Nation of Language Sign to Sub Pop, Share “Inept Apollo”
The NYC trio’s first release of the year is an ode to the highs and lows of creative pursuits.
Photo by Ebru Yildiz
Brooklyn synth-pop trio Nation of Language is back with a new single, “Inept Apollo.” The release coincides with the band’s recent signing to Sub Pop, kickstarting their next era of music with an accompanying video. Nation of Language has become a mainstay in the 2020s electronic music scene. Their sophomore album, A Way Forward, earned a spot on our list of the 50 greatest synth pop albums of all time, and we named Strange Disciple the 35th-best album of 2023.
“Inept Apollo” feels like a Gary Numan-meets-Devo-meets-A.G. Cook fever dream. The synths are punchier than ever, the melodies danceable, the vocals mysterious and enticing. The song shapeshifts as it unfolds, becoming its own reflection of the creative process. The video drives this idea home, depicting Ian Richard Devaney, Aidan Noell, and Alex MacKay rehearsing in the studio and drifting between practice spaces, catching glimpses of producers, models, stage actors, dancers, and filmmakers. Everyone’s doing something different, yet they all feel bound by the same pursuit: a drive to create, to sharpen their craft.