Video Premiere: IAN ‘Manuel’ – Debut ‘Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing!’ Drops 17th October
Today marks the premiere of IAN’s new video for their single Manuel, the latest glimpse of their debut album Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing! that’s set for release on 17th October through Human Worth.
Known for their crushing fusion of sludge, noise-rock, post-metal and post-rock, the East London quintet pair their unrelenting sound with a surreal black-and-white short starring rising British actor Amar Chadha-Patel (Dashcam, Willow, The Decameron, Slip).
Directed and edited by guitarist Craig Murray, and developed in close collaboration with Chadha-Patel, the video is both stark and eccentric – combining interpretive dance, conflict, comedic absurdity, and even an offbeat romance with a briefcase. Speaking about the concept, Chadha-Patel explains: ‘I absolutely love IAN’s music and after hearing it, I made it known to the band that I would stop at nothing to convince them to allow me to dance as exuberantly as possible in one of their music videos.’
He continues, ‘Despite not being trained as a dancer in any way, I wanted more weird material of me dancing in high quality film for my showreel… I wanted to inhabit a business man character who has been possessed by some nefarious spirit, forced to abandon his 9-5, rat race, automaton droid lifestyle and dance… it pretty much immediately went out the window when we started filming, and I spent the day thrashing and swinging my limbs around, trying my hardest to channel the essence of a business man who’s being forced to dance and fight, and eventually gives in to the pleasure of the experience.’
What emerges is a vivid narrative that mirrors the band’s own ability to find humour and humanity within heaviness. With Murray’s stripped-back direction and Chadha-Patel’s chaotic performance, Manuelis more than just a music video – it’s a strange, funny, and unflinchingly physical extension of IAN’s sonic world.
Now brace yourself, press play below and let Manuel drag you through the shadows with a smirk and a swing of the briefcase…
More On IAN & ‘Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing!’
IAN (the band) are refreshing newcomers in the UK’s heavy underground. The East London based quintet will be releasing their stirring debut album Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing! on vinyl and digital via independent label Human Worth on October 17th – a labour of love between five old friends and ex-bandmates from Exeter’s fertile early ’00s DIY punk scene.
Self-described as ‘a band that appreciates the peaks and troughs of post-rock as much as the crunch of the riff,’ IAN‘s striking debut delivers five dirges that merge earth swallowing riffs with the atmospheres and dynamics of their post-rock heroes, such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, with the bite and visceral heft of Cult Of Luna and Amenra.
Thoughtfully captured by Wayne Adams (Petbrick, Big Lad) at his London based Bear Bites Horsestudio, IAN craft slowly mounting riffs, with anguished screams, woven with elegant cello playing, field recordings and earthy timbres. Come On Everybody Let’s Do Nothing! and the band IAN as a whole, is the culmination of 25 years of musical comradeship and the need to find inspiration in films, noise, and the drudgery of British life.
There’s a true sense of friendship and unity that permeates when listening to IAN. Though the quintet are fairly new on the UK scene, the band members have been friends and bandmates in various other ventures for over two decades. Having all worked at Exeter’s Cavern Club, members of IAN played in two short-lived bands, Tyler and The Quiller Memorandum in the early ’00s, the former touring with Hell Is For Heroes.
With some of the members being out of action for over a decade and following various different life pursuits, this group of friends were assembled back together sometime during the pandemic in the form of IAN. Wasting no time, by 2023 they were already playing shows across London, and going straight into writing this full-length album.
The quintet booked in with revered producer and engineer Wayne Adams at his London studio Bear Bites Horse, which has been home to Green Lung, USA Nails, John, Shooting Daggers, Vacuous, Wallowing and countless more heavy and leftfield greats. Adams brings a spacious touch to the record, creating the illusion of great expanse and allowing each instrument their times to be loud and prominent, as well as to withdraw into a more textural bedding.
Often, very heavy, doomy music can come from heavy life experiences; musicians turning their real-life tragedies, grief, and observations of austerity and political unrest into works of catharsis. This is not the case for IAN, who embrace humour and positivity, and want their cerebral music to incite warmth and a bit of fun.
Fiery opener Manuel begins with a crunchy sludge metal assault and paint-stripping screams akin to Will Haven, gradually simmering down to a whisper, with sweeping cello and subdued guitars wandering hand in hand. Building Pyramids takes post-rock’s quiet-to-loud dynamics to an absurd degree, beginning silently and constantly growing larger and louder into a thunderous firework display.
Leading single Fennel on the other hand is the most ‘metal’ track, showcasing the aggression and heft of post-metal pioneers Neurosis and Cult Of Luna, resulting in a beautiful, soaring climax with an eerie yet shimmering melody. IAN cites Midsomer Murders as a key influence for this track. Selma on the other hand is a sorrowful and mourning mood piece where the cello takes the lead; the rest of the band patiently wait it out until the halfway mark. Here the drums become particularly animated, finding a driving groove that changes the course of the track completely.
IAN truly conclude their debut record by going out in a blaze of glory on their behemoth of a closer, Not Erotic / Cop Film (End Credits). A gentle allure of natural guitar harmonics entwines with the majestic cello, sounding like the theme to an arthouse film. Producer Wayne Adams also plays mellotron on the track, the go to synthesiser that has become iconic on so many classic prog rock albums.
The term ‘cinematic’ is thrown around too easily in the realm of highly textured and atmospheric music, but IAN truly embody this sentiment right down to the double exposure of the cover art looking like a still movie frame. This thirteen-minute epic is weepy and windswept, yet when it peaks it boasts the biggest riff you’ll hear in 2025, thus closing out a truly exhilarating and powerful listening experience; the original score to the imaginary film you dream of in your sleep.
Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing! will be released on vinyl and digital formats on October 17th 2025 through revered UK DIY label Human Worth. A percentage of proceeds from Bandcamp purchases will be donated to registered UK charity Mermaids, supporting trans, non-binary and gender-questioning children and young people, and the important people in their lives since 1995.
Human Worth are championing leftfield heavy, noisy and weird artists including TORPOR, Sly & The Family Drone, Modern Technology, Remote Viewing, Why Patterns and more. IAN properly hit the live circuit as a quintet in 2023, nestling themselves in that grey area of being newcomers but honing a wealth of touring and recording experience between band members.
The quintet have already made a strong impression performing live across the south of Britain, shining their uplifting communal light onto the darkest stages. IAN have performed live with the likes of Hundred Year Old Man, Kulk, Skloss, Holy Scum, Shy Low, A Burial At Sea, The Death Of Money and more.
Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing! Tracklist:
01. Manuel
02. Building Pyramids
03. Fennel
04. Selma
05. Not Erotic / Cop Film (End Credits)
IAN is:
Hannah Asprey – Cello
Anna Jones – Bass
Craig Murray – Guitar and samples
Ted Reynolds – Guitar and vocals
Bob D’Mello – Drums
Guest Musicians:
Tom Bradley – Baritone guitar on Building Pyramids
Wayne Adams – Mellotron on Not Erotic / Cop Film (End Credits)
Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing!, the debut album from IAN, is set to be released on 17th October through Human Worth. Pre-sales for the limited edition eco mix vinyl, along with the digital download, are available over on Bandcamp.
Label: Human Worth
Band Links: Bandcamp | Instagram
