Are there any sweeter words than Leeds and post-punk? A notorious hotspot for spitting out post-punk outfits of note, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – there must be something in the water up in that fine Northern city (besides, as with the rest of the country, sewage…)
Enter Objections. Formed out of the lockdown purgatory when Neil Turpin and Joe O’Sullivan shelved former band Bilge Pump and united with Claire Adams of Nape Neck, the objective was to start something new.
Swiftly signed up with tastemakers Wrong Speed Records (Hey Colossus, Part Chimp, Big Break), debut 7″ ‘BSA Day / Better Luck Next Time‘ followed (the former one of our ‘Top 50 songs of 2023‘) and in April 2024 they released ‘Optimistic Sizing‘, their debut album proper. Objective well and truly under way.
Off the back of its release, we thought it might be nice to have Objections take us through the 10 tracks of ‘Optimistic Sizing‘, one by one. They thought it was a spiffing idea and responded accordingly. But before we get to that, here’s a word from bassist and vocalist Claire Adams on writing and being in a band with Joe and Neil. Take it away, Claire.
A few words about the release from Claire:
“I try and write about usual things like politics and relationships and also white working culture in a way that is both celebratory and honest about the uglier aspects of it. I’m a plumber and gas engineer and work on building sites and get a lot of material from things I overhear as well as thing people say to me directly. It helps keep me sane at work. If I overhear something insanely bigoted I can soften the blow to my morale by remembering that I can use that in a song down the line.
I’ve not been the sole singer and lyricist in a band before and it’s surprisingly enjoyable (even if it does often feel like I have extra homework to do.) I always think good bands emerge out of at least one member being pushed outside of there comfort zone and that was mine.
I’m still thrilled at being in a band with Joe and Neil. It’s an absolute honour and me 20 years ago would never have believed it.“
Claire: “This is about the Queen dying and the bizarre aftermath of public mourning and various brands having to announce their grief at this difficult time. I celebrated the death with a tequila down the pub with friends. Good riddance.”
Neil Turpin (drums): “It’s possible to hear the intro to this song in a couple of different ways. If you want to know how it was intended then you count ONE two three FOUR FIVE six SEVEN, ONE two three FOUR FIVE six SEVEN, ONE two three FOUR FIVE six SEVEN. And so on.“
Joe O’Sullivan (guitar): “I believe this started from Neil’s drum pattern. I just played one note whilst I got used to the timing before coming up with something better. Turned out that one note was good enough.”
Claire: “Relationships are hard. Especially when you’re completely ill-suited romantically, intellectually and sexually.”
Neil: “This is ‘Whole Lotta Love‘ to me. Joe plays the same riff all the way through so maybe it’s like ‘Free Fallin’‘ (by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) to him? Probably not though.“
Joe: “Started out as some ridiculous long Fripp type guitar riff. Each time we tried it we whittled it down, until it became this. There will be recordings of the stages of the whittle. Always nice to have only one riff in an entire song.“
Claire: “The endlessly cruel cycle of western imperialism and war all the time.”
Neil: “Mostly simmering, occasionally boiling over; 5/4 crossed with phasing three’s cycling round and round and round. The ending is pure LS6 nostalgia.“
Joe: “Another one where I just played something simple as a marker whilst I got used to the timing. Still haven’t got used to the timing yet; have to try and totally ignore the others when playing it. One day.“
Claire: “The crap seaside town I grew up in has been gentrified regenerated. (I like what you’ve done with the place, can I come back?)
It’s a very nice place to live now, unless you’re poor from there originally, in which case you have to live in the still-really-shit bit, or – worse – move to Dover.”
Neil: “This song introduced me to Morcheeba and south coast gentrification. Thanks, Claire.”
Joe: “I think this came from jamming around Claire’s bass line, don’t remember much else. Apart from Neil said one of my guitar bits sounds like Lenny Kravitz!!! (I’d rather focus on the tasteful Steve Cropper style ending.)“
Claire: “Boozing is fun, boozing is also not very good for you, boozing makes you do strange things.“
Neil: “This is a real oddball song. It goes down well at gigs. People love a massive Hawkwind-esque rock n’ roll ending.”
Joe: “I’d just built a new tremolo pedal and came up with the guitar bit whilst trying it out. The other two did an excellent drum and bass workout over the top. Then I suggested ending it with a Hawkwind style rocking out. What’s not to like?“
Claire: “Meet someone, fancy them, want to snog them.”
Neil: “We needed one more song to have enough for an album so we locked ourselves in the practice room for a day and this is what we came up with. I was still working out how to play it when it came time to record it. I wish I’d kept the hi-hats closed a fraction tighter. A micro regret, but listen for the vocal harmony tone low in the mix – that’s a nice idea by Michael Ward.“
Joe: “We tried a few different combinations of instruments for the verse until I think Claire suggested the oscillator. Neil then suggested dropping the bass out as well. Sounded great first time, came together very quick after that; Claire came up with the vocal melody very early.“
Claire: “At work I saw a lovely young bloke become increasingly more and more bigoted thanks to the older dickhead builders he was working with. They really trained him up in all the worst aspects of traditionalist, white, male, working-class culture. It’s rotten.“
Neil: “Written in the Saltburn practice room which we share with the congregation of the Saltburn Spiritual Church. They (and their visiting spirit mediums) don’t like it when we leave the amps and drums in the room. Maybe it interferes with their communion with the dead? I’d enquire, but they’re far too scary.“
Joe: “This came together even quicker. In about ten minutes (slight exaggeration) at the end of a practice (same day we wrote ‘Idiot Fill‘). Then spent another couple of minutes chopping and changing. Sorted.“
Claire: “Two of my favourite musicians who were in a band I idolised have asked me to be in a band with them. Fuuuucking heellllllllll.“
Neil: “The drum intro was an off-the-cuff thing in the studio which we decided to keep. Translated into English it would read, “Okay, no fucking about, get it right this time, Turpin.”“
Joe: “First one we used the oscillator on. Can’t really remember how it came about or how I convinced the others an oscillator was a good idea. Always fun to play live, it’s got a bit of everything for me!“
Claire: “It’s hard keeping sane around bigots. Particularly the insane, motormouth bigots I work with on building sites. All this fuss about asbestos is woke. Europe is woke. Seatbelts are woke. Holding your breath under water is woke.
Don’t let the dickheads grind you down.“
Neil: “Another song formed in the Saltburn practice room. I’m not sure if it really has a space theme, but as a band we did discuss our preferences as to whether we’d like to go into space. One of us was up for it, another was on the fence and one preferred the depths of the ocean in a submersible.“
Joe: “I have no memory of how this song came about, but I suspect it started with the bass line. Again I’m clearly just playing something really simple until I come up with something better (never do.) First time we played it live I made such a mess of it (toes curling just thinking of it.)“
Claire: “Please don’t break up with me. I’ll do anything to stop that. Oh we’re having sex again. Cool.“
Neil: “Optimism is starting a new prog-noise trio and thinking it’s going to sound fresh and exciting when the combined age of the group is a 142 years old.“
Joe: “I had a few different random guitar riffs lying around that I thought could be sellotaped together. With the help of a couple of actual musicians it succeeded. I think if I presented a dog turd to the other two they could make it sound good!“
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