Agency-V’s latest offering showcases the the electronic rock trio going from strength to strength, writes Ange Chan.
Never Meant to Be, is the first album-length offering from Agency-V, due for release on July 11, 2025, in the wake of a series of live performances supporting Gary Numan at Brighton Concorde 2 commencing June 23. Coming together during the UK lockdown, the trio of Lloyd Price, Marie Williamson and Peter Steer released their debut EP, No Divide, in 2020. All three have worked with other successful bands in the past, and they are influenced by such legendary artists as Kraftwerk and Gary Numan and those influences are evident in the music they make together.
The band have performed live several times all over the UK over the past couple of years, earning them their dedicated following and gaining acclaim in the electronic music scene with October 2024’s EP Pray For The Sun and recent single We Can Erase You. Gathering together the contents of their previously released EPs and singles in addition to some bonus remixes, Never Meant To Be, their first release for Distortion Productions, arrives to showcase their signature sound which fuses together the evocative vocals of Marie Williamson, Peter Steer’s crisp guitars and multi-layered analogue synth sounds provided by Lloyd Price.
The compilation opens with the eminently danceable title track, luring us into the world of Agency V flawlessly, followed by the atmospheric We Can Erase You which highlights the Numan influences, with the heavy guitars and driving synth sounds making this a strong track on the album.
Next, we move onto Freaking Out with its pulsating musicality and a playful juxtaposition of the vocals with the subject content. Heart of Stone hits our ears next with a production that’s worthy of the professional outfit that they are. Paranoid is another dance floor filler with a pulsating beat driving the track forward, meanwhile tracks like Give it Up and Pray for the Sun crank the pace upwards still further. Some Kind of Game is a classic Agency V track, whilst Stupid Girl gives the classic track by Garbage a new vibrant twist, with arguably stronger musical delivery than the original ’90s track. Before we get to the various remixes on this album the last track is This Time delivering strong vibes along the same lines as Stupid Girl.
Never Meant to Be is a strong compilation for lovers of the synth genre. Their music evokes both a fresh sound with a darker twist, whilst respecting their influencers, but not at the cost of sounding derivative. Heartily recommended.
Agency-V are now working on new material and are planning a year of live shows for 2025:
Saturday 28th June – With ULTRA:Foxx at The Fiddlers Elbow – London Saturday 6th September – With Tubeway Days at Glassbox Theatre – Gillingham Saturday 13th September – With Inertia & Vagerr at Cart & Horses – London Saturday 25th October – With Tubeway Days at Stage Door – Southampton
❉ Never Meant to Be by Agency V will be released on Friday 11th July, via Distortion Records, and will be available worldwide via all major digital stores alongside a limited edition CD.
❉ Ange Chan is a Freelance Writer, having produced two novels and six volumes of poetry. A prominent contributor to Me and the Starman (available by Cult Ink on Amazon) and lifelong lover of music, Ange is also We Are Cult’s Social Media Administrator.
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