Brighton duo ARXX have returned with their new single Work in Progress (W.I.P), accompanied by a music video celebrating queer country culture, created in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ line-dancing collective Chaps & Straps.
The video showcases “local queers” line dancing led by the founder of Chaps & Straps, a vibrant, inclusive community led by local drag king Small Willy Nelson (Ro Bradley), coming together in a village hall for an afternoon of dancing, laughter, and connection.
Known for reviving the joy of line dancing through a queer lens, Chaps & Straps embody the spirit of community, openness, and celebration that ARXX’s new single captures.
Speaking about the song, vocalist Hanni Pidduck says it explores:
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“Getting to a point in life when you feel like you should have figured it out and you realise you still don’t know what you’re doing. It’s about trying. It’s about getting it wrong and getting it right but finding the beauty in the process.”
That message resonated perfectly with the video’s setting. Whether or not anyone knew how to line dance didn’t matter. What mattered was showing up, moving together, and embracing imperfection.
Ro reflects on the collective’s growing popularity: “I think people are craving community spaces that feel different. There are lots of club nights and alcohol, but having a space that’s structured, where you know what to expect, where you get to move your body and talk to people – that’s a real recipe for joy.”
They added, “The best part about Chaps & Straps is the moment the song ends. People throw their hands in the air, they’re clapping and hugging. It’s the purest joy. Seeing that moment of euphoria at the end of a line dance is honestly magic.”
On collaborating with ARXX for the music video, Ro said: “It was so much fun. We had this lovely village hall, local queer folks came along on a Sunday afternoon, and you could really feel the vibe in the room. Finding places where you can just feel joy is so important. And everybody loved the song.”
W.I.P. marks ARXX’s first new music in a year and arrives alongside BBC One’s drama Riot Women, for which the band wrote songs for the on-screen group. The series is created by Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack writer Sally Wainwright.
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Related article: Hanni And Clara of ARXX Chat To Us About Their Recent Music, Touring With Fletcher, And What’s Next
The single follows the success of their critically acclaimed second album Good Boy and lands just in time for their final show of the year – a hometown headline performance at Brighton’s Komedia on 28 October.
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Molly is a full-time journalist based in London covering legal and business, alongside culture, music, arts, and tech.
