The Rattlesnakes have rocketed to the top of the UK rock scene in the short space of six years, culminating in them headlining the Download Pilot Festival back in June of this year. One thing this band can not be knocked for is their fearless attitude and ambition. Across the three full lengths we’ve had so far, they’ve always come in with a fresh angle and album four is no different.
With many artists getting reflective at the current state of the world, Frank and the gang kick back at the idea of a ‘lockdown album’ as ‘Sticky’ gets right back into the thick of it.
I’ll admit, I’d have been quite happy with another set of heartfelt ‘Humbug‘ inspired alt rock belters like on predecessor ‘End Of Suffering‘, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the chaos here. Punchy drums and fuzzed up bass lines make up the backbone to Frank and Dean’s party punk antics. It’s clear that a stylistic step has been made and it makes for their most cohesive set to date.
Though recent singles ‘My Town’ and ‘Get A Tattoo’ boast uber catchy choruses that have been wedged in my head, it’s the raucous moments that hit hardest. The title track is a pure explosion of razor sharp riffs and a proper bop of a hook, primed for the live show, while ‘Off With His Head‘ is a scuzz pop banger that attacks with a full throttle chorus, completed by some outrageously powerful vocals from Cassyette.
Of course it’s worth mentioning that this is very much a collab heavy affair, with Joe Talbot and Lynks both upping the energy in spades on the aforementioned singles. I was particularly stoked to hear the main man Bobby Gillespie add some effortlessly cool vocals to the climactic, religion tackling drama of closer ‘Original Sin‘. As if this record didn’t have enough attitude already, the collaborations are superbly matched and continue to propel the unfathomed energy that does not let up across the tracklist.
If that wasn’t enough, you still get the power pop brilliance of ‘End of Suffering’ sneaking back in on tracks like ‘Cupid’s Arrow’ and ‘Cobra Queen’, both superbly displaying the strength of Frank’s voice. Another redeeming quality of The Rattlesnakes is how they never make the same album twice, but they still sound so distinct; it’s not an easy task. You could say that this is down to vocals of Mr Carter, but I think that the chemistry Frank and Dean share as songwriting partners is so unbelievably crystal clear to hear within this project. ‘Sticky‘ is a fun fuelled return that holds the style and the substance to take The Rattlesnakes all the way.
Southampton based songwriter Ian Miles has been writing and recording under a solo guise since he was 15. However, you may be aware of Ian’s life in various punk rock bands, most notably the guitarist for one of the best alt rock bands in the country right now, Creeper. Despite many solo releases scattered about online, Ian is ready to give things a proper go and introduce those unaware of his solo work thanks, in part, to the good folk at Big Scary Monsters.
Written and recorded at home back in 2018, ‘Degradation Death Decay‘ has been locked in the vaults for some time. But with Creeper putting out some of their most flamboyant and widescreen material to date this past year, it’s interesting to see a completely different side of Ian’s songwriting. Taking influence from performance art, horror films, Americana and emo-folk, this is equal amounts haunting and hopeful.
Mostly, this is a lo-fi acoustic affair that lays bare very fragile performances, as we dive deep into the song psyche. The atmosphere can be quite tense at times, but I find it really helps drive the emotional resonance of these songs as Ian takes a magnifying glass to relationships, love and mental health.
‘Priority‘ feels like the lyrical centrepiece to the album, as Ian acknowledges his support system and the people that have helped him through the hardships of life. There is such an aching sense of vulnerability that Ian lets us in on, but you never feel like you’re encroaching, which comes from the immediacy of the melodies. It’s incredibly clear to hear the skill in song craft on display, particularly on some of the full band moments – from the moody, indie-rock tones of ’Overwhelmed’ to the folk pop brilliance of ‘Truest Blue’ and ‘Blood In My Mouth’.
‘Degradation Death Decay’ is an album that works on many levels. It very much takes on a theatrical persona, whilst being extremely direct in its lyrical themes and performances. It is heart-breaking, optimistic, and thrilling all at the same time, but for me its main draw is its sincerity and honesty. Ian Miles has sculpted a perfect soundtrack as we move into winter, one which encapsulates both the bleakness and the beauty of the dark.
