Chubby and the Gang Offer Up a Punk Rock Valentine’s Treat, ‘Who Loves Ya (Coup d’état)’

London punks Chubby and the Gang embrace the agony and ecstasy of love on their new Valentine’s Day track, “Who Loves Ya (Coup d’état).” The song appears on a new three-track EP, Labour of Love, which is out digitally Monday, Feb. 14, while a special picture disc seven-inch is available to preorder. 

“Who Loves Ya” opens with a blown-out, ear-splitting guitar riff, but soon settles into a crunchy, tambourine-shaking boogie, with frontman Charlie “Chubby” Manning Walker bellowing, “And yet I want it and nothing else no more/My hearts in a coup d’état’/It must be love.” The song also arrives with a music video filled with on-stage and behind-the-scenes footage of Chubby and the Gang; the clip was directed by the group’s tour manager Ted Foster.

In a statement, Manning Walker said “Who Loves Ya” came about specifically because the band wanted to do a Valentine’s Day single: “I sort of wanted to show all the angles of love. Warts and all. Quite often it’s not such a smooth experience. Can often feel scary and insane. So I wanted to write a bubblegum song about it but also show the duality of the emotion.”

The Labour of Love EP — which also features “Twice Shy” and “Ain’t There No One” — follows Chubby and the Gang’s second album, The Mutt’s Nuts, which was released last year. The group recently wrapped a U.K. tour opening for the celebrated hardcore outfit Turnstile, and they’re set to announce a headlining U.S. tour soon.