While London band Snapped Ankles pull from influences like krautrock, post-punk, prog and psych, they are unique in world of indie. Namely, they claim to be forest folk, descended from the trees and playing instruments made (partially) out of actual logs, branches and driftwood. Their songs reflect this too, a clash between the woodwose and those who encroach upon their lands: big real estate and other gentrifiers, hedge fund managers, and those who look to make the world more boring through greed. One thing that’s never boring are Snapped Ankles’ shows, which are known for whipping audiences into a manic, frenzied, ecstatic state.

Forest of Your Problems is Snapped Ankles’ third album, which keeps up the pace of 2017’s Come Play the Trees and 2019’s excellent Stunning Luxury, and paints a very now picture of the world through its leafy lens. Say the band: “Some might say that Forest Of Your Problems explores the anxiety and guilt towards the relentless destruction of the planet’s ecosystems. Others might tell you that it’s just us asking which tribe you’re in. The Business Imp, The Nemophile, The Cornucopian and The Protester all want to save you, take you to the moon, smother you in wellness or just sell you a tree to hug. It’s all valid, we can’t tell you what’s right or wrong. Everyone needs a tribe. It’s a dark, fearful world out there. Take care on the path through the forest of your problems.”

You can listen to the whole thing, and watch the video for single “Shifting Basslines Of The Cornucopians,” below. We asked frontman Austin if he’d tell us a little about the inspirations behind the record and he gave us a list of 10 influences, including music by David Byrne, Beverly Glenn Copeland, Moebius-Plank-Neumeier, a Shangaan Electro compilation and more. Check out the list, complete with commentary, below.

Snapped Ankles have UK tour dates on the horizon, and fingers crossed they’ll head to North America in 2022. All dates are listed below.

SNAPPED ANKLES – 10 INFLUENCES BEHIND ‘FOREST OF YOUR PROBLEMS’

1 Byron Morris and Unity – “Kitty Bey”
This track was our fave rare groove, 10-minute scat-jazz monster from back in the day—I remember watching people try to dance to this as if they were on amphetamines (which they probably were)…

2 David Behrman/Ben Neill – “Leapday Night”
We love the drones on this album which has what sounds like a whammy pedal, way before whammies were invented. It’s actually an early version of his mutanttrumpet, invented by Ben Neill and designed with Robert Moog, and it’s the uneasy queasiness we like that suits the sound of our forest!

3 EMAK – Filmmusik
Elektronische Musik Aus Koeln make a mean pulse and make me want to dance like a robot hugging a tree…

4 David Byrne – “In the Future”
The omnipresent president of art collaborations (and Brompton cycling blogs) Senōr Byrne gives us a random vision of the future he faced in 1985 — all backed up by a funky brass ensemble. there’s a few moments in our woods where our instruments synthesized and channel this kind of brassiness!

5 Conny Plank/Mani Neumeier/Moebius- “Speed Display”
Speedy sequencing and banging live drums make ‘Zero Set’ still sound utterly unique like it’s from the modified future!

6 Shangaan Electro
This mental compilation came out in 2010 that made all the surrounding music sound unimaginative and slow.

7 Prince Charles and the City Beat – “Bush Beat”
The best dog howling synth disco beat banger that’s not on Thriller.

8 Robert Ashley & Blue Gene Tyranny – “The Backyard”
Respect to RA for supposedly inspiring Iggy and birthing punk & noise at the same time with his 1964 “Wolfman,” but it’s this, “The Backyard” from Private Parts album, with its combination of Kirs’ cool tablas, Tyranny (RIP ) on organ and Ashley’s soft mumbling that helped me get through some long monotonous lockdown days.

9 Ralph Lundsten – “Cosma Nova”
We’re big fans of some but not all of Ralph’s years of work. I got a tatty copy of this on discogs and turned it over to find it signed by Ralph himself!

…anyway here’s a pink window into Ralph in his Swedish World of synths…

10 Beverly Glenn Copeland – “Ever New”
Big tune in our woodland travels since it was released on the Space Energy and Light compilation by Sounds of The Universe.

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SNAPPED ANKLES – 2021 TOUR DATES
Fri 2 Jul 2021 Timber Festival Derbyshire, UK
Sat 3 Jul 2021 Rough Trade instore Nottingham, UK
Wed 7 Jul 2021 Rough Trade instore Bristol, UK
Thu 8 Jul 2021 Rough Trade East instore London, UK
Sat 24 Jul 2021 Cloudspotting Festival Lancashire, UK
Fri 30 Jul 2021 Farmfest Somerset, UK
Sat 31 Jul 2021 Deer Shed Festival North Yorkshire, UK
6-7 Aug 2021 Beseda u Bigbitu Tasov, CZ
Sat 14 Aug 2021 Doune The Rabbit Hole Stirling, UK
Sat 11 Sep 2021 Down At The Abbey Reading, UK
Sat 18 Sep 2021 Wide Eyed Festival Leicester, UK
Tue 5 Oct 2021 iBoat Bordeaux, FR
Wed 6 Oct 2021 Le Pôle étudiant Nantes, FR
Thu 7 Oct 2021 Petit Bain Paris, FR
Fri 8 Oct 2021 Paradiso Amsterdam, NL
Sat 9 Oct 2021 Out Of The Crowd Luxembourg, LU
Wed 13 Oct 2021 Gorilla Manchester, UK
Thu 14 Oct 2021 Workman’s Club Dublin, IE
Fri 15 Oct 2021 Roisin Dubh Galway, IE
Sat 16 Oct 2021 Kasbah Social Club Limerick, IE
Sun 17 Oct 2021 Ulster Sports Club Belfast, UK
Wed 20 Oct 2021 St Lukes Glasgow, UK
Thu 21 Oct 2021 NUSU Basement Newcastle, UK
Fri 22 Oct 2021 Arts Club Liverpool, UK
Sat 23 Oct 2021 Crookes Social Club Sheffield, UK
Sat 30 Oct 2021 The Roundhouse London, UK
Wed 10 Nov 2021 Chalk Brighton, UK
Thu 11 Nov 2021 Junction 1 Cambridge, UK
Fri 12 Nov 2021 Trades Club Hebden Bridge, UK
Sat 13 Nov 2021 Brudenell Social Club Leeds, UK