Children of The Pope are here to share the atheistic good word of rock n’ roll. The South London-based group wasted no time after recently signing to French label Panache, sharing their latest single “I Go Downtown” on Wednesday (July 17). It’s just the second of many songs to come from Children of The Pope; they shared lead single “Kid” earlier this year, and their full-length debut Moonface Supreme looms on the horizon (it’ll premiere October 25).
“I Go Downtown” is a jaunting slice-of-life tune complete with punchy syncopation, raw guitar licks, and synchronized group singing. Sonically located somewhere between a Talking Heads ’77 outtake and a FIDLAR deep cut, the track is equal parts earworm rock and gloomy meditation on the passage of time — not quite sugary sweet enough to be pop’s song of the summer, but certainly a contender for the title of underdog summer single.
Part of the charm of “I Go Downtown” comes from the fact it was produced as part of a larger album, with some old-school technique to boot.
“We recorded 12 tracks in 5 days in the dead of winter 2022,” Children of The Pope explain. “Snow and ice and trying to explore the depths of our minds in a dimly lit room, trying to put surrealism to tape. Everything was recorded on 2 inch reel to reel in live takes (apart from a few overdubs also recorded onto tape). We did not turn a single computer on until the mixing process.”
Head “…Downtown” with the band below.