Through his work with Sylvette and many other projects, Manchester singer-songwriter Ashley Garrod has been a stalwart of the city's alternative scene for some time now. Phoenix Rousiamanis, meanwhile, is a seasoned composer and collaborator with the likes of Lucy Dacus and Jasmine.4.T: together, they lead this new track from their shared emo-indie project That Old Quiet Lighthouse.

Combining the sincere directness of early American emo (American Football, Cap'n Jazz) with a distinctly British sense of wry understatement, 'Hands Up' is their latest single and the first track from a wider project to follow later in the year (details TBA). Garrod and Rousiamanis wrestle with some pretty big themes on their respective verses; according to Rousiamanis, "In my verses, I underline the anxiety that comes with striving for conforming beauty, that is rooted in eugenics, homogeneity and smoothness. Instead I try to find a rawer and deeper beauty that is more accepting of our humanity."

It's out on We Go To 11, a new sub-label from Trapped Animal (Jeremy Tuplin, Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something, Grrl Gang); check it out below.