This is a first for the blog but hopefully not the last! I am very happy to bring you the premiere for the debut release from Be Gone Dull Cage, 'The Isolation Demos'. This is the solo guise for Justin Lee Jamison whose day job see's him on bass duties for ForeignWolf . Be Gone Dull Cage sets aside the distortion and ripped vocal chords in favour of an acoustic guitar and heart felt songs with the occasional banjo twang, Read the review and interview below, more importantly pour a cup of coffee and stream the EP. Leave comments and let us know what you think!
Enjoy!
While we're all in the midst of this terrible epidemic we've seen bands and artists find new ways to reach out to fans and explore new avenues of creativity. One such artist is Justin lee Jamison who has outed his solo project Be Gone Dull Cage and released the aptly titled 'The Isolation Demos'. Five songs instilled with a wistful melon collie, all recorded by Justin at his home studio. I feel this is worth mentioning simply to illustrate the drive to continue to create while staring down the barrel of these uncertain times. The EP is solely acoustic and approached from singer songwriter point of view.
It opens with 'Friends' which sets the tone for the remainder of the EP, emotional songs shot through with melon collie but perhaps not infinite sadness. 'Friends' seems to find Justin looking back with some regret that they'll 'never be friends again' unclear which party is at fault or if either party wants to admit fault. There's a thinly veiled reference to the situation which gave rise to the song. Some nice banjo embellishment on the track and it definitely helps lift the song, providing texture and a hook, helping to expand the sound on the chorus.
Next up 'Complicated', a little more down beat than 'Friends' that to me at least seems to speak of the dangers of opening up and the risk of putting yourself out there for people, that honesty can be brutal. Interestingly after speaking to Justin he told me it was about being there for each other, that's the beauty of art, regardless of intent all art is participatory and it can be dependant on what you bring to it as a listener or as you experience it.
'Make Something Up' is probably the strongest track on the EP with some additional instrumentation which brings some nice textures and expands the sound in a really beautiful way. Lyrically it touches on relationships and how we keep those interesting. The track would benefit from some additional vocals, harmonies and personally I think a female voice on the last chorus could give the track another element to help bring it to a crescendo. Definitely my favourite on the EP.
Unfortunately mental health issues seem to be incredibly prevalent amongst the music community over the past few years and on 'Until I Die' Justin explores some of his personal battles. Being a songwriter and baring yourself to the world is always a daunting prospect and even more so in such a stripped back format. It's evident in Justin's voice on this track, more so than others that its a difficult one to sing but it brings an honesty and vulnerability to the track.
'Red Sky Morning' is the shortest track on the EP and starts to experiment a little with additional vocals. It's a track that seems to reflect the circumstances in which it was written, it feels like a sketch between finishing beers as the sun comes up, slightly bleary eyed and buzzed.
Overall 'The Isolation Demos' is a strong first effort both in terms of song writing for this format and recording. The playing on here is solid and some of the vocals ideas are really great. When the additional instrumentation comes in on tracks it always elevates the part and the track, this is something I think could be explored further on future releases. Similarly vocally it would be nice to hear more backing vocals and possibly different voicings. Justin has said that he's going to take a full band approach to one of the songs, I'd be interested to hear the contrast between the two versions. Its an honest and often vulnerable EP that has well put together songs and some great moments. I would hope that this isn't the last from Be Gone Dull Cage even when we are set free from our cages.
First off congrats on releasing ‘The Isolation Demos’! You mention on your bandcamp page that some of these songs were written as far back as 2011, did you always have it in mind that you’d eventually record these songs, did the current situation act as a catalyst to get them down?
Thank you! Yes, I guess you could say its been a long time coming. I was always the songwriter in bands I was in, and it sucked sometimes! You’d come up with a riff or a melody and you’d get really excited about showing your bandmates it. It was always 50/50 as to the riffs being used or not so they would get put on the ‘backburner’ then forgot about! Some of the songs (Red Sky Morning for example) were dug out of old lyric books and I was like holy shit! I forgot about this!
I guess I always had an idea that I would record these songs one day and the current situation is awful for everyone, but a great opportunity to get round to doing some stuff i’d been putting off for a while. There’s quite a melon collie feel to the EP, can you talk us through each song and what they mean to you, lyrically what ground you cover with them?
Yeah, I feel sorry for the people who make it to a show and have to listen to these live, they’ll be falling asleep! I’ve always been a little emo boy at heart and I don’t think that’ll change. I have this condition, I just can’t write a happy song! I’ve tried and the closest I guess is ‘Friends’. This is more of a celebratory goodbye than a sad song. For years I played guitar in Crisis, and it was a great experience for me. I love those guys and always will. But you know yourself band dramas can make thing worse than they actually are and I suppose its a song that is like my goodbye to those days? Haha. ‘complicated’ is a weird one. I guess its about how crazy the world is at the minute. There is a lot going on and we all need to be there for each other. ‘Make Something Up’ is your typical relationship song. Its about the fear of relationships going stale and falling apart. ‘Until I Die’ is lyrically the hardest song for me to sing. I suffer from Nervous Anxiety and sometimes it can really interfere with my life. It stops me from trying new things and coming out of my comfort zone, but I’m trying to overcome it . ‘Red Sky Morning’ is a funny little number, it was written at like, 4am maybe? Watching the sun come and having a beer. Back then (Before I was 30) I could stay up a lot later haha
Given that the songs have been written over an extended period of time do you did that when you revisit the songs musically and lyrically that they retain the original meaning and intent or do you find the distance puts a different perspective on them?
Yeah I guess sometimes its nice to revisit old songs, the riff for Friends is actually a really old riff that was a completely different song but I gave it a little rejuvenation... and added banjo haha.
You’ve said this is your first time recording yourself and doing vocals. How did you find the experience of self recording, self producing the EP rather than running things through a band filter of 3 or 4 other people?
I have to confess I really loved the home recording process, really because I could take my time and record at my own pace. If I want to add banjo... I’ll do it or add some silly little guitar line in the background, haha no one to answer to! Good news is I’ll be hitting JSR studios in August to record one of these songs as a full band. I Play bass full time in ForeignWolf, and they are the nicest guys and they support me fully! They are going to be my band for the day haha!
