Interview: itoldyouiwouldeatyou @ ArcTanGent
itoldyouiwouldeatyou by Jez Pennington
At ArcTanGent, we caught up with Joey Ashworth from itoldyouiwouldeatyou right after their electrifying morning set on the main stage—a festival that holds special significance for the band, as it’s where they first formed. Joey reflected on the bittersweet experience of playing what would be founding member Josh’s final gig before his move to Australia, sharing a mix of sadness and excitement for the future. Despite this change, there is a strong sense of optimism about future collaborations and the evolving sound of the band.
With their latest single, "Moscow Is Silent," freshly released and new music showcased at the festival, the band discussed how global events have influenced their songwriting, the importance of staying connected with their audience, and the themes driving their latest work—from political commentary to personal introspection. As itoldyouiwouldeatyou continues to push boundaries and challenge norms, they remain committed to creating music that resonates deeply with listeners. Stay tuned as the band prepares to enter an exciting new chapter.
So great to meet you! We saw your set this morning, fantastic. How is the festival going for you?
It's good, yeah. We just played.
You mentioned on stage that the band formed here as well, so it must feel really special to be opening the main stage today.
Yeah, it is a bit special. We're coming up on our second record now, and it's all ready to go. So it's the perfect time to come back here and feel the ArcTanGent vibe again. It was here that me and Ollie were planning to set up a band, and our drummer—who wasn’t our drummer at the time—came up to us and said, "I hear you're forming a band. I'm joining it."
Was it bittersweet for the band knowing that the set at ATG was Josh's last gig before he heads to the US?
Yeah, that's right. It's good, but it's very sad. He’s a founding member of the band and has been in almost every band I've ever played in. Until our first album, I’d barely written a song that he wasn't on. When we were writing that album, we split the writing duties up a bit, so it's strange. But I think it's right for him. We're all happy for him; he’s going for good reasons, and we're all still mates. But yeah, it's very sad.
Do you think you'll still collaborate from a distance, thanks to technology?
I think the door's open for that, absolutely. Whenever he's messing about on guitar and wants to send something over, I've said the door’s always open for us to play around with it. That's a good thing; there's no bad blood or anything. We worked together for 15 years, so he’s got the right to do his own thing.
itoldyouiwouldeatyou by Jez Pennington
I noticed there were three new songs in the set. Can you tell us more about them?
Yeah, there were three new ones. We opened with what's probably going to be the closer on the next album because we're attention seekers. Another one was a single we dropped last week, "Moscow Is Silent," and the other is probably going to be the main single off the album when it comes out.
How does it feel to finally drop new music after all this time since 2019?
It felt really good. We intentionally dropped it before the festival to get things moving and show people that we’re not just here to play old songs. We wanted to prove we’re still vital, still creating. That single was for the heads, giving them something to connect with and a taste of what’s coming. We’ve been playing that song live for a while, and it’s one of my favorites from the new batch, so it feels amazing that people can finally hear it.
Is "Moscow Is Silent" a follow-up to "Almost Zero," especially with everything happening between Russia and Ukraine recently?
In a way, yeah. "Almost Zero" is very much about Ukraine, focusing on neo-colonialism and how Russia has become a neoliberal force, much like the US but with a different ideological approach. When the invasion of Ukraine happened, I got a lot of calls from people because I’d been saying they wouldn't invade. I mean, it seemed like such a stupid move, like if we invaded Wales. But they did, and people realised what I'd been talking about. So, it wasn't intended as a sequel, but those themes were definitely on my mind. I’m sort of obsessed with seeing Russia as a distorted mirror of the way do things in the west.
You’ve talked before about how the West and Russia kind of reflect each other's worst ideas. Can you explain what you mean by that?
Absolutely. I think the Cold War, in some ways—and I mean this a bit tongue-in-cheek, not literally—can be seen as a continuation of the way the Allied Forces worked together during World War II. Through their rivalry, they ended up adopting some of each other's worst traits. I’m not saying living in the Soviet Union would have been great—it was awful. But things aren't exactly perfect now, either. It’s not about comparing one to the other directly, but rather pointing out that both systems have their flaws. The funny thing is, the people who defend our current system the most passionately tend to get really upset if you compare it to the Soviet Union, even though there are some undeniable similarities that need to be discussed.
itoldyouiwouldeatyou by Jez Pennington
You've explored themes like capitalism, guilt, revolution, and consciousness in your music. How do you see these ideas resonating with what your listeners are experiencing today?