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Tell you what – we love hearing from artists when things go right. We equally love hearing from artists when things go dreadfully wrong. A song that was a piece of piss, written in 20 minutes? Or years in the making and a bastard to write?
Whether it’s a song that came together through great duress or one that was smashed out in a short amount of time, we’re getting the lowdown from some of our favourites on the one song that they can’t stop thinking about – in their own words.
In the run up to the release of their new album ‘Nocturnal Manoeuvres‘ (out October 8th via Brace Yourself Records), John Newton of two-headed noise machine JOHN talks us through new single ‘Stadium of No’.Take it away, John…
“Having been scythed down by the worldwide pandemic around March 2020 – just after a triumphant show in Athens, Greece – we found ourselves at a distance for the first time in a long while. Myself (John Newton – Drums/Vocals) out in the sticks in the South West of England, and Johnny (Healey – Guitar) in our headquarters in Crystal Palace.
With about 3/4 songs of the new record chalked on the board and the constant rescheduling of live dates, we knew that we were best served getting in a writing room as soon as we were allowed. ‘Stadium of No’ seemed to appear out of the ether as soon as we returned in July, written in a temporary rehearsal room under the twenty-four hours lights of a Croydon Industrial Estate. Quite fitting for the album title ‘Nocturnal Manoeuvres’.
We really enjoyed the mechanical sound as soon as it appeared in the rehearsal room – the guitars, bass vocals and drums all locking into the rhythm in time-honoured ‘JOHN’ fashion. We know how important it is to capture fresh ideas as soon as they arrive at the mental door, so we had a rough recording after very few takes.
I remember that the lyrics came together in very quick succession also, whilst I was standing out in the garden of my flat at midnight – shortly after returning from the session. I texted Johnny the words (even though he was most probably asleep) with my surprise at how quickly they had rolled into the world. There were of course a few tweaks here and there, but the pentameter offered by the rhythm meant it was really simple to lock in a vocal pattern. I’ve always like the image of an empty stadium, there’s something incredibly impotent about them when you strip away all the bodies that activate the structure.
We always look forward to the experimentation that the studio brings, and our producer Wayne Adams (at Bear Bites Horse) was a real help when it comes to finer details of layers and arrangement. There’s a pretty hilarious multiplied vocal take of ‘NO!’ (mirroring the title) buried in the chorus sections. Listening to the take dry was excruciatingly painful, but when down in the mix, it certainly helped bring a depth beneath the deliberately mechanical instrumentation. There’s something a bit Devo-ish to the staccato nature of the track and I really liked this as a reference point for its metronomic intent.“
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Ever have that thing where you look at a word written down for too long and you have to question whether it’s actually a word? Is my mind playing tricks? Is that really how it’s spelt? Surely not…
The new video from Crystal Palace duo JOHNdoes its best to ruin the word for those with the above affliction (as you’ll soon find out), given it’s on screen throughout via their faithful light box, which live show attendees might recall if they’ve been witness to their furious two-pronged attack.
The brilliant video was produced by the equally brilliant Tom Brewins, who’s made us double over with laughter in the past for productions for USA Nails and Wasted Death. On the concept behind the visuals, Brewins captures the “monotony of loading in gear, waiting around, performing, loading out and driving home before you’ve remembered to even enjoy yourself.“
Slightly more restrained than their noisier moments on previous releases, it still packs a proper wallop. For those after something physical, a 7″ is on the way July 2nd via the band’s own Pets Care imprint, as well as their new home of Brace Yourself Records. On top of that, having previously supported the likes of IDLES, METZ and Mclusky, the pair are heading out on the road again with a host of dates – details of which can be found here.
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Here at Birthday Cake For Breakfast, we like to get to the heart of what an artist is all about. We feel the music they listen to is just as important as the music they make.