Did you have a specific sound in mind for he EP or was it a case of finding your way as you progressed?
I never really had a sound in mind. I know that I’m not thee strongest singer in the world so I played up the fact that they are demos to hide my dodgy voice haha I’m a big City & Colour fan and William Fitzsimmons too so you’ll get the idea if you are fans of those guys haha
The EP is named The Isolation Demos, it’s been interesting to see bands and artists reach out and find new ways to continue to create in the midst of all this. Again since you took the plunge to record yourself have you any advice or specifics you might want to offer up to anyone thinking of doing the same?
Its great to see bands doing stuff still, that’s the one thing about the Irish music scene, NOTHING stops us from playing our music haha I guess the one bit of advice I would have would be, don’t be so critical of your own material. Just record it and have fun and release it. If people love it, great! If not... who cares! Its art, and its open to opinion
Sugarwolf rose from the ashes of Making Monsters and they have continued to do just that, rise. Going from strength to strength the band have released 2 singles, 'Loose Ends' and 'Afraid of the Dark' both huge rock songs with taut verses and massive choruses. Live the band are like caged animals let loose with guitarist Damien and vocalist Emma covering every inch of the stage and all members playing with an intensity that fully reflects the energy in the music. Emma spent some of her isolation time answering questions for us.
Enjoy
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
I had always loved to sing and listen to pop music throughout my early years being a massive fan Christina Aguilera. At fourteen I was exposed to bands like Blink-182, At the Drive-In and became a big fan of Chris Cornell. Around this time I started to fumble about on guitar(still doing that today) and began attempting to write some of my own songs. I found it as a great release for stress and emotion. Not long after this I joined my first band, we had lots of fun playing covers of all our favourite songs and thinking we were class.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first the album you ever bought and why?
I was a massive A7X fan, my walls were clattered in posters of M Shadows and The Rev. I cringe at the thought of it now but I still like to indulge in the NIghtmare album from time to time. I think the first album I bought was ‘Dying is Your Latest Fashion’ by Escape the Fate and what an album it was. It lives in my car CD player.
You released your excellent debut single ‘Loose Ends’ in Feb last year and it seems to have taken off for the band since then! Can you tell us about the decision to start a fresh as Sugarwolf, where the name comes from and a bit about the single, the recording process and lyrically what it covers?
Sometimes in life we’re due a fresh start and it felt like the right time to start over . Finding a name we were all happy with and felt suited us was very difficult, as you can imagine. I had always liked the idea of ‘Wolf’ being incorporated with a band name so we had messaged about pairing it with words. Gary was the one who came up with ‘Sugarwolf’, we all laughed for a little bit then after a minute were hooked on the idea. At the time ‘Loose Ends’ was already written and plans were being made for release, we went on to record the track at Manor Park Studio. ‘Loose Ends’ Is about overcoming control and learning to stick up for yourself.
‘Scared of the Dark’ was accompanied by a super creepy video. Can you tell us about the video, who came up with the concept behind it, the shoot and if anyone was harmed in the making of it?
We worked on this video with artist ‘Sean Mullan’. I met with Sean to discuss the meaning of the song and to show some imagery in relation to it. He portrayed the emotion of the song perfectly with racing and fear fueled visuals. We had a blast on set for the video and it was cool to work with actors for the first time.
The band seems to play as far and as wide as possible can you tell us how important you think that is for bands. Conversely can you talk about the more local scenes between Belfast and Derry, both cities seem to be serving up a wealth of talent and bands at the minute. Do you think it’s important for the bands from both places to work together and help cultivate something larger?
Both scenes have been on the up over the past couple of years. There have been a lot of talented bands forming and the quality of music is only getting better. It is absolutely important for both scenes to work together, be it by supporting each other at hometown shows, attending friend's shows and sharing music online, every little helps.
Can you tell us about the Sugarwolf song writing process, is there one main songwriter?
The majority of our songs begin on a laptop, due to work and hectic lifestyles this has been our most effective way of writing. Brian is our main creator. He will send ideas to us where we then write our thoughts/parts and build the song up from there. Bringing the ideas to the practice room is where we find out what works, what doesn’t work and begin fine tuning things. As this has been our approach it’s fortunate that we can continue to write through the current worldwide madness. Hopefully we’ll be heading back to the practice room with some bangers.
Being in a band comes with its own hardships so what drives you to make the music you make, is the a band a source of catharsis, after time away from being a band did this offer a different take on things?
Attending shows and not being in a band yourself makes you crave the stage even more. It’s good to rest your mind and take a break from things, this definitely allowed us to come back into a band fresh and ready to go. It has been fun to take a different approach on writing and creating within the band - It’s an addiction, release and a passion I don’t think I’ll ever shake.
The scene both north and south seems to be stronger than ever, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
We’re mad about Sick Love, such a lovely bunch who we had the pleasure of playing some shows with last year. We’re also big fans of Roe who is from our hometown. She’s a bundle of talent and a very sweet girl who is making waves in the irish music scene, keep an eye on her.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records.
Thrice - To Be Everywhere is to be Nowhere My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade Basement - I wish I could Stay Here Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal Reuben - Racecar is Racecar Backwards
The sonic hiss of all your wrongs. This is a phrase that has stayed with me throughout the years and one which aptly describes Axecatcher. Post-hardcore riffs, neck snapping tempo changes, drums so heavy they feel like sledgehammers against your skull. We're not here for happy, this is the sound of your rage when your boss asks you for something stupid but instead of smiling through it you snap and it feels good. Axecatcher are one of the best heavy bands in the country right now, live they are a tour de force, all long hair, sweat, energy and intensity. The stage littered with parts of the demons they've just exorcised. My band THVS have been lucky enough to play with them a few times now and every time it feels like you're watching a band who should be touring the world. While their influences are clear they never fall into stereotype instead bringing a fresh approach to post-hardcore a scene which can die from over specialisation. If they come to your town, go see them just have a neck brace ready for after.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
[Colin] I just loved the sound and energy of everything and couldn't wait to start making some noise. We had a lot of friends all starting out in bands at the same time when we were younger so it was really easy to get the ball rolling early on.
[Ryan] By the time I picked up a guitar, I’d been starting to listen to a lot of guitar based music, so sort of moving from a passive listener to something more active made sense - I wanted to take part in what I was listening to.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first record you ever bought and why?
