Everything Everything

Polychromatic indie outfit Everything Everything emerged in the Manchester, England scene of the late 2000s with a sound that blends arty ’80s-style post-punk and synth pop influences with their own vividly kinetic brand of math rock. Led by Jonathan Higgs’ unmistakable falsetto and beholden to no single formula, the band proved to be as accessible as Michael Jackson and as heady as Ezra Pound and Steve Reich, while drawing from a well that runs as deep as the Beatles and Bowie, all stated influences. Their 2010 debut, Man Alive, was nominated for the Mercury Prize, and Everything Everything landed in the U.K. Top Five with the follow-up, 2013′s Arc. They repeated that chart placement with 2017′s A Fever Dream (which garnered a second Mercury Prize nomination) as well as 2020′s John Congleton-produced RE-ANIMATOR. Never ones to shy away from topical subject matter, themes of trauma and technology governed their sixth album, 2022′s Raw Data Feel, which incorporated A.I.-generated lyrics. A Top Five U.K. album, it paved the way for 2024′s equally heady concept album Mountainhead. Everything Everything formed in late 2007 around the talents of drummer Mike Spearman, vocalist, guitarist, and laptop cowboy Jonathan Higgs, bass player Jeremy Pritchard, and guitarist Alex Robertshaw, all of whom share (professionally) the last name “Everything.” XL Recordings were alerted to the band’s innovative and off-kilter approach and put out their first single, “Suffragette Suffragette,” on limited 7″ vinyl in 2008. After a year of touring, the four-piece released their breakthrough single, “MY, KZ, UR BF,” late in 2009, again as a limited 7″, but this time through London-based indie Young and Lost Club. The group then appeared on the longlist of the prominent BBC Sound of 2010 Award, and shortly thereafter signed to Geffen Records. Their debut album, Man Alive, appeared in August 2010 and they earned critical acclaim for their unpredictable, infectious pop. The success of the record was capped off with a nomination for the 2011 Mercury Prize alongside a support slot with Snow Patrol on their nationwide arena tour. Two years after their debut, Everything Everything moved to RCA and released the Cough Cough EP in mid-2012, with another full-length following in 2013. Entitled Arc, it consolidated the band’s frenetic, genre-marauding style with Man Alive producer David Kosten. Featuring their sole Top 40 single, “Cough Cough,” and lauded by music critics and fans alike, the album reached number five in the U.K., and the group embarked on their first headlining European tour. Everything Everything took a break from touring in 2014, making only limited local live appearances, and worked on their third long-player with producer Stuart Price (the Killers, Pet Shop Boys). The socio-politically affected Get to Heaven was released in June 2015 and peaked at number seven on the U.K. album chart. The band re-emerged in 2016 with the stand-alone single “I Believe It Now,” which was featured at BT Sport’s Premier League shows. Continuing in the political vein they’d set forth on Get to Heaven, Everything Everything responded to escalating instability on their fourth LP, A Fever Dream, which arrived on RCA in August 2017 and returned them to the number five spot in the U.K. It was recorded with James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco and the Last Shadow Puppets. The EP A Deeper Sea followed soon after, in February 2018. Its four tracks included a cover of Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.” The quartet then parted ways with RCA, opting to self-release their fifth studio album. Recorded in late 2019 with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, the Decemberists), RE-ANIMATOR arrived in September 2020 and returned them to the U.K. Top Five. Wanting to shake up their formula, the band engaged with A.I. technology by feeding it text from various sources, including T&Cs, forum text, and the teachings of Confucius. They used the results to generate lyrics and art for their sixth studio album, 2022′s Raw Data Feel. It was produced by guitarist Alex Robertshaw with longtime collaborator Tom Fuller (aka Kaines and Tom A.D.). The album topped the U.K. Independent Albums chart and reached number four on the main U.K. chart. Along with a 2023 reissue of their 2010 debut album, Man Alive, Everything Everything returned to the studio and began work on their seventh album. Released in March 2024, Mountainhead again found guitarist Robertshaw producing alongside Fuller. Yet, unlike their previous effort, it found them eschewing all use of A.I. and instead crafting a sci-fi concept album centered on a capitalistic future society building a giant mountain. ~ James Christopher Monger & Marcy Donelson