We Speak Music
It Man release ‘White Heat’
In a moving tribute new band IT MAN made a statement on their social media this week ahead of the release of debut single ‘White Heat’, which reads as follows,
“After much thought and consideration, we have decided that we will no longer perform or release music as The Jacques. Since the formation of the band 8 years ago, our line-up has changed, sometimes amicably but also in ways beyond our control. Four years ago, we lost our best friend and bassist Will. We had just completed our debut album ‘The Four Five Three’ after spending our early 20s living and touring together. These are precious memories of ours and we are grateful for all of the friendship, support and love we have received over the years. We are currently finishing an album that we feel marks a departure from our previous musical direction. It is for that reason that we have agreed to be known by a different name moving forward. Thank you all for your continued support. Love, Finn, Elliot, Harry & Dexter a.k.a It Man”.
And so it was, born of the ashes of one band who tasted early success touring with The Libertines, playing Glastonbury and SXSW, as championed by BBC and signing with a major label, the story unfolds in a new and thrilling way as 2023 sees the birth of IT MAN as they get ready to dominate UK and European shores with a series of heavy hitting new wave Britpop n rock releases scheduled including a new album later this year.
New member Dexter Dougan on the bass has brought healing and a whole new sense of purpose for these talented musicians as demonstrated on ‘White Heat’ their debut single, and a satirical romp through the fictional psyche of a young, middle-class 20th century couple fantasising about explosives, casual gambling and being some kind of street gangster.
Lead singer Finn O’Brien slurs out, “I’m trying, I’m trying not to think about it, cause its only there when I think about it”. All the while the guitars do a symbolic sleight of hand manoeuvre busily transporting the listener to some far off beach in the tropics, whilst nodding cheekily towards the spectre of neurosis that lurks just beneath the consumerist glitz of modern life.
‘White Heat’ was recorded by the legendary The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael and produced & mixed by another producer giant Dan Swift.
Oh and if you’re wondering why It Man, well it’s the title of a John Cooper Clarke poem/song which struck a chord with all members of the band.
‘White Heat’ will release on all platforms on March 31 on the band’s own label, Sore Records and It Man will be on the road from May as support for TALK SHOW, BRIX SMITH and MENADES
5th May / Guildford / Boileroom w/ TALK SHOW
23rd May / Bristol / Strange Brew w/ BRIX SMITH
24th May / Manchester / Yes w/ BRIX SMITH
28th May / London / Lower Third w/ BRIX SMITH
8th June / Newcastle / Cluny 1 w/ BRIX SMITH
15th June / Stroud / Subscription Rooms w/ BRIX SMITH
16th June / Portsmouth / Wedgewood Rooms w/ BRIX SMITH
18th June / London / AMP w/ MENADES
19th June / Brighton / Prince Albert w/ MENADES
In an era where overproduction and surface-level lyrics often dominate the music landscape, Toronto Tapes arrives like a breath of crisp Canadian winter air—raw, bracing, and honest to the bone. After years lost in personal turmoil, Zweng returns with a collection that fuses familiar melodies with unflinching self-exploration. It’s not often a cover album hits this hard, but Zweng isn’t just revisiting the past—he’s rewriting it.
Crafted during a year of sobriety and isolation in Toronto, the album was recorded at Kensington Sound Studios under the deft guidance of producer Will Schollar. Every sonic choice feels deliberate, from the ghostly reverb of Pet Sematary to the tender vulnerability of Jeanette. Zweng’s voice is both weathered and warm, like a lighthouse for the lost—rough enough to believe, melodic enough to stay with you.
The album’s strength lies in its duality: familiar songs presented with unfamiliar emotions. Back on the Chain Gang doesn’t just mourn love—it processes memory. Elevation isn’t a high—it’s a hymn to healing. And Take On Me, in Zweng’s hands, sheds its synth-pop skin to become a raw plea to be seen in one’s darkest moments. The songs are transformed, and in the process, so is Zweng.
But it’s the original compositions that truly anchor this emotional journey. Marianne and Jeanette delve into generational pain and maternal longing with the kind of lyrical intimacy that recalls early Elliott Smith or Jeff Buckley. These aren’t just songs—they’re emotional archeology, digging through family histories to find fragments of truth, and maybe a bit of peace.
The closer, Changes, doesn’t land like a neat resolution. Instead, it feels like an open door—a choice to keep evolving, one breath at a time. Zweng’s cover of Ozzy’s classic trades bravado for resignation, and in doing so, becomes the album’s thesis: we don’t become new people overnight. We change, painfully, slowly, and often without fanfare.
Toronto Tapes is less a comeback and more a coming home. It’s a vulnerable, gutsy, and beautifully fractured piece of work that insists on authenticity over perfection. For those in the midst of their own reckoning, Zweng’s voice may be the companion they didn’t know they needed.
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