[Chris] For me it was punk rock - In particular The Offspring Americana. It came out around the time I started playing. Fast, catchy, not too hard to try and play. Perfect for the beginner and from there I descended into metal. The 2000s were a great era to be growing up and into metal - Nu Metal, NWOAHM, MetalCore, Deathcore, Melodeath. Every week there was a new subgenre and a dozen new bands to discover, add that with “the classics” (Maiden, Ozzy, Metallica) all making comebacks and you begin to get an idea of how my love of heavy music developed.
[Colin] My first album was Bleach by Nirvana. They were probably my first favourite band. I can remember having lots of Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot posters on the wall.
[Ryan] The 2 posters I can remember were Master of Puppets and some Nirvana poster. And oh god, first album I bought was probably something horrendous like a Now XX or 5ive album when I was 8. There go my credentials!
Common Blood came out in 2016, Grey Takes Gold followed in Aug 2017 and Second Hand Grief in March 2019. Can you tell us about the evolution of the band over those releases.
[Chris] There were a lot of changes between Common Blood and Grey - We were basically a new band, new line up, new songs, new focus on making things heavy as fuck. Grey was a mission statement. This is how Axecatcher sounds - more riffs than you can shake a stick at combined with visceral vocals and tempo changes that will break your neck. Second Hand Grief was a continuation of this and nothing has really changed in our philosophy since then. Our new album is a culmination of the last few years. It’s everything we’ve been working towards since Grey brought together in a single release and we can’t wait for people to hear it.
[Ryan] Yeah, I think that the new LP is a crystallisation of sorts, of the sort of ideas and sounds we’ve been playing around with for a couple years now.
[Colin] It was such a good feeling to get back to it after being out for a while. We used Grey as a jumping off point and haven’t stopped writing since. We had a lot of fun putting the album together and experimenting with new material over the last couple of years for sure.
Can you talk about the writing and recording process for Second Hand Grief, what themes and topics does the release explore. The production on Second Hand Grief seemed to step things up even more, was going to Niall in Start Together a conciliatory decision in taking this step up?
[Chris] We like to try different things with each release. Going to Niall at Start Together for Second Hand Grief was a no brainer. He’s excellent and the Studio space is really cool. We’d been keeping an eye on his stuff for a while and he did a great job. For the new album we went back to Aiden Cunningham who also did Common Blood. We love working with Aiden. He has a deep understanding of sound, a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve and a real love for heavier music. His Magic ears and hands really helped bring us up to a new level. We’ll let you make your own mind up when it comes out - but for us its our most brutal sound to date.
[Ryan] Writing for SHG ended up helping me to transition back into singing, so I was definitely more conscious than I had been in the past with trying to think ahead during writing riffs, to ensure I could fit vocal lines on top, have enough time to breathe, that sort of thing. We spent a little more time preparing it than Grey as well, so we for sure had a better idea of the sound we were chasing.
From listening to these releases it’s clear that the anger and brutality hasn’t abated over time, is there still a lot to be angry about in 2020?
[Chris] Yeah, we’re angry about a lot of things haha. I’m quite passive in my day to day life but the world is one fucked up place. I think a lot of those negative feelings build up and find their way out in our music. We all enjoy listening to that dark, nihilistic noise and its fun to play as well which helps.
[Ryan] Exactly, I don’t think it’ll be news to anyone reading this that there’s plenty to get angry about, be it political, societal, what have you. Anger tends to get a bad rap these days, and while there are certainly things not worth getting angry over, there are situations where anger is the only response it deserves.
Do you think there’s enough of an infrastructure in Northern Ireland to support the heavier side of things, do you think that heaviosity gets the the attention and recognition it deserves?
[Chris] I don’t think there’s enough infrastructure to support people in Northern Ireland in general let alone anyone trying to create and share music. Heavy Metal, Punk, Hardcore etc. is lucky enough to stand on it’s own feet. It’s ignored by the mainstream and for many that is part of the appeal. Its a “Fuck You” we’ll do it ourselves attitude and because of this the scene throughout Ireland is really healthy despite the lack of support from outside.
[Ryan] I think a lot of heavier bands can get overlooked by the bigger press here - I don’t necessarily think it’s something unique to NI, but it stings just a little more due to the size of the country. And at the same time as Chris says, the DIY nature around the scene because of that makes it very special, it’s certainly one of the reasons we’ve been keeping at it.
What does post corona 2020 hold for Axecatcher, have you more release planned, how might they differ from Second Hand Grief.
[Chris] The Axecatcher Debut Album!!!! We recorded it back in January and had started making release plans when the Lockdowns began. Depending how long that it goes on for will probably influence how and when it finally makes it out. Needless to say we’re very fuckin excited about it. We’d love to get a couple of videos done and we’re always looking to play more shows.
[Ryan] I think the new LP is the next logical step in where we’ve been headed for a little while. I think it’s a nice capsule of all of the bands influences, and I think comes across a bit more consistent than our previous work because of that.
[Colin] I can’t wait for the album to come out and to get back to playing shows, whenever that may be!
The scene both north and south seems to be stronger than ever, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
THVS, Bailer, Worn Out, Flashpoint, No Great Loss, Molarbear, Wardomized, Metal4Life.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records.
Chris - I could spend years trying to pick just 5 haha - So here’s the first that came to mind
Behemoth - The Satanist
Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - Mariner
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Clutch - Earth Rocker
Opeth - Still Life
Colin - Hard to pick 5! The list always changes but this is what thinking right now:
NIN - The Downward Spiral
The Chariot - One Wing
Cursed - II
AFI - Black Sails in the Sunset
The Protomen - Act II
Ryan - In no particular order:
Converge - Jane Doe
The Armed - Untitled
Baptists - Bushcraft
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell
Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty
I can't think of a better name for a band like this, Slow Crush fully encapsulates the bands sound. Equal parts ethereal and weighty, abrasive and celestial like gradually dying and simultaneously being born inside a blue and pink hued dense cloud of reverb and fuzz. Its the juxtaposition of these textures that make the band such an interesting prospect. I can't remember how I came across Slow Crush, I feel like the record merely appeared before me like an apparition but I was instantly hooked. It's been awhile since I've been really taken hook, line and sinker with a new band but I fell into them, lost in their cloudy dream like world. I was very lucky then that Jelle and Isa agreed to spend some time with us and give us insight into Slow Crush. You need these records and this band in your life.
