In existence for just over a decade, Hermetic Delight have already been through a variety of guises, the Strasbourg-based band moving from their post-punk origins into a sound enriched with both pop and avant-garde influences. The band formed around the talent of Zeynep Kaya, a singer from the punk and feminist circles of Ankara who came to France to pursue her musical influences wherever they would take her. Zeynep is joined in the band by drummer and dancer, Delphine Padilla, and self-taught musician Atef Aouadhi, known as the bass-player in Crocodiles. Back in 2019, Hermetic Delight released the acclaimed trilingual album F.A. Cult, and today the band are premiering their first new material since then in the shape of the single, Tied Up. The track is the first of a number of singles planned for release in what promises to be a busy year, with live dates on both sides of the channel.

Described as, “a love story that starts right after the beep of the answering machine”, Tied Up explores the difficulty of maintaining a relationship when neither person involved has the time, or desire, to truly commit to it. With its prominent bass line and urgent drum rhythms, the track seems to hark back to the early noughties ilk of Phoenix or Metric. Throughout Zeynep seems to walk the line between weariness and acceptance, as she laments a lack of hours in the day and contrasting schedules, noting, “I could never get bored with you, ’cause I can never get to see you”. Ultimately as the title says, they’re tied up, and time is not on their side.

The accompanying video directed by Malu França & Corentin Denos finds Delphine Padilla as the protagonist of this closed-door clip, hanging on the telephone. From there Zeynep and Atef appear, transformed into various creatures, thanks to the drawings of Saba Niknam. Check out the video below.

Tied Up is out February 24th via The Animal Farm / October Tone. For more information Hermetic Delight visit https://www.hermeticdelight.com/.