By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – London, the experimental music landscape is currently witnessing a significant surge in activity from one of its most intriguing contemporary duos. Worldpeace DMT, the collaborative project featuring the multi-instrumentalist Leo Fincham and Rowan Please—widely recognized for her work with the underground outfit The Femcels—has officially launched a new mixtape titled Flowers Powers. The release serves as more than just a standalone collection of songs; it acts as a bridge to a larger narrative, arriving alongside the formal announcement of their next full-length studio album, Stick Around for Tea, which is slated for an October release. This dual revelation marks a prolific chapter for the London-based pair, who have spent the last few years carving out a niche defined by lo-fi sensibilities, avant-garde arrangements, and a distinctively British brand of psychedelic folk.
The arrival of Flowers Powers provides a comprehensive look into the duo’s current creative headspace. The mixtape is anchored by the recently released single “Lonesome,” a track that has already begun to circulate within indie circles for its evocative atmosphere and sparse, yet emotionally resonant, production. However, the most talked-about inclusion on the mixtape is undoubtedly their rendition of Joni Mitchell’s seminal classic, “Big Yellow Taxi.” For any artist, tackling a Mitchell composition is a high-stakes endeavor, given the original’s status as a cornerstone of the folk-rock canon. Worldpeace DMT’s decision to cover the 1970 hit suggests a desire to dialogue with the past while recontextualizing its environmental and social themes through their own warped, modern lens. By stripping back the song or perhaps layering it with their signature textural grit, the duo invites listeners to hear the familiar melody in a jarringly new environment.
This new mixtape follows in the footsteps of their critically noted project The Velvet Underground & Rowan, a title that cheekily referenced rock history while establishing their own sonic identity. That previous work set the stage for the duo’s reputation as musical deconstructionists—artists who are comfortable working with the debris of pop history to build something entirely original. With Flowers Powers, the focus appears to have shifted toward a more botanical and perhaps whimsical aesthetic, though the underlying complexity of their arrangements remains intact. The mixtape format allows Fincham and Please to experiment with shorter sketches and more abstract ideas that might not fit the rigid structure of a traditional LP, offering a raw and unfiltered look at their collaborative process.
The anticipation surrounding their upcoming album, Stick Around for Tea, is palpable. Scheduled for arrival in October, the record is being framed as the formal successor to their previous full-length endeavors. While Flowers Powers provides the immediate gratification of new music, the album promises a more cohesive and deliberate exploration of the themes they have been teasing. The title itself suggests a certain domesticity or a slowing down, a thematic pivot that could result in their most intimate work to date. In an era where digital consumption often favors the "content" cycle, Worldpeace DMT seems to be leaning into a more tactile, patient approach to world-building, encouraging their audience to quite literally "stick around" for the full experience.
In addition to the flurry of recorded material, the duo has confirmed a series of live dates that will bring their idiosyncratic sound to North American audiences. This mini-tour is particularly noteworthy as it represents a rescheduled itinerary, following previous postponements that left fans on the other side of the Atlantic waiting for their debut. The tour is concentrated in three major cultural hubs: New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. These cities have historically been the proving grounds for experimental acts looking to bridge the gap between European acclaim and American underground success.
The tour kicks off in New York with a two-night residency at Baby’s All Right. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Baby’s All Right has become a vital institution for emerging talent, known for its intimate atmosphere and discerning bookings. A two-night stint at such a venue suggests a high level of demand and allows the duo to showcase different facets of their catalog across two distinct performances. Following their time in New York, Worldpeace DMT will head west to Los Angeles for another two-night engagement. This leg of the tour features a change in scenery between nights, with the first performance taking place at Scribble and the second at Oblivion. These venues represent the diverse, often hidden, nodes of the LA music scene, providing a backdrop that aligns perfectly with the duo’s DIY ethos and experimental leanings.
The North American trek will conclude in Chicago at Schubas Tavern. As a venue, Schubas is steeped in history, having hosted legendary performances in its storied back room for decades. Its acoustic properties and close-quarters layout make it an ideal setting for a band like Worldpeace DMT, whose music often relies on subtle nuances and a sense of shared space between the performers and the audience. For Chicago fans, the show at Schubas will be a rare opportunity to witness the duo’s transition from the mixtape era of Flowers Powers into the full-scale launch of Stick Around for Tea.
The partnership between Leo Fincham and Rowan Please is one of the more compelling dynamics in the current London scene. Fincham’s role as a producer and multi-instrumentalist provides the structural foundation for their music, often blending traditional folk instruments with electronic interference and unconventional recording techniques. Meanwhile, Rowan Please brings a vocal presence that is at once detached and deeply expressive. Her history with The Femcels—a group known for their sharp lyrical wit and subversive approach to guitar music—informs the edge that Worldpeace DMT often displays. Together, they balance the pastoral with the industrial, the beautiful with the dissonant.
As the music industry continues to grapple with the pressures of the streaming age, Worldpeace DMT’s approach feels refreshingly organic. By releasing a mixtape as a precursor to an album, they are maintaining a constant dialogue with their fan base without sacrificing the artistic integrity of the long-form LP. This strategy also allows them to build momentum for the tour, ensuring that by the time they hit the stage in Brooklyn or Los Angeles, the audience is well-versed in both their back catalog and their most recent experiments.
The inclusion of the Joni Mitchell cover on Flowers Powers also speaks to a broader trend of contemporary indie artists reclaiming the folk tradition. In a world that feels increasingly digitized and disconnected, the simplicity of a well-crafted song—even one as frequently covered as “Big Yellow Taxi”—offers a point of connection. Worldpeace DMT’s version likely strips away the polished sheen of 1970s studio production in favor of something more visceral, reflecting the anxieties of the 2020s. It is a bold move that signals their confidence as interpreters of songcraft, not just creators of soundscapes.
With October fast approaching, the timeline for Worldpeace DMT is clearly defined. The release of Flowers Powers today serves as the opening salvo in a season that will see them traverse the Atlantic and release what many expect to be their definitive artistic statement in Stick Around for Tea. Whether they are performing in the intimate confines of a Brooklyn bar or the historic rooms of a Chicago tavern, the duo is poised to bring their unique vision of modern psychedelia to a wider stage. For those who have followed their journey from the London underground to the international circuit, this moment feels like the culmination of years of steady, uncompromising growth. The flowers have been planted, the tea is brewing, and the taxi is waiting to take them to the next stage of their evolving career.
