telekura Reflect on the Roads Not Taken on New Single ‘hi-chew’
The Dublin collective follow RTÉ 2FM-supported ‘big nothing’ with a hazy, off-kilter synth-pop meditation on nostalgia, regret and the lives we leave behind — alongside announcing their first London and Dublin headline shows.
Dublin-based collective telekura return with ‘hi-chew’, a sharp, wistful new single exploring the relationships, opportunities and alternative lives we leave behind in pursuit of doing the “right” thing. Out 14th October, the track follows ‘big nothing’, which earned a spot on the RTÉ 2FM playlist and was named Track of the Week on Today FM.
Named after the cult Japanese candy brand frontwoman Rachel Tan remembers from childhood, ‘hi-chew’ wraps its bittersweet reflections in the band’s distinctly off-kilter synth-pop, blending wonky electronics, hazy ’90s-inspired vocals and a playful, hypnotic rhythmic pulse. Beneath its infectious exterior lies a familiar dilemma: what if the life we chose came at the expense of the one we really wanted?
“Superficially, hi-chew (the song) is a wistful reflection of an unpursued relationship and what might/mightn’t have happened,” explains Tan. “There’s a bit of nostalgia and regret mixed in there. It overtly points at a romantic relationship, but really it extends to any other opportunity that you might have given up in pursuit of the ‘right thing to do’.”
The track also builds on the themes explored in ‘big nothing’, which challenged the expectations surrounding adulthood and the supposed blueprint for a successful life. Together, the two singles question what happens when the pursuit of stability and convention means sacrificing the things that make life feel meaningful.
Written by Tan and co-founder Stephen Purcell, ‘hi-chew’ arrived largely formed, with the pair focusing on bringing its arrangement to life. Recorded at home using vintage early-’80s equipment and mixed by Adam Shanahan, the track found its defining groove through an unexpected production experiment.
“During the demo process, though, it felt like the drums were missing something. After trying all kinds of parts and arrangements, we stumbled onto the idea of layering a simple drum loop over the original pattern, and it unexpectedly tied everything together,” says Purcell. “It gave the drums this kind of Pumpkins ‘1979’ vibe, which quickly became one of our favourite things about the track.”
Drawing from an eclectic pool of influences spanning XTC, The Beach Boys, St. Vincent, Mitski, Nirvana, The Pixies and Faye Wong, telekura continue to carve out a sound that sits somewhere between left-field pop experimentation and hazy alternative nostalgia. And while ‘hi-chew’ grapples with life's biggest what-ifs, the band are considerably less conflicted about one thing: grape is the superior flavour.
The single arrives as telekura prepare for a busy autumn of live dates across the UK and Europe, including appearances at Pro Weekend Fest in Spain, Rotterdam’s Left Of The Dial and Other Voices in Dingle. November will see the band play their first London and Dublin headline shows, at The Social on 25th November and Upstairs at Whelan’s on 27th November.
Originally formed by Tan and Purcell after meeting on Bandmix, telekura began as a songwriting partnership built largely through remote collaboration, with the pair developing music separately despite living as neighbours. The project has since evolved into a full live band featuring Liam Brady on drums, Risa Hanamoto on synths and Michael O’Sullivan on bass. Having established themselves on Dublin’s live circuit and shared stages with the likes of Nation of Language, Plantoid and Night Tapes, the collective are continuing to build momentum beyond their hometown.
With ‘hi-chew’, telekura turn the uncomfortable business of looking back into something irresistibly melodic. It's a song about the paths not taken, the choices that shape us and the nagging possibility that doing the right thing doesn't always mean doing what we really want.
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