Today they posted a picture of their records to date and that Spring 2017 marked the start of the band telling us that it isn't about the records but about the human connection. I think now more than ever everyone can really appreciate what this means.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
When I was a young teenager I used to have an older friend with greasey dreads, always smoking weed, who played guitar and another friend who used to play drums. I used to hang out with them all the time at rehearsals. This was in the mid 90s and we were all into metal the big 90s metal bands: Pantera, Sepultura, Biohazard but also black/death metal and atmospheric bands like Into the Woods or Type O Negative, all the cool 90s indie and grunge, even electronic music. This was such a cool time for music and at school it was just such a cool and inspiring time with tons of kids picking up instruments and jamming out.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first the album you ever bought and why?
As a young kid I listened a lot to my parents records from Deep Purple to Alice Cooper to Elvis Costello to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. My first 7” was AC/DC Thunderstruck. My first album Guns ’n Roses Use Your Illusion 1 on tape. My mum hated it because of all the swearing but she loved the music.
First posters were of course Guns ’n Roses and Pantera. A bit later my younger brother started playing the drums and we really wanted to be Pantera jamming together in our bedroom.
Shortly after your initial release ‘Ease’ you were playing Roadburn, can you talk about that period of time, when you were recording and released ‘Ease’ did you know you were creating something exceptional, did you expect the response to it?
Not at all! We were still looking for our style. You can clearly hear more indierock influence on Ease.Back then we had a bunch of songs way more oriented towards the likes of Weezer or Pity Sex but really had been in love with the atmospheric sounds of shoegaze and dreampop for a longtime. You can hear these songs are still a band looking for it’s sound.
We recorded these tracks as a demo and sent them over to Jan, who at the time was the booker of another band I played bass in and became our first booker. He loved it and sent it over Walter Roadburn who invited us immediately over to play Roadburn a few months later. We had 4 songs and we had to play a set of 40 minutes at Roadburn so we had to write a ton of songs really fast this is how the first songs from Aurora were created. More atmospheric and a bit heavier.
When you came to record ‘Aurora’ did you have a specific sound in mind for that record, did you achieve what you set out to with it, can you tell us about the writing and recording process for that album? You worked with Neil Kennedy for that album, did the process differ having a producer on board as opposed to when you recorded ‘Ease’ in your house?
We wanted to work with Neil because friends of ours in a post hardcore band ‘Atlas’ recorded their album with him and it sounded amazing. A new, fresh sound.
Most of the songs for Aurora were written right after Roadburn, Spring-Summer 2017. We track a good demo of each song in our reharsal space at home. Isa and I do most of the writing and preproduction. After that it’s just hitting the right studio and getting a consistent sound. This was the first time for us in such a professional environment and the recordings came out better than we ever expected.
The Slow Crush sound is layers and swathes of beautiful sonic waves, delicate and yet dense. Can you tell us about the gear you use to conjure up this sound, any particular pedals or guitars, are there any pieces that are quintessential to the Slow Crush sound?
My go to guitar is my Jazzmaster AVRI, it sounds so dynamic. Soft and gentle but you can really hurt it as well without going out of tune. I like my guitars to be work horses. I fine tuned it to my liking. Swapped bridge, changed pickups and pickguards. It’s a process.
I always play twin reverbs or deluxe reverbs and Marshall basslead amps.
As for pedals there are 2 pedals always on, Eqd DISPATCH master and Hall of Fame 1 on modulation setting. I use a ton of different pedals, I think I have about 50 at home but live I try to keep it to a minimum, the main idea is that I try to stack reverbs and modulation. Most of the time I have 3 reverbs on at the same time all bearing a different timbre.
Can you talk about the approach to song writing in the band, is there one main song writer or is it a completely collaborative effort, given the numerous effects and often ethereal soundscapes the band create how do you ensure that each instrument has its own space and contributes without losing delivery amongst everything else.
Mostly it’s me and Isa doing the songwriting. As of late George is contributing as well. He has only been part of the band since last July.
So every song we write has a different approach. We always try to get a structure down really quick and then it’s more like jamming and keeping the best parts or trying to recreate that one special thing you did during rehearsal by accident. We love all the little weird timings and mishaps. Which might not seem obvious to the listener but which make it lively and special for us.
Can you tell us about the approach to lyrics and melody in the band, from release to release are there any common themes that run across each record, when you come to name a record is that reflective of the lyrical content or over arching idea with that release?
There certainly is a certain theme or idea for every record. But more importantly there is an all encompassing idea for all Slow Crush records with variations within this concept for every record. Most of our lyrics are really open to interpretation and ethereal. Every record starts from the persona but approaches it in a different way. The artwork is also a big factor in this, there is a link between the feelings our music evokes and the artwork of the record all within this total concept of the persona.
I don’t know if this makes sense but it does to us.
Being in a band comes with its hardships and stresses, what drives you to create the music you play, does the band act as a cathartic outlet? The music you play is very dreamy and almost trance inducing when you play live do you feel yourselves ever lost in the soundscapes do you feel moments of transcendence?
Being in an active band is a lot of hardwork, more then people realise.
But being out there on stage and playing a good set, getting lost in the moment and sharing the same emotions with all these people at the same time is one of the best things there is. There are a lot of shows when it doesn’t work because of external factors like bad room acoustics or only having 5 minutes to set up and without soundcheck and really crunched set times on a festival. We have definitely learned from these challenges, not always free from frustration. But when it all comes together, we can be on a high for days. The whole covid crisis causing us to cancel 3 tours has shown us how much we love playing live...We are a live band!
You just released your brilliant new EP Reel/Pale Skin and you’re donating the proceeds of that to various charities. Can you tell us about that.
We think it’s essential to help wherever you can.
We don’t make a lot of money with this band but we get a lot of love. We just want to give something back. We have organised a benefit concert in the past for our friend who runs a cat shelter and now we are donating half of the profits of this 7” release to 2 local organisations who fight poverty.
One of them is DoucheFLUX. Their aim is to combat exclusion of those living in precarious circumstances by offering basic yet essential services to those in need - showers, laundry, clothing repair, medical, psycho-social care and legal advice, to name a few.
