Enter ONWE, a trio of self-professed "Bushwick cyberpunx" led by former male model David Welles, who cleverly prod at this highly problematic apathy. "We write high-energy punk songs with intricate guitar hooks and unconventional storytelling," says Welles of his project. "Unconventional storytelling," arrives by way of highlighting the contradictions of life in the digital age. Yet instead of outright lambasting, ONWE smartly use the tropes of generation "eh" to critique it. The group releases their music on Capitalist Records (a play on major label Capitol Records), include sprightly sardonic taglines like "reblog us on Tumblr!!" in tracks, and incorporate lo-fi net art graphics in their music videos. Welles isn't afraid "to be a part of a generation that takes the systemic failures left to us by the Baby Boomers head on," and uses music to confront contemporary issues including socio-economic inequality, gender roles, the changing landscape of the music industry, and the impact of the internet on our lives. If this all sounds a bit heavy-handed, it should be emphasised that ONWE's sound is totally fun and infectious, it's rare that such poignant social criticisms induce such uncontrollable foot-tapping. "Our music draws a lot from no wave, krautrock, and contemporary deep house music. Iggy Pop and Jonathan Richman always inspire me to be a better performer," said Welles.
