University

The rising English punk rockers talk forging your own path, using the hell out of cheap gear and keeping it real

- BY AMIT SHARMA

WITH THE RELEASE of their debut album, McCartney, It'll Be OK, English punk rock quartet University are plotting to take the world by storm via sensory overload. Their sound can be described as visceral and itchy, with jangly drop-D guitars being strummed into oblivion over pounding drums that are erratic and unpredictable. It's an impressively unpolished take on high-octane noise, mixing abrasive hardcore and post-rock in ways few have dared.

"I try to avoid idolization because it can box you in," singer/guitarist Zak Bowker says. "I think your biggest inspiration should always be yourself. Obviously, like any guitar player, I had a big Jimi Hendrix phase. But I don't want to sound like him; I want to sound like me."