With the year coming to a close (and having announced our Top 50songs of 2020), we’ve decided to once again turn it on its head a bit and ask some of our favourites what releases they’ve been raving about this year. With that in mind, we’re chuffed to have former GB athlete Jimmy Watkins – currently cooking up a storm with his brilliant ‘Running Reviews‘ – talk to us about some of his favourite releases from the past 12 months.
“I read something recently that said if you create art with courage, it automatically becomes political. The idea is that bravery will always stand up to what’s corrupt in the world. This album is like that for me. When I listen to it, it makes me feel like I’m still living in the world before the pandemic. It seems to exist in a parallel universe where none of this has happened. There’s an intimacy and playfulness to this album which I honestly don’t think I’ve heard on a record before. If you listen to it and look at the artwork, you feel like you’re on the other side of the table to Billy Nomates.
It’s an album with so many highlights, I could write an essay about it. Off the top of my head, there’s the chorus to ‘Hippy Elite’, which blows my mind every time, there’s the rolling bass line to ‘No’ which makes me feel like I’m racing through space in a homemade rocket, there’s the backing vocals on ‘Escape Artist‘ that carry me away into the night, and then there’s that uppercut guitar on ‘Fat White Man’ that makes me feel like I could walk through buildings. It’s not just the music though. Billy Nomates casually tosses lyrics around that land perfectly like light and shade in an Edward Hopper painting. You walk and dance with her through each song, picking up the smell of a strangers aftershave, or the hum of the fridge in a supermarket freezer section.
There’s an amazing narrative shift on ‘FNP’ where Billy Nomates suddenly sings to you and includes you in the song. When I first heard that, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. This is an album I keep turning to, no matter what mood I’m in. I feel like it’s an album that understands the listener, and helps them see their world a little clearer and with a new found sense of humour! In a weird way it has the personality of a Van Halen guitar solo. It seems to be plugged directly into the artist creating it. It’s like mainlining joy!”
“I fell in love with this band the moment I heard the bass intro to ‘Jillian’. It bounced around my head like a brand new basketball and I suddenly found myself on Team Dream Nails. As I ran to this album I got whisked up on the journey with them, and moved through different revolving doors as we all chased freedom and acceptance. I hung on every word that Janey Starling sung, and I stopped to catch my breath as Anya Pearson quickly became my guitar hero. I’ve never wanted to join a band so much in my life. I’d happily play one chord per song, just to stand in the centre of the hurricane that holds each song together.
When I thought this feeling of sugary bliss would last forever, dark clouds rumbled through the end of ‘This is The Summer’, and then it hit me. This is an album that rolls like an avalanche towards the realisation that men have the ability to ruin everything, including that party that you’ve been invited to. I was ashamed and disgusted at the destructive power of my own sex. When the punch-bag heavy riffs of ‘Payback’ hit me, I noticed I was running with clenched fists. When the chorus for ‘Kiss My Fist’ burst like a fountainhead through my skull, that was it, I was committed to Team Dream Nails for life! This is an empowering and eye opening album. It inspires rage and kindness. It offers you an ice cream and then punches your lights out!”
“In many ways, this album has changed my life. Idles were kind enough to let me do a Running Review before it came out. That was such a big deal for me and Running Punks, but that is not what I mean when I say this album changed my life. No, it was more profound than that. I heard something on my first listen and it seemed to mirror my own inner journey as a man who’s faced some demons and has battled through to find a place of peace and understanding. Connecting with an album like that is life changing! The same happened when I first heard ‘Damn’ by Kendrick Lamar, and these two albums feel very similar to me. They both seem to be about reversing curses that you’ve inherited due to where and how you were brought up as a young person.
I’m also a massive fan of the guitars on this record. I think Idles have always been seen as a bass led band, and I think the main sonic change on this album is brought about by some delicious 1950s style guitars!”
“I love music with holes in it. I like it to have gaps in logic and to move me in a hard to define way like poetry. This album does exactly that. Guitars climb and crawl through fascinating and spooky landscapes, while flashes of wonderful lyrics light up the sonic territory like lightning from the pen of a fearless artist. This is my night time running album. I’ve thought about how I can do a Running Review of it, and I’ll be brave enough to try it one day. It reminds me of Captain Beefheart, and that wonderful space you occupy between being awake and falling asleep.
