After far too many years away, PreCog returned to the musical fray in December 2023 with the stunning dark synthpop of Take Me Anywhere and its b-side Stardust.

The trio’s Never Try EP - released on the 12th of July - sees them traverse similar sonic territory in an equally engaging fashion. PreCog’s signature sound is a sublime mix of thoughtful lyrics and intimate falsetto vocals set against an arrangement that takes the best bits of synthpop, rock, and pop and fuses them into something distinctly theirs.

PreCog - comprising Jason Thomas, Gerald Josef, and Bret Pemelton - is an American dark electronica/synthpop outfit based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Since forming in late 2015, PreCog has been central to the growth of a huge underground electronica movement in their home town.

The group’s frontman Jason Thomas has been writing and performing for over 15 years. Producer and synth player Gerald Josef has been in the music industry for over 30 years, spending most of the 80’s and 90’s touring Europe and pioneering electronica in Detroit. Guitarist and keyboardist Bret Pemelton spent much of the 80’s playing the Los Angeles club circuit with various electronic rock bands as well as touring extensively throughout the US and Canada. He later performed and recorded with the groove-rock band Uthanda through the mid 90’s.

Their extensive experience and widespread influences afford the band a special connection which is evident in each song they share with their fans.

“I have a deep appreciation for Never Try, because it evokes memories of my early experimentation with electronic music,” says Gerald. “Back then, I grappled with limited equipment, constantly searching for the ideal sound or drum machine.”

“Now, I have access to everything I once yearned for. It's exhilarating to craft tracks using the diverse array of sounds I once coveted. Never Try holds a special place in my heart; it feels like my creative child, with its infectious vibe and the captivating vocals by Jason.”

Vocalist and lyricist Jason brings some complex themes into play within the track:

“Never Try focuses on the fact that the worst thing you can do for yourself and others is to give up. I feel the world is ready for discourse on mental struggles, but I don't think we are ready to actually talk about the work that needs to happen. I'm not saying it's the same for everyone, some struggles are more like a wood chipper, but we do need to try, even when the odds are stacked against us.”

“That's what makes us beautiful as a species. We don’t accept defeat. That should apply to the problems we face in life, and the problems we face inside. Fight. Do the work. Suffer. Come out stronger. Intellectualizing your problems and facing them are both massive accomplishments. You’ve won the fight, now let's win the war!”

The lead track is accompanied by three companion pieces; a superb retro-synth infused remix of Never Try by The Rude Awakening, and a brooding, percussion-driven ambient version of the title track by Daniel Prendiville, and a new reworked version of the band’s classic single, Monster.