Shooting Daggers follow their debut Love & Rage with The Real Life Thing, a seven-track mini-album recorded with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio. Expanding their sound without losing intensity, the trio move between hardcore punk, shoegaze and post-hardcore with purpose and control. Across 20 minutes, the band balance abrasion and melody while keeping their message front and centre. Adrenaline opens with full-force riffs and punchy vocals, while My Oh My introduces layered guitars and a more expansive feel. Elsewhere, T.R.L.T. and We Just Wanna Play channel their off-kilter energy into direct, communal hooks. Collaborations with The Menstrual Cramps and Dennis Lyxzén (Refused) underline the record’s themes of solidarity, activism and inclusivity. ‘Le Soleil’ adds a leftfield, dub-tinged shift, and Glow closes with a heavy, hook-driven charge. A confident step forward, The Real Life Thing shows a band refining their sound while continuing to challenge the limits of hardcore.