The second charity is BruZelle, who provide menstrual protection to those in need.
Also you recently posted that Reel was ‘as poppy as it’s going to get’, with album number 2 in the works can you talk about how the album is going to differ from previous releases, is it going to be a much darker affair compared to Reel?
Most of the record is already written and we have the feeling it’s like one big story. The flow feels really good. Maybe darker, sometimes heavier. More dreamy but not necessary slower and not so much only song based.
Maybe broader, we don’t like writing the same things twice. Reel is definitely the pop song.
There seems to be a wealth of great music at the minute across many different genres, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
We love all types of music. Atm we really dig The Japanse House but also the latest Alcest record or the last Washed Out single.
We try to keep track but there is just sooo much out there.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records.
That changes every day.
It is sunny out so I go for these:
Crosby stills Nash & young- Deja Vu
Washed out - Paracosm
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
Interviewing your own band is a strange position to put yourself in. I wasn't really sure how to approach the questions without just having to pretend I wasn't in the band. I went with trying to find out with what Matt and Dave feel about things we haven't ever really spoke about. I think it works, it was certainly interesting reading for me. Normally in this opening paragraph I'd talk about how I came across the band or what I thought of their music. Neither is really appropriate here so what I will say is that over the last 6 years we have created music that I am incredibly proud of. Being in a heavy band can sometimes feel like screaming at a wall but we all love it so we keep on screaming at that wall. 'Fevers' in particular is an album that I feel really took massive steps forward for the band, we worked hard at making those songs as good as they possibly could be. In doing so bringing our brand of heavy pop to the people, loud heavy songs that still have hooks and melodies albeit screamed over distortion and fuzz and crashing drums. Heavy pop will forever be in my heart.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
Dave: My da had always played guitar and naturally as a kid, you want to make the thing that makes noise, make that noise. So he insisted that if I was going to be playing with his guitar I learned how to actually play the thing. After years of enduring him showing me how to play the Simon and Garfunkel hits, I had started to form my own musical tastes. After hearing 'Appetite for Destruction' in '89 or '90.... I knew I wanted to be Slash. I knew thats what I wanted to do. As with everyone else my musical listening habits widened... not much... but a bit, then sometime in the early 90's I heard Nirvana for the first time. And that was it. Armed with the incredibly cheap Strat copy I'd managed to get for some birthday or other, I set about learning how to play the music I wanted to play. Of course it didn't quite pan out until much much later and after I'd switched over to bass, but essentially you can blame Slash and Nirvana for me making music.
Matt: I kind of just fell into it as a guy I hung around with in school was starting a band and needed a drummer. I said I'd do it, but I didn't have a clue how to play drums at that stage. I suppose I just thought I'd wing it. The guys in that band couldn't really play either at that point so we were all musically handicapped to an extent.
Anyway, before this gets too ‘ex-drummer’, in and around the same time I had got really into Therapy? and fell in love with Fyfe Ewing's drum sound and just the way he played and the sound of that snare. It was like the drums were the leading part of that band back in the day. Really the engine room driving the band forward. I knew from there that I wanted to play drums in a band that played similar noisy punk rock music like Therapy? It just went from there. I also loved the heaviness, dark humour and catchiness of their music so that ushered me down the route of really wanting to do that kind of music. I think Therapy? might well be originators of the ‘heavy pop’ sound if you trace the lineage back.
Jump forward a lot of years and I heard a band called Theory of Ruin on the late-night rock show on radio one. This was Alex Newport's new band at the time (he of Fudge Tunnel and Nailbomb fame – check them out if you don’t know them – Nailbomb was Alex and Max from Sepultura and a drum machine - brutal). The guitar sound just blew my mind. It was so corrosive and piercing that I bought a guitar off the back of that but quickly realised drums were where I was most comfortable i.e. I couldn’t play guitar well at all and still can’t.
That said, a few years later I really got into Hey Colossus and they had a tendency at that time to hammer one chord or a variation of it and be able to churn out song after song after song that were complete bangers. They are great players but hey proved to me you could be basic to extreme effect.
All these parts, love of music, love of drums, love of a great drum sound, love of great guitar sounds, catchy hooks, great riffs, heavy noise and the willingness to just go for it even if you aren't that technically proficient just added up to make me want to make noise with other like-minded people.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first the album you ever bought and why?
Dave: There were a lot of Pantera and Metallica posters on my wall. And a White Zombie one that my ma hated. She never explained why. There was a Machine Head poster at one point, but something about Robert Conrad Flynn looking over me while I slept didn't sit too well, so that came down. I didn't buy an album until a few years into my musical obsession. It was the early 90's and if you had a friend with a double cassette deck, music passed around. I'm sure aul Lars Ulrich would have been ragin at my hand drawn cover for Kill 'Em All. I'm pretty sure the first one I actually bought was 'Use Your Illusion I' by Guns 'n Roses on cassette. I'm certain the first album I bought on CD was 'Incesticide' by Nirvana. I still have that CD.
Matt: I think it was mainly whatever pull out posters came in Kerrang! magazine that week. I think I had a Robb Flynn Kerrang centrefold at one point circa The More Things Change when he looked like a meth-head trucker and a Trent Reznor poster where he looked like a cross between Zappa and Rasputin with the long hair, goatee and moustache. Absolute badass. Reznor. Not Flynn. Some of those Kerrang posters are now in the THVS practice room but that’s a story for another day.
Aside from the Kerrang! freebies, it was album artwork posters. One poster I did have up which took up most of a wall was the artwork from Terrorvision's Regular Urban Survivors album. It was a piss take of the old James Bond movie posters (the album was loosely spy themed from what I remember) and had the band members in various scenes of daring, danger and mild peril. It was cool and I loved the album at the time. It was the one with Bad Actress on it if you remember that song.
I think it was one of the first albums I bought with my saved-up pocket money. Quite the decision whether to go for the cassette or save up for another couple of weeks and go in deep on the CD. I manged to bide my time showing some restraint for a young teen and went in deep. Some horrendous songs on that album when you listen back but also some great songs. The drums on the intro to Superchronic are HUGE!!!!!!!! Severe use of reverb. The main Riff is snotty as fuck as well which is great. Hide The Dead Girl and Conspiracy were also complete bangers.
