Bergenfest, Pstereo, Twisterella, Live At Leeds In The City, Sŵn, Ritual Union & more, as well as a live performance on Made In Chelsea.
PUNCHBAG will be heading out on their debut UK and European headline tour in April - more details coming very soon, keep an eye on their socials for dates and ticket links!
PUNCHBAG's new EP I Am Obsessed is out April 10 on Mute. Follow PUNCHBAG on Instagram for news of more live shows in the coming months.
I Am Obsessed EP Art:
EMAIL me at AlexLaurence @ AOL (dot) com "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, inf...
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