Laddermen: Programmed for Pleasure
Laddermen, the Lucerne based indie-rock powerhouse, are back with a haunting new single called ‘Programmed for Pleasure’ (released November 17th)! The song is accompanied by an eerie music video and marks the first offering of a wealth of new material that’s set to be released throughout 2024!
‘Programmed for Pleasure’ is an atmospheric, driving guitar anthem about going through a messy breakup, portraying the end of a relationship as a metaphorical crime scene. It depicts the struggle of the two parties involved in a crumbling relationship trying to “solve the murder with the killer in the room” – the “killer” being the struggle of keeping a relationship together. With its powerful, eerie vocals, intense guitars and galloping drums, the song resembles the work of Scottish Post-Punk band The Twilight Sad.
Sharp fluctuations of the detuning guitar in the opening is a testament to our constant struggle to fight and embrace the pleasure mechanism programmed in all of us which can confuse relationships. Front man Leopold Oakes begins his flat sermon “I am the nostalgic vision of a medieval building, the splendor of being subjected to natures objective.” In the middle of the song listeners find themselves in the eye of the storm where the indie-rock crew transforms seamlessly to bridge the portal leaving you unapologetically in a hopeless dreamscape – the ironic prince of sorrows faces the reality of a sinking relationship. The hawkish ballad ends with a final vocal crowning glory that The Strokes could tip their hat to.
The song shows the band evolving from their rawer, jagged Post-Punk debut ‘Special Kind of Violence’, to writing more melodically driven, anthemic Indie and Art-Rock songs.
Have a listen and connect with Laddermen:
Photo credit: Sam Aebi
