ION EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE | Hykkers - "Stone The Flower"

Do yourself a favour and before reading on, take three minutes to listen to this psych-rock tune from The Hykkers. Don't worry, you'll get some context for this later. Just listen, first and foremost.

Back in 1967, Nigeria erupted into violence as a bloody civil war rocked the nation, and while some may argue that the country was strengthened in the aftermath of the war, that doesn't erase the hard truth that tens upon tens of thousands of people died in the struggle.

 To say that life was fraught from 1967-1970 in Nigeria would be a massive understatement. It was a country in the midst of absolutely massive political and economic turmoil, while the Western world was largely enjoying a period of peace.

 Now-Again records has spent the last ten years studying this pivotal period of time in Nigeria, focusing specifically on a tightly knit and incredibly influential music scene that formed as the civil war went on. Fela Kuti is perhaps the most notable musician to be born from this scene, but there was also a myriad of rock acts that channeled the painfully complicated realities of daily life in Nigeria into wonderfully psychedelic, funky, and forward-looking rock music. Now-Again has compiled a variety of songs from this era, and created Wake Up You!, a package including two albums and books that completely explore the rise and fall of rock music in Nigeria.

 Now listen to the song again, knowing that The Hykkers are borne of this era.

"Stone The Flower" is a master class in psych-rock, slightly reminiscent of songs by The Zombies but somehow punchier. The layered vocals weave with the funky guitar line and driving percussion to create a familiar-but-unique sound. You've heard songs like this before, we all have. But there's something different about this one. Perhaps it's not real, that the uniqueness is something we hear only because of the context of history. Perhaps it's something as simple as a distortion pedal used to great effect. Wake Up You! Vol 1. is available starting April 15.