This album contains a song called ‘Futures’, which is probably my favourite song of the year. It has this lyric about a shipwreck being in a garage, and when I first heard that, it was like an image had been burned on my imagination. I closed my eyes and saw that shipwreck, I went to the shops and I saw that shipwreck. The shipwreck followed me around all day. It also has the line “think of the futures that you want, that guided you here.” I could live inside that thought forever!”
“Picking 5 albums from this year has been really tough. I’ll have to do my own list because I feel like I’ve left a lot of great stuff out here. Venom Prison deserves this slot because they are the first death metal band I’ve ever listened to and I absolutely loved it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time I heard this album.
At first I was just so excited to be running to it, but then bits of music started jumping out at me and I was like “oh my word, I’ve never heard anything like that before.” It’s got these hooks and bits of swing which just totally take you by surprise. It gets better and better with every listen. I am absolutely fascinated by it. I’m fascinated by this band. I have no idea how anyone can play music like this. In amongst all the riffs and chaos, there’s a beauty and that beauty is best summed up with the lyric “everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.” This album is unique in that it crushes your skull and offers you hope. Amazing!”
Catch Jimmy on one of his many, many ‘Running Reviews‘ – putting out brilliant takes on releases from the past and present with a wonderful outlook on music and, well, just about everything. He also kick-started the Running Punks, with their mission statement being human development – “…to change lives for the better through showing those who don’t fit into the traditional running scene the benefits of running on the body, mind and soul.”
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When The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster split for the second and final time in 2013, they left a huge, deeply depressing, psychobilly shaped hole in the U.K music scene. Having toured with the likes of Q.O.T.S.A amongst others and being coveted by much of the mainstream music press and a dedicated fan base, many hoped they would continue their legacy for years to come. They were a once in a lifetime group, with wide ranging influence on many of today’s younger bands with their unique song writing and energetic live shows.
Next in the pipeline for bassist Sym Gharial and guitarist Andy Huxley was Piano Wire, which still held a lot of the elements of their previous outfit but maybe didn’t fulfil their full potential in this body of work, feeling much more of a stripped back DIY sound.
Fast forward three years since the second Piano Wire LP and Sym has stepped out on his own. He is here to tell his story and dizzying journey, but through a markedly different musical style. The album title very literally describes who Sym is and the lyrical themes and experiences he would be exploring and putting to his audience, whilst exorcising some past demons in the process. He does not stand alone when delivering his thoughts and brings along an eclectic group of friends and musicians to add depth throughout.
The first of four ‘Sikh Punk’ tracks opens the album with a recording of Portobello market. A slow, punchy but chilled electro beats flows in with the distant echo of Sym’s two nephews reading excerpts from the poem ‘Ballad of Reading Gaol and Panthea’, written by Oscar Wilde in France after his release from Reading Gaol after two years spent performing hard labour in inhumane conditions. It highlights the brutalisation of the punishment that all convicts share.
One of the lead singles, ‘Ballad of Markland Estate’, showcases Sym’s new direction. Unsurprisingly bass heavy for the 4-string player, it pulls from the late 90s and early 00s likes of Prodigy and progressive house, unlike the garage punk of his past. Sym cuts through with dissonant screams but the lead vocals are left to the first of many guests, Le Junk.
The album continues the bass led, electronic grooves throughout, noticeably without any guitars and with programmed drums. ‘Dress Like Me’ brings in a hooky rhythm and singalong vocal lines ‘Dress like me, dance with me, cut your hair and wander free’. One of the lyrics that addresses Sym’s personal struggles fitting in with the music scene in Brighton.
‘Beautiful Scum’ brings elements of 80’s pop with more melody, uplifting electronics, a fuzz laden bass line and a beat you can easily get drawn into, similar to the likes of Ladytron. ‘Worship Art’ touches on Sym’s other industrial influences such as Nine Inch Nails, showing that he is not a one trick pony.
