Brighton powerpop duo ARXX return with their first new music in a year, and ‘Work In Progress’ is a soaring self-awareness anthem that lands like a hug and a fist in the air at the same time. Self-released, the track finds Hanni Pidduck (they/them) and Clara Townsend (she/her) doing what they do best: turning emotional chaos into something loud, honest and beautifully hooky.
Produced once again by Steve Ansell of Blood Red Shoes, this is classic ARXX territory – crunching guitars, big sky drums, and a vocal that could hold its own against a tidal wave. But beneath the gloss is vulnerability laid bare: the realisation you’re supposed to have life figured out by now… but you’re still winging it, still fucking up, still trying. It’s an anthem for anyone who’s had an existential crisis in Tesco, or stared down a birthday and thought, “Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be a functioning adult by now?”
Hanni explains:
“This song is about getting to a point in life when you feel like you should have figured it out and you realise you still don’t know what you’re doing.”
Same, mate. But ARXX turn that dread into something triumphant — a rallying cry for resilience, growth, and not pretending to be perfect. It’s refreshing as hell in a world drowning in curated nonsense.
If that weren’t enough, ARXX are currently hitting millions more screens – their music features in the BBC One drama Riot Women, written and directed by Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack). The duo are the “band behind the band” in the series, writing the songs performed on screen. Add a hometown headline show at Brighton’s Komedia on 28 October, and it’s fair to say the ARXX ascent is only just beginning.
ARXX Headline show
28th October – Komedia, Brighton TICKETS
ARXX Online
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