French Nancy isn’t here to make background music. Their latest single, “The Vow,” released on February 28, 2025, is a driving, hypnotic post-punk anthem that balances urgency with introspection, power with vulnerability. This London-based duo—Jack Gooding and Joe Friel—draws from the rich history of late-70s and 80s post-punk while injecting a modern energy that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
Recorded at Gun Factory Studios in Hackney, The Vow was born out of spontaneity and raw emotion. Originally intended to be a slow-burner, the track took on a life of its own when the drum machine’s BPM was left high, sending the duo into a creative whirlwind. As Joe laid down a pulsing bassline, Jack answered with sharp, atmospheric guitar work, and within a single night, the song had written itself.
With a pulsing krautrock beat and shimmering post-punk melodies, The Vow feels like a lost transmission from an era when bands like Joy Division, The Cure, and New Order reshaped alternative music—but with a distinctly modern polish. Mixed by John Catlin (known for working with artists like The Horrors and Ride), the track locks into a hypnotic groove, perfect for both solitary late-night walks and sweat-drenched underground gigs.
Lyrically, The Vow is as ambiguous as it is emotionally charged. The song plays with themes of human connection, resilience, and the blurred lines between love, self-discovery, and personal failure. There’s a weight to the words—a sense of both devotion and disillusionment, as if the track is caught between an unbreakable promise and the inevitability of its collapse.
The beauty of The Vow lies in its contradictions. It’s melancholic yet full of energy, introspective yet undeniably anthemic. The swirling guitars and robotic yet pulsating drum machine create a sense of motion, a song that feels like it’s constantly pulling forward, even as the lyrics look back.
It’s easy to trace the DNA of French Nancy’s sound—from the icy synths of Motorama to the jagged edge of Interpol, from the motorik rhythms of Krautrock to the brooding textures of Topographies. But Jack and Joe aren’t just borrowing from their influences—they’re shaping them into something uniquely their own.
There’s a modern urgency to their sound, a tightness and intensity that gives their music an electric, almost cinematic quality. It’s music made for dimly lit venues, for bodies moving in rhythm, for moments of reflection that feel like an entire lifetime compressed into a single night.
The release of The Vow coincides with French Nancy’s headline show at Moon Lake in London, a night that promises to be just as raw, immersive, and emotionally charged as the music itself. French Nancy is the kind of band that doesn’t just play songs—they create atmospheres, experiences, sonic worlds to get lost in.
With their signature blend of post-punk urgency, krautrock precision, and emotionally gripping storytelling, French Nancy has once again proven that they are one of the most compelling underground acts in the UK right now. The Vow isn’t just another single—it’s a statement, a hypnotic pulse that refuses to fade, a promise that won’t be easily broken.
For those who crave music that moves, haunts, and lingers long after the final note, The Vow is a must-listen. French Nancy isn’t just making post-punk—they’re making post-punk feel alive again.
