Ex-Giant, a Hideous Introduction: Experimental Rock with a London Edge

Words by Angelika May

Photo by Harriet Langford

Another band is trudging its way through the trenches of South London’s underground music scene. Meet Ex-Giant, an experimental-rock-sextet (good vocal warm-up for you there), whose music fuses intricate vocal harmonies, angular guitars, and literary poetics into something both decadent and unsettling.

Ex-Giant is led by husband-and-wife duo Joel Paul and Tati Gutteridge, their sound dripping with the theatrical intensity of Nick Cave, the sprawling ambition of King Crimson, and the shadowy, murky lurkings of folk horror—sort of like the feeling of someone chasing you up the stairs.

Formed in the eerie stillness of lockdown by Joel Paul, Iain Buchanan, and George Thomas—old school buddies nonetheless, Ex-Giant first made their mark with Sprocketland, released in 2021, a noise-rock fever dream of spindly, spidery guitar lines and cryptic lyricism. The band then evolved and cemented itself by embracing the expressive, shape-shifting drumming of Ed Fitzmaurice and the lush, spectral harmonies of Tati Gutteridge and Suzie Creevey.

Over the past two years, Ex-Giant have carved a niche in London’s live circuit with their visceral performances and kaleidoscopic songwriting, releasing a slew of shape-shifting singles. From the folk-horror meditation of Pheasant, to the twisted guitar-pop ballad Dry Mouth, to the swaggering cabaret menace of Feed Me, their music refuses to sit still, shifting effortlessly between genres while maintaining an air of haunting grandeur.

Now, Ex-Giant unveil their latest chapter: God Is The Belly, a four-track odyssey through disaffection and indulgence, charting the emotional landscapes they’ve explored since their inception. A biblical reference, the title alludes to recurring lyrical themes of greed, shame, and guilt. With an intoxicating blend of post-punk urgency, theatrical crooning, and jazz-inflected art rock, Ex-Giant are poised to turn dissonance into beauty—and whisper in your ear while they do it.

With their EP set to be released mid-2025, get ready to turn Ex-Giant into your next long-term obsession.

Keep Up To Date with Ex-Giant on:

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