The album is a mixtape of his mind, loosely based on The Clash’s ‘Sandinista’. A moulding of various styles but held together with the sticky tape of the four ‘Sikh Punk’ tracks. The third and fourth of these brings in the two star guests, Joe Talbot (IDLES) and Mick Jones (The Clash), to read further excerpts from Oscar Wilde’s poem. Beautifully backed by Jon Natchez (War on Drugs) with looming sax and trumpet lines, fading out with voices from London’s community.
The lyrics and themes traversed are deeply dark and personal, covering drugs, racism and a constant struggle trying to fit in. However being so reflective, at times the elevating music to Sym’s story make this an album well worth paying attention to and taking in and savouring.
(Photo Credit: Steve Gullick)
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Noise rock trio TRVSS(it’s pronounced “truss”) recently put out their second full length, ‘New Distances (or, the exquisite value in lying tooneself)‘ and it’s — ah you know what, just go buy it, right now, this instant. It’s up on their bandcamp page as a digital release but you really should get the cassette from the inimitable Cruel Nature. Just open another tab. I’ll wait right here, I’m not leaving the house anymore what with the ‘rona and all. Don’t worry bout me oh no, I’m sittin’ here sad and blue thinkin’ bout how all that Idles/Fat White Family spat is just a nothing but- oh, uh, you’re back already. That was fast. Cool cool.
Now that you’ve bought it, you’ll notice those trebly dissonant chords and the absolutely massive bass and drums, the caterwaul that turns to a dissonant stop-start. And those vocals! Scratchy and trebly like the guitar, and often at least as distorted. It’s especially cool that there’s often a dual vocal, one howling and the other talking, or one shriek-singing and the other yelling, kinda like when Fugazi was at their most tortured. TRVSS have a great sound, right? The drums and bass drive things forward with those pounding and tense rhythms, while the guitar and vocals switch off between being a third and fourth rhythm instrument and being a source of texture.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that the mixing on this record serves the band well. TRVSS play some punk/noise rock with some distortion on the bass and the vocals. Sometimes in records like that the guitar can disappear into a kind of mush – or to put it nicer, a diffuse wall of sound. On ‘New Distances’, the guitar is relatively clean, for a noise rock record, and all the sonic elements are distinct. And that’s important because there’s so much going on here. TRVSS have those rhythmic punky parts that make you want to move your body, and that kind of music is forgiving when it comes to how a record is mixed. But TRVSS also have these flourishes of complex technical parts that will impress your music-nerd brain (if you have one) or trigger a “whoa what the fuck that’s cool and weird” (if you don’t). That aspect of their music wouldn’t come through if this record was mixed worse.
Obviously you like everything about this record so you’re glad you bought it (you’re welcome! I’m here to help, and I know you need direction). There’s the yelling, the abrasiveness, the fast parts that energise you, the big vamping parts that make you bob your head, the parts that slow down and build tension, the little guitar fills that sound almost like surf rock.
Personally, my very favourite bit is the end of ‘Hiss’, the record’s awesome second song. It starts off tense, moody, and lumbering – a large animal restless, pacing with pent up aggression. At times the vocals remind me of Guy Picciotto at his most earnest, but played through a broken speaker, while other times they’re a shout-shriek that manages to be both anthemic and anguished. That goes on for about two minutes and 45 seconds and it’s great and the song could just end there and it’d still be a banger. But then comes over a full minute of sprawling and chaotic breakdown, veering sometimes into the exhilarating sort of territory where it feels like the song could fall apart entirely. You can tell that TRVSS must be amazing live. And then it’s back to a moody stumble-step like the songs opening, that throbbing bass and the two vocals start singing a snippet of ‘Here Comes The Sun’. But in this version, the sun isn’t welcome, it’s somewhere between ‘oh fuck not this again’ and ‘I really should have slept because I’ve got work today, my god this hangover….’
Well champ, the sun’s coming up now so soon you’re going to have to move on to all the nothing that eats up your days. Before that kicks in, give ‘New Distances (or, the exquisite value in lying to oneself)’ one more listen, and maybe dance around the living room hollering along – indulge yourself, you deserve it. Then take a minute to give back a little: go tell all your friends about this fantastic TRVSS record you bought and that they both should buy it too.
