INTRODUCING: The 113

Fast-rising Leeds alternative four-piece The 113 return with their sophomore EP The Hedonist, out now via Launchpad+ and EMI North. Expanding on their raw, high-intensity sound, the record dives into the psychological weight of constant connectivity—exploring themes of digital permanence, attention economies, and the uneasy relationship between online and real-world experience. Built on abrasive textures, driving rhythms, and an unfiltered perspective, The Hedonist captures a band sharpening both their sonic identity and their message. Closing track ‘Entertainment’ distils that vision into its most direct form, delivering a confrontational statement on the systems shaping modern behaviour, and cementing The 113 as one of the UK’s most compelling emerging live acts.

1. The Hedonist explores the psychological impact of constant connectivity—what sparked your interest in focusing on digital culture and its darker side for this EP?

I found myself sitting and being stuck in a loop just watching instagram reels for hours on end and then feeling quite sick at myself and then stopping to see how much time has passed. It almost feels like that this has been weaponised and designed for people to get lost in it. The huge reliance on technology nowadays is scary.

2. ‘Entertainment’ feels like a powerful and confrontational closing statement—how did finishing the track on the same day it was recorded shape its intensity and message?

Entertainment came with no second thought, lyrically it’s a bit of a rant and with it being the last one to be written for the EP, it almost gave me the freedom to be aggressive with no particular subject but more to wrap up the feeling of the rest of the EP in one song. Musically it came from a patchwork of ideas that we were messing around with in the session and it all came together really nicely.

3. The EP moves through themes like digital permanence, dating apps, and attention economies—was there a conscious narrative arc when sequencing the four tracks?

Yes. 'Leach' feels like a clear introduction to the EP, I feel the narrative is set from the start but through a more Sci-Fi lens, the idea of robots taking over the world. 'Scour' and 'When I Leave' are more direct with their subject matter. 'Scour' is more like a twisted list of ways that your actions are permanent and nothing is secret. 'When I Leave' focused on the relationship between online and in-person relationships and the reliance on technology which skews our outlook on relationships. Meeting someone in-person is devaluing and this is once again because of a carefully designed app(s).

4. You worked with Dom Richmond and Daniel Fox on this record—how did their different approaches influence the balance between raw energy and polished production?

Because we know Dom so well and have been working with him since before The 113 were a thing, there’s a trust there. His backseat approach allowed us to try new things without fear, when we needed his input we knew it was coming from a good place. With Dan, it was really easy to communicate with him, we are all really familiar with his other work so we didn’t need to spend a lot of time to get on the same page, he knew the mission. He managed to encapsulate a sound which we have been trying to achieve on record for a long time.

5. The 113 evolved from a solo project into a full band—how has that transition changed your songwriting process and the way these songs come to life on stage?

As we started to play more and more shows together, we grew in confidence with each other and our chemistry to collaborate naturally grew with the band.