I think a lot of people, especially in the West, feel like we’re at a crossroads. Even the least political person can tell things are messed up. There’s this sense of nihilism, and while our music can sometimes feed into that, I want to reject it. I make emo music, and it can be introspective, but I’m not interested in feeding the beast of apathy. That’s where fascism begins, where you give up and wait for someone else to fix things. I’m not interested in that.
You’ve clearly used your platform to support causes, like donating proceeds from your single to help people in Ukraine. How do you see activism fitting into your music and the spaces you create?
It's something we discuss a lot. We're donating some of the proceeds to support the ongoing struggle in Ukraine because, on a broader level, we're anti-imperialist, and the situation in Ukraine is very much an imperialist conflict. But for many people, that's where the conversation ends. If you're someone like Taylor Swift and you do that, you're making a massive impact simply because of the sheer amount of money involved.
But for us, it's more about creating spaces where our performances and where our fans interact can be used for more than just music. We want these spaces to be places where people can exchange ideas, organize, and actually get things done. I don’t believe in movements that revolve around hardcore leaders or figureheads—that’s just another way for people to feel clever or special, and I think that's kind of pointless. What I want is for people to hear us speaking up and feel empowered to think for themselves, to voice their own ideas, and to start addressing these issues directly.
You’ve got a strong relationship with your fans. Didn’t someone get engaged at your last gig in Brighton?
We did track them down. It’s actually a funny story. At our previous show in Brighton, a young couple came up to us, and one of them said, “I’m planning to propose to my partner, and your song “Letters” is kind of our song. So when you’re next in Brighton, I’ll message ahead. Could you put it in the setlist? That’s when I’ll do it.” Of course, we were like, “Absolutely!” But bless them, they were too nervous to message us ahead of time. That conversation actually happened about three years ago—quite a while back—so we didn’t really remember, "Oh, we need to do this next time we’re in Brighton."
Anyway, I recognised them when they came in, gave them a smile, but didn’t quite connect the dots that they were the ones planning to get engaged during "Letters." After the show, they came up to us, and one of them showed me an engagement ring and said, "Look at this!" And I was like, “Wait, did that just happen?” It was really beautiful and incredibly moving. Yeah, such a special moment.
What's been the most challenging part of transitioning from the Oh Dearism era to where you are now?
Honestly, COVID was the big one. We were supposed to have this record done by 2021, but the lockdowns kept pushing it back. In hindsight, I’m glad we had the extra time because now it feels more mature. We’re not just doing what we think a band should do; we’re doing what feels right for us.
With that extra time and growth, it seems like your songwriting and collaboration process has evolved too. How has that changed?
100%. Starting with Oh Dearism, we opened up a lot more in how we wrote. It became more collaborative. Sometimes, I'd write a demo and the bare bones of a song, then take it to the band. Other times, someone else would come up with an idea, and we’d build on it together. The new album is much more like that. It doesn't feel like losing a leg anymore; it’s more like losing a heart, but you can live without a heart.
Since we're at a festival, what are your favourite tracks to play live?
For the new songs, I’d say "Leon" is probably my favourite right now—we played it today. But we’ve got so many new ones, so that could change. As for the older tracks, I still love playing "Almost Zero" and "Off Brand." I wrote a lot of those when I was younger and smoking like a chimney, so they’re actually easier to sing now. Going back to them, I’m like, "Oh yeah, this is actually really fun to sing. I can do a lot more with it now." "Get Terrified" used to be tough because of the high notes, but now it's a breeze. It's really cool how that’s changed.
Who’s on your must-see list for ATG, and which bands have you managed to catch so far?
We just saw SUN SPOT. I really like them; they’re friends of ours, and we played a show with them a few days ago. Their set was fantastic. I'd also like to see Show Me the Body. They’re probably number one for me—I’m a big fan. Got to catch Mogwai, right? That just makes sense. And if I have time, I might peek my head in at Meshuggah. I mean, it's Meshuggah, so you kind of have to.
What have you been listening to lately? Any influences?
I've got this massive playlist saved on my phone of all the stuff I've been listening to while we've been making the new record, and it's a pretty eclectic mix. It's kind of weird, honestly. There's the Bee Gees on there, a lot of '90s screamo—yeah, definitely a lot of that. And then there's IC3PEAK; they're a big influence for me right now.
Anyone who hasn't got the exposure you think they deserve?
Absolutely! Gender Warfare are incredible. KINGKHAN, WORSTWORLDPROBLEMS—we love them and work with them a lot.
The latest single from itoldyouiwouldeatyou, "Moscow Is Silent," is out now on Beth Shalom Records. Stay tuned for more updates on their upcoming second album!
