Underachievers Club
MAY 8TH, 2026
For anyone interested in joining my space;
Underachievers Club; https://app.dfos.com/j/9hk8nf23424k9n9de7c68n
A place to talk about music, production, and where I'll share releases on my metalabel.
I just want to give a brief introduction to this chapter, but I’ll certainly be encouraging people to share their histories, and I’m looking forward to discussing the ways in which our journeys have been different, but also similar.
I wrote some music in 2022 and finally got round to finishing three EPs last summer, after taking a long break to write another album, and do some work for other artists. I’d planned to release the songs over the course of 2026 so I’d be able to consistently share tracks while working on new ideas, but as the second EP approaches its release date I’ve realised that it just takes up more time than I want to spend. I don’t care about streaming services, I don’t care about social media, so I’ll be releasing all EPs together on May 12th to coincide with Subvert going live to the public.
All three will be available on Subvert, Bandcamp, and my Metalabel; Underachievers Club. I’ll then probably release one track every fortnight on SoundCloud, accompanied by an Instagram post. Nothing will be on any other platforms. I get next to no streaming income, I don’t check my stats, I don’t share links or playlists, and so there is literally no reason for me to bother with these awful companies or get distributors involved in sharing a few jams with friends. This is my form of meditation, my journal. It my way of making friends, not making money.
I’m slowly finishing up new tracks, and revamping old favourites. I want to get around twelve EPs to their best selves and posted online, along with neat Ableton project folders, before AI sucks the little remaining value out of creativity, graft, and the wonder of getting lost in the minutia of your creations. I sincerely hope people continue to want to talk about these things post singularity.
Underachievers Club; https://app.dfos.com/j/9hk8nf23424k9n9de7c68n
The name, it’s a clumsy looking handle, I know. A few people have asked why I use ‘enthusiasticunderachiever’, and if it comes from anywhere.
When I was a kid I used to stay with my Uncle and Aunty some summers, and beside the bath tub my Uncle had a Tank Girl magazine and a copy of Ben is Dead - a Los Angeles based zine that focussed on slacker culture, punk rock, retro toys, cult films, alternative art etc. This issue in particular had the tagline “the lifestyle mag for enthusiastic underachievers”.
As someone who was beginning to embrace counterculture and develop their own taste in art and music, I found it really exciting. It felt like a kind of self-effacing humour for people who loved creating but weren’t particularly career-minded. The phrase has always stuck with me, and although my life is a far cry from those who started the magazine in 1988, I’ve always identified strongly with that sentiment behind it.
TL;DR - If you like talking about DAWs, sound design and sharing fun little jams, say hello.
Underachievers Club; https://app.dfos.com/j/9hk8nf23424k9n9de7c68n