The band has been around for 6 years now, can you talk about how the band has changed and evolved over that period of time, musically, aesthetically and personally.
Dave: Matt and Mike started the band before I joined and had already written a bunch of stuff. When I heard the tracks for the first time it did remind me a lot of their previous bands work. Up to that point I'd mostly been playing in stoner rock bands, which y'know... is cool and all but I was ready for something a little more fast paced and angry. And some of our early work is REALLY angry. I wouldn't say we've mellowed out or anything, I know I like to err on the side of heavy when I write. But I think the songs have taken on a more structured form. There are hooks there, parts you could find yourself singing along to in the car. Or at least screaming along to. I think we managed to find a decent balance of catchiness whilst still holding onto that brutality that really makes heavy music what it is for me. Did we ever have an aesthetic? We're just three guys with instruments making a racket really. I did respray one of my basses a nice Neon Pink if that counts. Maybe going forward we can choose a theme and run with it. Cocktail dresses or something. Or we can all dress up as 80's wrestlers. I'd be into that actually.
Matt: I think when it started it was a means of doing something different from what each of us had done before. Musically it was lot heavier and noisier at the beginning and as we've moved on I think it has still kept the weight and heaviness but the old 'pop' element has crept in which I think was just a natural progression as we always messed around with poppier stuff in the practice room from time to time. The balance to that is we also have heavier stuff that never made it out of the practice room but maybe some day.
I think because we all came from heavy bands before maybe we were a bit reluctant at the start to embrace the pop until later down the road. Musically it's an evolution since we started but a very natural and organic one. The songs are definitely better now but that view might depend on who you talk to. We're still rooted in the ground where we started but the vines have spread.
Aesthetically we are still all ugly as sin and 6 years older therefore probably more aesthetically displeasing than ever? Dave has a better moustache 6years on which is a major plus point for all concerned including those who come to see us.
Personally, the band still provides a form of release, but I don't think I'm as angry as I was 6 years ago therefore it's probably a different type of release for me. We probably know each other as individuals better now, or you would hope we do. I’ve played in bands with Michael for over ten years at this point which is probably far too long by any means. Id say Everyone puts up with each other’s bullshit less now than we did at the start but that’s probably a good thing. Other than that, me and Dave still hate Dave Grohl. Michael still loves him. The more things change the more they stay the same as they say.
‘Fevers’ came out last year, can you talk about the album, the song writing process for that record, the recording process, your particular approach to those songs, did you have a specific idea of what you wanted to achieve with the album and did it meet your expectations?
Dave: That album is really THVS 2.0. The EPs we put out prior to that collect most of the old songs and the album is pretty much the birth of 'Heavy Pop'. Its where we really started leaning into that. Thats not to say all the songs were written with that in mind. Or even at the same time. Some of those songs are old, a couple were finished up not long before recording. Some of them were written by Matt and Mike while I was out of the country for 6 months. Some of them were written by me alone in an apartment in Toronto as a way of keeping old of my sanity. So it was in some ways an odd writing process. Recording itself was easy. We're total pros. Turn up, plug in, hit record. I'm sure almost every song was done in a single take. Maybe one or two needed a second go. But for the most part we are one take wonders. Passing judgement on your own work is always hard. Do I personally think it's good? I think it's badass. Certainly one of the best things I've ever been involved with musically. Has it had the attention it deserves? Probably not. You should listen to it though. Go do that. I can wait.
Matt: We had been working on the majority of the songs on Fevers for a while but with one thing and another their recording didn’t happen to later than we probably would have liked. That said, there were a few songs that came into their own and a few that came about in the run up to the recording which we wouldn’t have had if we had of recorded sooner so there was a benefit there.
We recorded with Jonny Munro at Bearcat Studios in Belfast over a long weekend. Not sure if Jonny’s still doing it but he had recorded our Plague ‘Windows’ EP back in 2017 and we were comfortable with him, so we got him involved for Fevers.
As with all THVS recordings, once we get up and running and ‘get sounds’ as I believe the term is, it’s pretty much all live from there on in, best of a few takes with minimal overdubs and vocals afterwards. We like to try and keep it sounding live and dangerous, like its maybe just about to come off the rails, so we have always opted to record live, everyone in a room and run with the best take. We found that recording that way helps us capture a live feel and the intensity and energy associated with that. I think we all wanted a really solid set of songs which was representative of the band at that time and I think we achieved that with Fevers. It was good to finally get them down and kind of close the lid on that process. There’s still some of those track s that haven’t been played out as much as they should so I envisage a lot of the lesser played stuff should feature heavily in any future live outings alongside new stuff.
What inspires you and what drives you to make music now, is there still that spark that there was when you first picked up your instrument, as were all older how has your relationship with music changed over time?
Dave: Same as ever. Get out and play shows with your friends. I'm starting to move into the twilight of my life and thats still what I want to do. Entertain. Create something and then go "Hey... here's this thing I did. Enjoy it. Or dont. I'm not your real ma like". I'm long past the point of thinking I'll ever make a living from this, but the desire to make music and play it live never dies. Don't get me wrong, putting in all that work, getting yourself to venues, all that stuff we all do as bands.... and then playing to 4 people INCLUDING the bar staff is frustrating. And when you need to get up for work the next morning you do start to wonder if you've lost your mind. But it is what it is. When you're into what you're doing, you'll do it.
Matt: Day to day life, release against the shit things in the world, celebration of the good things in the world, gender inequality, 90's noise rock, side scrolling beat ‘em ups and a desire to make as much of an unholy racket as possible. Those things still hold true even in old age although I’ll be honest and say it can be harder with one thing and another to devote the time and energy to it that you once had when you were in your teens. Adult responsibilities can be the ultimate buzz kill.
That said, If I hear a new band or artist that gets me going and the juices flowing that is normally the catalyst to drive me to start creating and playing and gets me excited about doing it. Metz are one of the recent examples of this, I came to the party on that one just before their third album dropped and when I dug in it just became an obsession. I’m still buzzing from seeing them live in Dublin about two years ago. Great great band. Outside of that, the last two Coilguns albums really grabbed me in a way that makes me want to play and create every time I listen to them.