If comparisons help you make the case to your friends, I’d say elements of this record remind me of Shellac, METZ, Converge, Jesus Lizard, Buildings, and Blacklisters, at their most full-on blisteringly aggressive and also at their most textural, spaciously expansive and tense. That said, stress to your pals that TRVSS have their own sound and we shouldn’t disrespect that by reducing them to ‘oh they remind me of another band’. Like all great bands, there are other artists that their music would fit well on a mixtape with, but they are doing their own very cool thing. Alright I’ll talk to you later. It’s time for me to go replay this TRVSS record again.
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In light of recent news with people in the music industry being asked to scrap their dreams and ‘retrain’, it’s not such a bad thing that Charlie ‘Chubby’ Manning – leader of LDN punks Chubby and the Gang – is a known electrician in West London. Got to keep that side hustle strong…
Today the band have announced their star-studded signing to Partisan Records, home to the likes of Laura Marling, IDLES and Pottery! The announcement comes with not only a giant poster in what one assumes is that there London, but also an exceedingly good animated video for the single ‘All Along the Uxbridge Road‘, created by Lluis Fuzzhound.
The anthemic ‘All Along the Uxbridge Road‘ was a big one from their much talked about debut album ‘Speed Kills‘ (produced by Jonah Falco of Fucked Up) out originally via Static Shock Records. Now with news of their signing to Partisan comes the heads up that there’s a vinyl reissue of ‘Speed Kills‘ on the cards, hitting shelves on November 20th, with new music not far behind! There’s also a brand new one out now, written/recorded around the time of the album – listen to the raging ‘Union Dues‘ here!
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Here is our ever punctual (and yet another bumper) release rundown for the week, reviewing some brand new records ready for your aural consumption. As we always like to gently remind you, these releases are available to buy on the artists web stores as well as at your favourite local record shop.
Sacramento heroes Deftonesare here to save us from ourselves with their ninth studio album. ‘Ohms’ sees the quintet reunite with Terry Date, the man behind the desk for their first four and now iconic records. The last time they entered the studio together was in 2008 for ‘Eros’, an album that was scrapped following a car accident that would lead to the tragic death of bassist Chi Cheng in 2013. Therefore, returning to the studio with Terry would be a poignant moment for Deftones, fiercely entering their third decade as a band and doing it for Chi.
‘Genesis’ opens the album with the blueprint of what makes Deftones such a distinct unit; hard hitting drums and hefty guitars mixed with atmospheric textures and the inimitable vocals of Chino Moreno. Immediately, this feels like everything we need right now from this band. Those that felt predecessor ‘Gore’ showed some restraint on the heavier side of things will be pleased to know that ‘Ohms’ sees guitarist Stephen Carpenter kicking out some bolshy riffage, ‘Radiant City’ being my favourite stink face moment.
But what this album does so well is combine the sweet with the sour. Chunky guitars lock in to the regimented rhythms of drummer Abe Cunningham who definitely feels like the unsung hero of this record, an expert in knowing when to sit in the groove or let rip for some thunderous fills. On top of this strong foundation you have sumptuous synth swirls and Chino’s ever immaculate clean vocals. ‘The Spell Of Mathematics’ is an absolute masterclass in these dynamic collisions; the chorus sporting a super thick bass tone over these beautifully breathy harmonies. It’s pretty delicious.
Not only is this a quintessential Deftones record but it still pushes in different directions with nods to synth wave on ‘Pompeji’ and a welcome injection of stoner rock on the title track. In terms of its melodic choices and performances this is such a strong, triumphant return. It has everything that you love about those early records mixed with the ambition and sonic scope of recent material. There is a reason why people love this band so much and ‘Ohms’ continues to prove their genius.
