THE DSM IV

Formed in Liverpool in 2018 by former Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster frontman Guy McKnight, THE DSM IV crystallise the ultra real and the otherworldly, bringing a focused hyperrealism to the party. Their convention-defying live performances toy with audience expectations and stimulate questions of the narratives being sold to us as news—or entertainment—all to the beat of the drum machinist.

As if pontificating from a lectern, McKnight sings and gesticulates like his life depends on it, his lyrics enticing or lacerating depending on the mood. In an age of perversion of reality, THE DSM IV poetically reflect on our world’s hypocrisies and dilemmas, with danceability, intelligence, indignation, grace & style—refreshing purity for these polluted times.

“We’re inspired by a lot of stuff like books, certain artists and painters,” says McKnight of the band’s world, “but for me personally, especially by film. Directors, photography, film scores. Different aspects. I think it’s always healthy to have a recognition or uncomfortable embrace of the dark crises that everyone experiences from time to time in our creativity, and confront some of the taboos and blind spots that have haunted human beings throughout history. Particularly now, in this social media generation, it’s becoming increasingly important.”

Growing up in the ‘90s on the notorious Grizedale Estate in Liverpool, THE DSM IV’s incendiary guitarist Jade O has a lifetime of inspiration to draw on. With the debut album cover featuring a photograph of a bar of soap from her Nan Moe’s mantle piece which one of her cousins recently carved whilst in jail, their  origins and lived experiences are real. Incidentally, the back cover is a footprint in concrete from a beloved “110” (Nike Air 95s) which are synonymous with the city, so-monikered by locals because that’s how much they cost when they first came out.

When drummer Pav Cummins walked into the clothes emporium where Jade and Guy work on the hunt for denims, McKnight instantly knew that this rake-thin, medieval-looking percussionist was the answer to his prayers; a handsome doppelgänger of ‘Naked’-era actor David Thewlis. Perfect! Drum machines were invested in, no persuasion necessary.

After a long gestational period giving rise to a string of stand-alone singles, the band finally released their formidable, uncompromising debut album, NEW AGE PARANOIA—recorded at The Libertines’ HQ at The Albion Rooms, Margate—in 2023, following tours with Sleaford Mods, The Libertines, and Dream Wife.

“It’s interesting and problematic how much of our entertainment plays into our fears,” says McKnight of the album title’s meaning. “New Age Paranoia is really a kind of observation about the time we live in, and a lot of those observations are taken from the media.”