After forcing fans on their feet with the new-wave anthem “Wait (Hatchet Gets a New Hide),” Formal Sppeedwear keep up the momentum with their new single “Hit ‘n’ Run.”
The track marks the trio’s most experimental sound yet, balancing unusual rhythms, shifting beats, and soaring fuzzy guitars.
Recorded in their DIY Stoke-on-Trent studio, the band condenses a wide range of influences into a brisk three minutes, blending the looping minimalism of Steve Reich and Terry Riley with the catchy new wave hooks of Yellow Magic Orchestra and DEVO.
“We’ve written something we wouldn’t usually write… and I like it,” says frontman Beck Clewlow. “I love starting with just bass and a drum machine. Rhythm influences vocals most of all, and this was an indulgent jumble of shifting signatures and backbeats.”
Lyrically, “Hit ‘n’ Run” draws inspiration from 70s New Hollywood, comparing small rural American towns to present-day Stoke-on-Trent. As Beck explains: “It lifts from the parallels between these classic cinematic vignettes of small rural American towns and the small town that I live in. The only difference being a distinct lack of serial murders.”
With a debut album around the corner and two upcoming and highly anticipated headline shows in London and Manchester, it feels like things are about to go up a gear...
Catch Formal Sppeedwear on tour:
12th Nov 2025 - YES (basement) - Manchester
13th Nov 2025 - The Social (Beavertown) - London,
15th Nov 2025 - Live at Leeds in the City - Leeds, UK
