holybones – share new single ‘Englishman’ featuring Hak Baker

London anonymous band holybones have today released their latest single ‘ENGLISHMAN’ featuring acclaimed London singer and rapper Hak Baker. 

With new single ‘ENGLISHMAN’, textured, signature holybones electronics provide the perfect launchpad to propel the culturally sharp musings of Hak Baker, all backed by distinctive instrumentals and beats that conjure an enigmatic atmosphere. The result is another singular slice of life-affirming, feverish and blurry electro-euphoria that holybones deliver so well.  

Commenting on the single, holybones say: “Hak’s a living legend, so to get into the studio together and make this track together is just crazy. For us, it’s a story of what it means to be English – creases and all. That said, it was effortless joy making this one and we can’t wait to play it with him” 

Hak Baker adds: “‘ENGLISHMAN’ is a monologue of the trials and tribulations of men in the country that have taught us we don’t need anyone.”

‘ENGLISHMAN’ follows previous single ‘did you ask for this’ as well as the highly praised single ‘SLUGBOY’, featuring Baxter Dury. Bringing together holybones’ dimly lit alt-electronic sound with Dury’s unmistakable lyrical swagger, ‘SLUGBOY’ landed in a space that is both surreal and culturally sharp – with the track crowned Huw Stephen’s Roundtable winner on BBC Radio 6Music, while Lauren Laverne claimed it “an absolutely sensational collab!”.  

holybones released their acclaimed debut EP I got a good night’s sleep last autumn. The six-track collection unfolded as a tale of hope and disconnection, each track a vignette drawn from the lives around them. Stream I got a good night’s sleep HERE.  

The project included single releases ‘These Are The Rooms’, ‘Saltywater’, ‘What You Talk’ and ‘Everywhere Break’, which saw holybones earn love and plays from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC 6Music and Radio X. During the month of February, the band were selected as BBC Radio 1’s Introducing Need To Know artist, which saw the show play a holybones track every week for the month. In addition, press support has come from outlets such as Rolling Stone UK, NME, The Line of Best Fit, CLASH, DIY, HUNGER, Ones To Watch and Wonderland. 

holybones released their debut single ‘Dogs’ in 2024 and were consequently selected as one of BBC 6Music’s Ones To Watch for 2025. A creative collective, holybones align their music with surrealist, self-directed visuals. Check them out HERE.  

Igniting intrigue in the shadowy corners of London’s underground, the band are beginning to make a name for themselves in the live space. They wrapped on 2025 at The Roundhouse, where they played Pitchfork Festival London (alongside the likes of Oklou, Erika de Casier, Malibu, Nick León & Loukeman) – following a set at Camden Assembly as part of AEG Rising’s Lock In Festival – and have played sold-out shows at favourites such as The Social, Peckham Greyhound, Vespers and Brixton Windmill. 

In May, the band played a packed-out set at The Great Escape – CLASH commenting that their “surging intensity proved to make a massive impact” – plus impressed at Motel Mozaïque (MOMO) Festival in Rotterdam. holybones are also fresh from supporting Slow Cooked at The Shacklewell Arms and completing an atmospheric set on the BBC Introducing stage at Latitude Festival. 

Photo credit: Perdita Ogbourne