The Homesick are a Dutch indie rock and post-punk group from Dongeradeel in the Netherlands, active since 2010. The trio consists of Elias Elgersma, jaapjaapjaap and drummer Erik Woudwijk; the band is also identified with Dokkum in the northern Netherlands.

Style and influences

The Homesick play angular, springy noise pop and post-punk with strong melodies and a dry sense of eccentricity. Their sound is also described as gritty and lo-fi, with jagged rock elements balanced by nimble pop songwriting. Their influences include XTC, Scott Walker and the era associated with Factory Records.

Releases

The band’s debut album, Youth Hunt, appears in 2017 on Dutch label Subroutine Records. It draws on the group’s offbeat humour and lo-fi approach, and it earns critical attention in Europe and later in the United States.

After that, the band signs to American indie label Sub Pop and releases The Big Exercise in 2020. That record expands their sound with Baroque-inspired instrumentation and more complex vocal arrangements.

Reputation

The Homesick build a reputation as nonconformists, in part because of their unusual songs and their habit of driving around their home town in Woudwijk’s large Unimog truck, a former military alpine rescue vehicle.