The music THVS play is at its heart heavy aggressive music, is there still a lot to be angry about in 2020, does the band act as a catharsis for these things, what do THVS have to bring to the table in terms of helping make sense of the world around us?
Dave: I'd like to say I'm an angry young man but I'm not. I'm an angry old man. And as long as my knees hold out, I think I've still got some music to make. When this current situation (Thats the COVID-19 pandemic, people reading this in 2045) is over, when we're a band again, if we're a band again, I'd like to see THVS go down that harsher path. We've done the 'Heavy Pop' but I think we can go heavier whilst still maintaining the balancing act. Heavy Heavy Pop if you will.
Matt: Musically THVS is and always will be a cathartic release when we play albeit that release may have altered over the last 6 years. We're a noisy and abrasive thing and there's a definite release of pressure that comes from playing this type of music and sweating and aching it.
I would have said at the end of 2019 that personally I was in a happier place and maybe there were fewer things to get annoyed about but this whole COVID-19 thing and how its being handled by Governments at home and abroad and the overall idiocy of the human race in general really just amplifies that, yes, in 2020 there is more to be angry about than ever. If we ever come out the far side of this id say the next THVS album will be a super heavy pissed off party album. We’ll want to rage but we’ll also want to party when this is said and done. Gotta, get that balance.
THVS heralded themselves as the worlds first and only heavy pop band, where does heavy pop go from here, without ever being nostalgic ‘Fevers’ has a very definite 90’s era feel to it, is that a road the band will continue to go down?
Dave: I guess the 90's feel really stems from us as people and where our own musical tastes flourished from. You write from experience, and my fondest memories of music are all rooted in the early to mid 90's. Are we gonna start mixing in elements of more modern music? Probably not. I don't even know what modern music is. But we can play with our formula. There's plenty of scope in what we do to keep it fresh and exciting. And of course, you can never EVER be too heavy.
Matt: I think we were the first to be overtly heavy pop, probably a few before us that were the forebearers and kept it on the downlow. But yeah, it’s a thing. The 90’s was also a thing, great and awful, like sweet and sour. We’ve had a bit of time away due to one thing and another and that break has been reinforced with this COVID-19 situation. Id like to think if things get back to normal that any road we go down in the future will be a natural and organic direction building on what we’ve done before.
As much as Fevers is a fantastic record, I’ve no real interest in doing Fevers Pt 2, I’m sure no one has. It’s a bit of a cop out when a band turns out a new album and its essentially the same as what came before it. The next one will be the next logical step on from that but likely framed, as I’ve said, as a super heavy pissed off party album that stands as its own thing distinct from Fevers.
The scene both north and south seems to be stronger than ever, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
Dave: Is there a scene? I can't really talk about the south, maybe things are different down there. But is there a scene up here? It doesn't feel like it. There are the bands that are friendly with promoters that get put on every bill. Does that count as a scene? There are the bands that go out of their way to tick every single box on the 'current year' social politics list to appeal to as many people as they possibly can. Does that count as a scene? Is that what a scene is? Maybe I'm too old and cynical these days. There are plenty of bands working hard and who obviously love what they do. Those are the people that should be getting nurtured and being pushed. But it doesn't seem to happen. Music is in a strange place. It has been for a long time. People don't listen to or consume music in the same way anymore. If you have the right look, if you tick those boxes, if you're 'marketable' you'll go far. If thats the scene, then yeah. I guess it's thriving.
Matt: Fagash McCann are great. Two guys making a great noise that sounds like an army of ten guys.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records?
Dave: Clutch - Robot Hive/Exodus Deftones - Around the Fur Will Haven - WHVN Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill Alice in Chains - Facelift
Matt: For me, in THVS land the following hold weight in the heavy realm but are subject to change daily: Will Haven - Carpe Diem Melvins - Bullhead These Arms Are Snakes – Easter Helmet - Strap It On Deftones - Around The Fur
Harley & the Wolf blend delicate harmonies and big riffs to write stadium sized emotionally driven alternative rock. They seamlessly take elements from various different genres and meld them all into creating the Harley & the Wolf sound. Not afraid to wear the heart and influences on their sleeve with charge lead by Christi's voice he's not afraid to embrace to local accent which actually helps lend a familiarity to the bands songs. Harley & the Wolf released their debut EP, 'Youthful Souls' at the beginning of this year, a bold opening statement from a band that will surely go from strength to strength.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
So, we all grew up with musical parents doing a wide range of different things, from singing to playing in bands and even teaching. We were also very much influenced by watching our favourite bands on TV and other social platforms.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first the album you ever bought and why?
This answer naturally varies for each member. Rico's first band poster was Justin Hawkins from the Darkness and his first album was Appetite for Destruction. Christi's first poster was of Pink Floyd and being somewhat inseparable as kids, his first album was the same as Rico's, Appetite for Destruction by Guns and Roses. Pete's first album was the Young and the Hopeless by Good Charlotte and his first poster was. Steven's first album was the classic Infest by Papa Roach with the poster to match!
You released your debut EP ‘Youthful Souls’ earlier this year can you tell us about the song writing and recording process for this? Can you tell us about any over arching themes it covers lyrically?
The four songs that feature on Youthful Souls were actually written a decade ago for an older band that we were in. After that band broke up and life took us in different directions for a number of years, we reconnected last year and began to revive the songs we had written all those years ago. We spent almost 7/8 months reworking these songs and crafting them into what they are today. We then naturally got to a point of needing to bring them to life, so we joined forces with Andrew Dougherty from Sonic Visuals in early November and spent two days in his studio in Broughshane recording all four songs. In terms of lyrical themes, it's really quite a broad spectrum. It covers everything from love & loss, relationships breaking down and the recovery from those life events as well as things like growing up , being stuck in 'day jobs' and a desire to break out of that routine of the 9-5.
You won the Goats Toe Battle of the Bands which is amazing. Can you tell us a bit about that experience and what benefit this was to the band? The overall experience was incredible. As a band who hadn't played together in almost seven years, coming back with a new idea, new band and even a new lineup. It was a fantastic way to shake the rust off so to speak and experience the adrenaline and thrill of playing in front of a crowd again, dipping our toes back into that world and all of the behind the scenes work that goes along with putting on a good show.We definitely set the standard for ourselves with the shows with regards to the energy and passion we wanted to bring to every show from that point on. And then to actually win was just icing on the cake to what was an experience we'll likely never forget.
