So So Modern are a 4-piece band based in Wellington and Crude Futures is their debut full-length album. The self-released Crude Futures follows on the heels of more than a dozen EP & singles releases, including the Friendly Fires EP, accompanying 4 x 7” Friends & Fires EPs & the ongoing 0000EP Series.

Crude Futures, though, marks So So Modern’s most complete body of work & represents a new era & sound for a band leaning forward on the edge of the world’s end.

So So Modern make no secret of their musical influences, be it hardcore punk, no-wave, dance, kraut rock, free-noise or electronica (sometimes within the space of a single song!) – but this respect goes beyond mere derivation, abandoning any sense of kitsch for honest songwriting & intense delivery.

In recent times So So Modern have traded in their explosive energy for a more introverted presence, treating each performance, each song & gesture as a carefully considered offering.

Their sound finds simple resolution in complex rhythms & draws melodic responses from heavy restraint. Crude Futures coincides with a major exhibition of the same name, by NZ doco photographer John Lake. The album explores the burden of optimism in a constantly “apocalyptic” reality.

Since forming in 2004, So So Modern have acquainted themselves with basements, lounges, halls & clubs of the world. They’ve relentlessly toured through USA, UK, Europe & Australasia, armed with instruments, sleeping bags & heart! Subsequently, their prolific performances & released material have left lasting memories near & far.