Perhaps the last thing we have left of an IRL subculture, Drain Gang are the Internet-born, avant garde boy band consisting of vocalists Bladee, Thaiboy Digital and Ecco2k and producer whitearmor. Since their formation in 2013, the Swedish collective have gained a name for their Extremely Online strain of pop music, which is imbued with a youthful nihilism and existential-lite lyrics that manages to capture the spirit of disillusioned youth everywhere. Recognised for their elusive yet enigmatic online presence, the members of Drain Gang are fashion-forward outsiders, whose lo-fi aesthetic, though adjacent to their fellow Swedish music collective Sad Boys, has inspired a distinct style amongst its super dedicated legion of fans, underlined by the fact their merch drops sell out within seconds.
With countless fan pages, Reddit threads and meme pages, Drain Gang had already amassed a cult following over the past decade. But the pandemic saw the group LVL-up as more people switched-on and became exposed to the group’s logged-on sound, each blissed-out dance-pop soundbite drawing fans further into their euphoric world. Their 2022 world tour sold out in a matter of minutes, while fashion campaigns with Marc Jacobs Heaven signal the collective’s move towards global domination. So, in the words of the group’s bona fide leader Bladee: “If being drainy is a sin, Lord, forgive me.”
Text Günseli Yalcinkaya
