National Citizens are an Independent, Queer, Pop-Punk band from Leeds. Their Upcoming EP ‘The Disconnect’ chronicles the journey of early adulthood by addressing the struggles of discovering who you are in gender and neurodivergence, rejecting the pursuit of love, experiencing grief and religious struggles, and coming out on the other side feeling in denial & discontent with the world. The tracks cover a range of emotional pulls, drawing the listener in by the distorted guitars and stabbing rhythms of “Figure It Out”, then leaving them distraught with the washing cymbals and cinematic, heart-wrenching synthesisers of “Grim Reaper”.
Impact single ‘Grim Reaper’ is a song about the anticipation of grief and the feeling of guilt for struggling with life that others don’t have the chance to experience. Leading with the broken piano line, the track brings a sense of detachment and heartbreak, before ripping through the tension of the atmospheric opening with screeching guitars and a fast vocal line with hope and energy that pleads for your involvement.
‘I’ve always struggled with the idea of my own mortality from a young age, but recently I’ve been developing a guilt that my feeling, of life is a hard choice that I continue to make, isn’t an option for everyone. I wrote Grim Reaper the day that a close friend of mine explained to me that they would likely not live through the end of the year. Knowing that a wonderful person could have their chance at life ripped away from them with no mercy or forgiveness, made the weight of questioning my own right to stay in the world, and how lucky I am that I can make that choice, so much harder.’
The track splits from your standard song structure, and continues to build throughout with new instrumental lines carrying the growing sense of frustration and denial before leaving you with ballad like cries to keep the Grim Reaper at bay. Produced by Ieuan Jones (Artio) and Mastered by Gavin McGrath.
On November 20th, National Citizens will be transforming Old Chapel Studios in Leeds from crowded hallways, and busy practice rooms into a sensory experience. Expect calming full room light shows and ambient renditions of the tracks, a thematic performance, and free gift + pizza for all attendees!