VOKA GENTLE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
DOMESTIC BLISS
out 6th Feb 2026 via state51 records
RIYL: Alternative, experimental pop, art rock, eccentric
auteurism (XTC, Talking Heads, Animal Collective)
To sound pioneers Voka
Gentle, even the most magical machines are a means to an end. The
band, made up of twins Ellie and Imogen Mason, along with Imogen’s
husband, William J Stokes, are a family band in the truest sense. Whilst they
started out as a folk trio, their new album Domestic
Bliss is an album of throat-grabbing, avant-garde indie rock songs
studded with eccentric choices: a synth with its keys jammed, playing a tune of
its own making; field recordings – Morris dancers, motorbikes –
captured on binaural headphones.
Domestic Bliss is concerned with power: the abuse of it, being on the cusp
of it, and what it really means. The album is teaming with imaginary people in
picaresque scenes that reveal the band’s rich cultural storehouse.
The songs draw on history, literature, everyday life and pop culture references
(specifically 'Jude Law’s 1995 Vogue cover'), with tracks
'Cheddar Man' reflecting on climate change and prehistory and 'Creon
I' tracing the unease of authority through the lens of Greek mythology.
The album folds intimacy into scale, from phone-recorded vocals and samples of
breath to heavy, tribal electronics in grand acoustic spaces. The result is a
beautifully refined record full of earworms, hooks and
grooves.
“Hard to classify and even harder not to
love” – Uncut
“Ambition and self-assured daring” – MOJO
“immersive, hypnotic….marvellous” – Clash
“a clear knack for samples ... these guys are songwriting purists”
– The Independent
“A rare trio of extremely talented multi-instrumentalists” –
The Line of Best Fit
~ ~ ~
Domestic Bliss is available to pre-order now on:
+ standard edition LP on clear vinyl
+ Dinked Edition LP on terrazzo colour vinyl / alternative sleeve artwork / bonus CD with remixes from Sonic Boom, Goat Girl, Jonathon Snipes, Bo Ningen collaboration & exclusive live sessions / metallic sticker sheet / limited, numbered pressing of 300
~ ~ ~
Alongside the news, the band have release new single
K Sees The Deal Go
Down. In Voka's own words:
“It took two Steinways set up either side of a binaural microphone to realise this song really just needed one piano. And some tubular bells. K keeps her head so still, hovers above the back alley and sees the handshake happen: big words and big promises to make the small fry a big fish. It is about things that are dear to us: industry contacts, high growth potential, private equity solutions and brand awareness. The time has come: Creon is going to make you a king and you should trust him, even if he does take that Talking Heads lyric a little too literally.”
Thanks as always for your support! - state51
~ ~ ~
Shipping now:
Clara Mann ~ Laura Cannell and Lori Goldston ~ Sealionwoman ~ Vanishing Twin ~ The NID Tapes (2nd press) ~ Santaka ~ Better Corners ~ Senyawa ~ Bingo Fury ~ Donovan ~ Legss ~ MEMORIALS ~ Singularity Series ~ UKAEA ~ Waclaw Zimpel ~ Blue Bendy