Listen to “Magic of Meghan,” the Debut Single from Rising British Post-Punks Dry Cleaning

It’s a tale as old as time: Go to a karaoke bar, realize your friends are talented, start a band. Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse and Nick Buxton started writing just instrumentals, then a few months later decided—why not add a university lecturer to the mix to add vocals?

That’s the story behind the new U.K. post-punk-via-new-wave band, Dry Cleaning, who announced their forthcoming debut EP Sweet Princess on Tuesday morning.

The prickly “Magic of Meghan” is our first taste of what Dry Cleaning have to offer, an overcast bout of surf-rock spiked with deceptively simple spoken-word vocals. Florence Shaw’s lyrics celebrate the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, while interrogating her sexist representation in the British media; “Never has one outfit been designed, to send so many messages,” Shaw sings with reverberating flair.

In a statement, the band elaborate on the track:

The song acknowledges that following the lives of those in the public eye can provide people with an escape; an outlet for difficult emotions, and subsequently help them cope with hard times in their lives. The song is, in part, intended to serve as a thank you to Meghan for this service.

The track is attached to a slice-of-life video from Lucy Vann that “investigates, records and reinterprets overlooked behaviours and occurrences in the everyday.” It’s a lovely, simple ode to the ordinary that uses a moment-to-moment shot structure reminiscent of abstract video art.

Dry Cleaning will release the Sweet Princess EP on Aug. 16 via It’s OK. Listen to “Magic of Meghan” below, then keep scrolling to find the EP’s details and the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Sweet Princess EP Art:

Sweet Princess EP Tracklist:
01. Goodnight
02. New Job
03. Magic of Meghan
04. Traditional Fish
05. Phone Scam
06. Convention

Dry Cleaning Tour Dates:

July
19 – Suffolk, U.K. @ Latitude Festival

August
08 – Brighton, U.K. @ Prince Albert *
09 – Leeds, U.K. @ Brudenell Social Club
10 – Leicester, U.K. @ O2 Academy
16 – Breacon Beacons, U.K. @ Green Man Festival
21 – London, U.K. @ Schacklewell Arms
22 – Birmingham, U.K. @ Hare & Hounds
23 – Manchester, U.K. @ YES (Basement)
24 – Birkinhead, U.K. @ Future Yard Festival

October
19 – Bristol, U.K. @ Simple Things Festival
20 – Cardiff, U.K. @ SWN Festival

(* = w/ Bodega)