Sometimes taking a break is the only way to reignite a passion. South London’s ME REX began life in 2018 in the home of songwriter Myles McCabe, who was experimenting with shouty, electronic bedroom pop after his previous bands broke up. Touring the culmination of six EPs across the UK and Europe, the band have securely found their feet in 2020. Joined by Phoebe Cross (Happy Accidents/Cheerbleederz), Rich Mandell (Happy Accidents) and Kathryn Woods (Fresh/Cheerbleederz), ME REX feels more like a collective idea rather than following an established formula. Taking inspiration from the instantly definable electronics and acoustics of WHY?, the rhythms of Joanna Newsom and lyrical prowess of Los Campesinos, the result is a collection of songs that is coloured in shades of melancholy and happiness in equal parts.

Having immersed himself in music from a young age, McCabe saw early success. However, he quickly felt disillusioned with the music industry, frustrated by the idea of being in a band while personally battling an addiction to alcohol and mental health issues. “I reached kind of a critical point with my mental health around the time I got sober and in the following months. I wasn’t really able to write or make music.” Says McCabe. “After a couple of years I decided I wanted to work as a solo act. In 2017 I joined Fresh and began to see that it actually was possible to organise practice, writing and touring in a way that wasn’t soul destroying.”

ME REX graduated from producing songs at home to recording their upcoming ‘Stegosaurus’ and ‘Triceratops’ EPs at Resident Studios in North London with Rich Mandell. They’ve spent the past few months exploring their musical concepts – shaping material that touches on themes of friendship, forgiveness, joy, dinosaurs and mental health, wrapped in sombre melodies that could easily find a home on the big screen as they do behind closed doors. Poignant yet beautiful all at once.