pencil

Words by Alicia Tomkinson, Photograph by Oli Jenson

London’s sharpest pencil have returned to continue drawing a space for themselves amongst the capital’s indie renaissance, proving exactly why romantic melodies and surreal rhythms should be making a comeback in 2025. With this latest single, ‘Sparkling Water’, the five-piece drive a shimmering message forward that offers a dreamlike jangle, teetering upon the edge of uneasy euphoria and the fear of the unknown. The soundtrack fits a world where life seems both off-kilter and intoxicating, with a protagonist who can dissociate at the click of a finger.

Delivering a delicacy to a scene that was once devoured by post-punk anthems and not much else, the band coined ‘Sparkling Water’, as “the sound of a shared daydream,” which in time melts into a fuzzy, unravelling concord, similar to that of a fevered fantasy. As the lyrics linger on, highlighting a new, shared emotion with every listen. I begin to understand exactly what they meant when they said, “We swim together through a fantasy that threatens to become a nightmare, both playful and fearful in equal measure.”

After an exciting run of 2024 festival shows at popular weekend takeovers such as Green Man and The Great Escape, pencil landed a tour with Amber Mary Bain, aka The Japanese House, where the band proceeded to prick the ears of many with their liquefied, ensemble-led sound. Dive into this vision now via State51 and get to know pencil’s craft.

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