You know that we love an EP here at Unrecorded. There’s something about this short-album that introduces you to an act in a immediate and refreshing way – it’s the short story equivalent of a novel. And so, you’ll notice a fair few EP reviews on our pages, the latest of which is Gang of Four’s ANTIHERO EP.

Earlier this year, the band’s enigmatic guitarist Andy Gill lost his life due to suspected, although unconfirmed coronavirus. In his memory, the surviving members of singer John Sterry, bassist Thomas McNeice and drummer Tobias Humble have teamed up with Gill’s widow Catherine Mayer to celebrate the late musician and to also raise money for Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, the London hospital that tried so hard to save his life earlier this year.

The EP features ‘Forever Starts Now‘, a new Gang of Four track written by Andy and John, released back in May as a single. Its original working title was ‘Hero’, a reference, John explains, to the lyrics about “a character who sees himself as the hero of his own life and manipulates his partner into supporting this fantasy. The line, ‘She sings along with his song / she thinks it’s like having the radio on…’ always brings a wry smile.”

And thus, that original “hero” has been spun on it’s head with the EP title ANTI HERO. It represents Andy Gill’s lifelong mistrust of narrative surrounding supposedly great men.

As Catherine Mayer has shared. “Andy always had a healthy scepticism about celebrity culture and populist politicians and he could always spot when someone was blowing smoke. Even so, he would be moved and delighted that artists he loved and admired have come together to celebrate him by launching this EP and for such a good cause.”

You can find more about Guy’s and St Thomas’ charity here.

Artwork by Shepard Fairey