Merseyside sibling punk trio Yee Loi have released their latest single ‘Social Suicide’ ahead of a 15-date UK tour supporting Transvision Vamp, fronted by Wendy James.
Made up of siblings Rose, Matilda and Don Don, Yee Loi have been steadily attracting attention with a sound rooted firmly in punk and rock ’n’ roll. Their new track, released through Modern Sky UK, takes aim at a music industry increasingly driven by social media numbers, online attention and the pressure on artists to constantly promote themselves.
“The more we get involved in music the more we realise that for many people, musical ability just isn’t enough. A good song now needs every type of social media exposure possible to be able to achieve any success.”
She adds: “We just want to make great punk rock and roll songs that move people.”
Musically, ‘Social Suicide’ pushes Yee Loi towards a harder and faster sound. The band cite Motörhead and Social Distortion among the influences behind the track, moving away from some of the pop sensibilities of their earlier material in favour of something with more drive.
From Ramones covers to working with CJ Ramone
The Ramones have played a major role in Yee Loi’s story.
The siblings initially began posting Ramones covers online for friends and family, only to find the videos reaching people connected with the band. CJ Ramone took a particular interest, and Yee Loi have since travelled to the United States to work with him.
They were also in Hollywood for celebrations marking 50 years of the Ramones, an event attended by musicians including Billie Joe Armstrong, Travis Barker and Billy Idol.
Back home, however, the songwriting process remains rather less glamorous.
Yee Loi write collaboratively from their family home, with Matilda developing lyrics and Rose working on riffs and melodies. Their previous release ‘Down In The Bunker’ even grew out of a family holiday in Italy and a joke about a bad-smelling apartment having a dead body hidden in its basement.
The resulting track mixed punk with gothic horror and was accompanied by an appropriately strange DIY video featuring the band’s heads attached to tiny doll bodies.
Yee Loi return to Liverpool in October
The trio have already spent time on the road supporting Adam Ant and will now join Transvision Vamp for the UK leg of their first UK and Ireland tour since 1991.
For local fans, Yee Loi return home on Friday 16 October at Liverpool O2 Academy.
The UK dates are:
- 6 October – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
- 9 October – Glasgow, O2 Academy
- 10 October – Leeds, O2 Academy
- 14 October – Cambridge, Junction
- 15 October – Leicester, O2 Academy
- 16 October – Liverpool, O2 Academy
- 17 October – Oxford, O2 Academy
- 18 October – Cardiff, Tramshed
- 20 October – Manchester, O2 Ritz
- 21 October – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
- 22 October – London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
- 24 October – Norwich, Epic
- 28 October – Brighton, Chalk
- 29 October – Birmingham, O2 Institute
- 30 October – Bristol, O2 Academy
With ‘Social Suicide’ now out and a major support tour immediately ahead of them, Yee Loi are giving Liverpool City Region music fans another reason to keep an eye on the next generation of local punk.
Tickets available here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3E006453E01466E0
Links to the track: https://yeeloi.lnk.to/socialsuicide