Can you talk about the Harley and The Wolf song writing process, what inspires you to write, is there a cathartic element to the song writing, is having the band as a filter for the world around you important?
Our process of writing songs is fairly standard. Either Rico or Christi will come up with an idea or a riff and bring it to the group. Then we will generally get together as a group and work through it, adding our individual elements to it. We generally take inspiration for songs from the world around us, current circumstances and experiences and everything in between. Since moving on from the writing of Youthful Souls, we want to continue to write songs about life and the issues that we all face as human beings with the hope that people can find something to relate too.
The recent Corona outbreak has impacted bands and also given rise to a number of new ways for bands to continue to reach their fans. How have you continued to maintain the creative process within the band, has the band been negatively impacted at all?
The recent outbreak of Coronavirus has been very tough all folk in the music industry, like the majority of bands across the world our upcoming gigs have all been postponed which is hard as it's something we absolutely love doing. On the positive side, we have started writing new songs and working on demos through the wonderful world of remote sessions. We are each very lucky to have our own individual recording rigs which has allowed us to continue to be creative and work on new material during this difficult time of quarantine.
What does post corona 2020 hold for Harley and The Wolf, are there any plans for further releases?
Post Corona, we're hoping to really get back to playing as many gigs as possible in support of Youthful Souls. In terms of new releases, we're hoping to get back in the studio later this year. As yet we're undecided how that will look, either another EP or a few singles, but whichever we decide you'll definitely be hearing more from us this year.
The scene both north and south seems to be stronger than ever, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
There are so many great bands on both sides of the border, if we had to pick some of our favourites they would be would be, Psychdelanaut, Sugarwolf, Scared of the Dark is an absolute banger and ForeignWolf. Just to name a few select picks.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records.
So we chose to approach this question with each band members top record of all time and then one we love collectively.
Rico's top record was, Deaf Havana - Fools and Worthless Liars.
Christi's top record was Twin Atlantic - Vivarium.
Pete's top record was King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine.
Steven's top record was AFI - Sing the Sorrow.
And collectively we chose an album that really inspired us when we first got together as a band and is an album that we still very much love today which is Paramore's album Riot.
PUNK IS DEAD, not according to Mob Wife though, Mob Wife are not about leather jackets and liberty spikes but they fully embody what punk truly is, an attitude, a freedom and at its best a pure form of expression. A Belfast 3 piece that create a cacophony of sound, equal parts abrasive and melodic all topped of by Chris Lecky's nihilistic filter through which he views the world. I'm not sure Carmela would book them for the latest Soprano family gathering but that just adds to the charm. Chris gave us insight into the world of Mob Wife.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
Wilson worked a gig once in the Ulster Hall and he told me it was just these local bands playing which I thought was quite odd considering the size of the venue. We met up the next day and he showed me who they were. First was LaFaro and second was And So I Watch You From Afar, from then on it was pretty much, let's just do that as best we can.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first record you ever bought and why?
I always had an Iggy Pop poster in my wall in whatever house I was in at the time, it's still hanging on a wall in Chengdu China from when I lived there a few years ago. First record I bought was Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park, I got it because I had never seen guys look like that before and I thought it was cool. Oh how times have changed...
I’ve been listening back to Warm Water, Captain Care A Lot and Hellsong. They’re full of tight angular abrasive sounds and riffs. Can you talk about what drives you to make this kind of music, how important is it to have the band as a filter to make sense of the world around you?
Warm Water and Care A Lot were written in the same mind frame and around the same time. I wanted to push this super abrasive sound while retaining a lot of melody and odd chords. I'm basically aping a formula that At The Drive In and Fugazi did years before. They're both not the most lyrically driven songs but I liked that, I wanted it to be a big statement saying "what's up we're Mob Wife and this is us". Hellsong is just catharsis for me, it's quite old and it's just about getting some stuff out that I needed to.
You recently put out the excellent split with Cruiser. Can you tell us about how that came into being? ‘Clean’ is quite a departure stylistically from the other recorded material, with dare I say a Pixies kinda feel to it, is this a hint at a different direction for the band?
We played our third show in Limerick and met Ger from Cruiser there, got on really great and stayed in touch. We invited them up to Belfast and met the rest of the guys and got on great with them too. I think they're one of the best Irish bands I've ever seen so I wanted to be involved with them in anyway I could. It was just a matter of a simple email asking and then off we went. I don't really know how to describe Clean, I just wanted to write something with a bit more substance and little more laid back and it just clicked with everyone.
Can you talk about what kind of themes or topics you cover lyrically and your approach to writing lyrics and vocals. Is there still a lot to be pissed off or question in the foul year of our lord 2020?
Being pissed off lyrically is my bread and butter it's all I really know from being in previous bands but lately I've tried to be a bit more introspective. Ultimately, I just wanna put on paper what I'm feeling at the time. Currently that's just nostalgia and realising where I am now.
I know Chris and Wilson are tight bros from way back when. Our old bands played a show together many years ago in The Slemish. Did Wilson joining on drums change the band at all, is it important to maintain those kinds of musical relationships over the years?
Wilson's a hardcore drummer, that's not to say he's not versatile or willing to change things up but he's most comfortable playing things with a lot of power and from playing with him for almost 10 years now we know each other musically in a tee. So that's very important to get that level of musicianship with someone. Carl's the same with us, because Wilson and I think alike, Carl knows where we're going.
You’ve had a few single releases up to now, are there plans for an EP or album or do you feel those formats are still relevant in the face of streaming. Our split with Cruiser came out on cassette which was super cool, are there any plans for explore alternative formats for future releases, 8 track or laser disc making of the album?
We're working on an album which should be done soon but obviously we can't make money at the moment. EPs are done I think, you don't get any press and they're a lot of effort for very little back, I feel it's best to just work towards an album. Obviously the goal.is vinyl but unless we get some funding, CD will have to do.
The scene both north and south seems to be stronger than ever, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
The ones I can think of now are Junk Drawer, Careerist, Problem Patterns, Cruiser, Post Punk Podge, Hey Rusty but obviously there's so many more that are amazing.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records
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