After teasing solo work in the studio with several Instagram posts this year, Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has revealed his new creative side project, Terrific. He released the debut single, “WeHo,” and launched the 8-bit inspired website. Fans can listen to the full track by signing up for the project’s newsletter.
Upon accessing the single there’s also the option to download the WAV file for keeps. Or, listen right in the browser. The single itself is a bit of groovy, Hollywood-style electronica featuring thematically-sexed lyrics, lighthearted arcade sound effects, and all the sparkly drama of a midnight ride down Santa Monica Boulevard.
“WeHo” features lyrics like “Passionate crimes, I’m going in blind /You and me 69 on the Hollywood sign / The fuck you talking about? / I’m in Love, that’s it, I’m out,” and “I want the Hollywood sex but with that New York mindset.” To access the lyrics from the website, click on the flashing tab in the bottom lefthand corner. Then, enter the command /h in the box that appers.
As of two hours ago, fan speculations about who Matt Helders was working with on Terrific have been confirmed on Instagram. Helders posted a photo from the studio alongside Tyler Parkford, keyboardist and vocalist of Mini Mansions.
Parkford is also a member of Arctic Monkeys’ touring band. In 2015, Mini Mansions released The Great Pretenders, which featured Alex Turner on the track “Vertigo.” So, there’s obviously some history there. Add that to the fact that the Terrific Instagram profile is only following Parkford and Helders, fans got the hint pretty quickly before the official reveal.
Matt helders Reveals Solo Project and Debut Single With Old School Tron-Like Visuals
Matt Helders has been floating the idea of solo work around since at least 2018. Speaking on the podcast The Trap Set, he said he was working on material for a potential LP.
“I feel like I’ve got to do a certain amount before it’s deserved in a way, I don’t want to do it too soon and then regret it, like ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have made that kind of record,’” he said. “I want to make a lot of music and then like, ‘Oh, that’s the thing I like about this.’”
Helders then added, “I think I’m getting to a point now in which the style has developed and what I want to do is more clear to me than it was before.”
Meanwhile, Helders has also worked with Iggy Pop, Josh Homme and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Joe Carnell of Milburn. He’s released several remixes of tracks by The Hives, Duran Duran, and Paul Weller. Additionally, he remixed The Black Keys, The Stooges, and Mos Def in a 2008 project. As for Arctic Monkeys, eagle-eyed fans recently noticed that the band has updated their website. They removed all material for the 2022 album The Car and added a newsletter. There are also rumors that they’ve booked studio time for November.
Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images
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