Inca Babies

Post-punk swamp-goth rockers Inca Babies have released their new single ‘Crawling Garage Gasoline.’ The title reflects the imaginative gritty sound that the Manchester-based deathrock/postpunk outfit has become known for in the decades since forming in 1983. This single comes with b-side ‘Grunt Cadillac Hotel.’ Harry Stafford produced the accompanying film at NoiseBoy Studios in Salford.

With a guitar case full of new material, the Incas are gearing up to release their eighth studio album, ‘Swamp Street Soul.’

Produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey) at 6Db Studios, the clarity and fullness of sound on this 11-track offering surpass that of any previous Inca release.

“This ‘Crawling Garage Gasoline’ is a retelling of a 1980s Inca’s classic, all bluster and ‘pedal to the metal’ speed punk. The urge to re-record this came from its popularity as a live song at recent Inca gigs. Now paired down and with more bite, it has certainly stood the test of time. It was originally released on the ‘Surfin’ in Locustland’ EP back in 1985 and was also recorded for the Incas’ third John Peel session in June that year,” says Harry Stafford.

Today Inca Babies is a trio made up of Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals), bassist Vince Hunt (A Witness, Blue Orchids) and Rob Haynes (The Membranes, Goldblade) on drums and percussion. It’s been seven years since the final release of their Death Blues Trilogy – ‘Death Message Blues’ (2010), ‘Deep Dark Blue (2012) and ‘The Stereo Plan’ (2014).

‘Swamp Street Soul’ takes us across a tightly euphoric path of differing moods and new arenas of guitar songwriting. Frontman Harry Stafford has written a gritty collection of tales that speak of madness, fearfully larger-than-life characters and over-the-top yarns, backed by a no-nonsense rhythm section locked into a pounding backbeat.

A vibrant part of Britain’s early postpunk/deathrock scene, Inca Babies’ story, began in 1983 in Hulme (Manchester). True to DIY ethos, they self-released their debut single ‘Interior’ in 1984.

With a further six singles and four albums over five years, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts, they also recorded four sessions for BBC’s John Peel show in 1984-1988 before calling it quits. Since reforming in 2007, they’ve released three albums and toured extensively around Europe, including Russia and North America and India. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records’ Best Of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’.

‘Crawling Garage Gasoline’ is out now, available digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The ‘Swamp Street Soul’ album will be released on CD and digitally on November 23. It can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and also the Louder Than War shop.