It’s been a whirlwind few years for the Bristolian outfit IDLES, resulting in them becoming one of the biggest bands in the country. Last year saw the fivesome frantically touring 2018’s ‘Joy As An Act of Resistance‘, as well as careering forward to create LP3. Locating to Paris at the back end of last year with a solid team of collaborators on board, ‘Ultra Mono’ rings with all the sweat filled euphoria you’d expect from an IDLES record.
‘War’ opens with a mighty explosion of sound that reminds me of the noise-rock energy that screeches out of the latest Protomartyr record. ‘Grounds’, ‘Reigns’ and ‘Carcinogenic’ all brim with vitality and bustling choruses, pushing through with muscular performances. But it must be that said when IDLES slow it down a bit, they really shimmer. ’A Hymn’ is a big highlight, mixing the simplistic reverberant guitars of The XX’s first album with the rhythmical slickness of early Interpol. The chorus refrain of “I wanna be loved, everybody does” is a touching sentiment and a moment of vulnerability in an otherwise charged up record.
I’ve always enjoyed the sharp wit of vocalist Joe Talbot and I like that ‘Mr. Motivator’ acts as a clap back to those that have criticised his slogan heavy style. However, you can tell that some words were written as they were recorded, which can let down some of its more considered moments. It‘s a bit more off the cuff in places, but I feel like this is maybe its point. This is an album designed for the lovers and not the haters, and I’m sure that its jubilant sense of defiance will raise the roof of venues across the world as soon as they re-hit the road.
Musically, ‘Ultra Mono’ very much rests on its post-punk laurels which is to be admired. It could’ve been easy for IDLES to bash out a bunch of festival friendly bangers, and though this is undeniably catchy, it can really pack a punch. Essentially, this is the sound of a band that know what they’re doing and most importantly, know who they’re doing it for and for that, this is another sturdy set.
Always one to keep us guessing as to what he’ll do next, alt rock maverick Jamie Lenman comes hot off the heels of last years inventive covers album ‘Shuffle‘ with a new collection of songs. ‘King Of Clubs‘ is a seven track mini album that focuses on the big riff meets catchy hook dynamic that he dazzled us with throughout the 00’s.
For the most part this is heavy, dramatic and atmospheric. Even its more melodic moments deliver some serious heft, ‘Like Me Better’ being a prime example of Jamie‘s soaring vocal harmonies. Though this is unmistakably Lenman in its approach, there are some really nice reference points made between him and producer Space. Opening track ‘Summer Of Discontent’ sounds like an updated Rage Against the Machine tune with an added verse from London MC Illaman, while ‘Kill Me’ sounds like Nine Inch Nails covering something off ‘Era Vulgaris’.
There’s definitely been an industrial undercurrent to Jamie’s recent material, but here it’s beefed up with some gargantuan riffs; you know what I’m talking about, ‘Sleep Mission’. And just when you think he can’t throw more surprises into proceedings, we have the albums title track that closes on an absolutely colossal post-metal instrumental. Not only does this prove Mr Lenman as an expert shapeshifter, excelling at whatever musical genre he wants to turn to, but it ends the album leaving us wanting more.
Although Jamie has very much moved on from his days fronting post-hardcore trio Reuben, there are definitely some parallels to his earlier songwriting. In my mind, ‘King Of Clubs‘ is what ‘Very Fast, Very Dangerous‘ would sound like in 2020. It has the right balance of aggression and heaviness, whilst bringing in massive choruses and still finding the time to throw you down different sonic avenues. The fact that it manages to do all of this in half the length of an average album and lives very much in the present day is a testament to Lenman’s superb songwriting talents. Long live the King.
Something that I have always admired about alt metal outfit Svalbardis the way that they combine opposing textures to create a sprawling yet visceral sound. 2018’s ‘It’s Hard to Have Hope’ was a triumphant swirl of crust punk urgency, black metal intensity and soaring post rock tendencies. Not only is this incredible blend of dynamics fiercely present on their third album, but they also push them even further.
‘Open Wound‘ is a captivating opener. Rhythmically it’s really pounding, but melodically it has this ethereal, shoegaze quality with reverb heavy vocals and skyscraping delays. Soon after, it explodes into a pummelling blaze of mile a minute drums and razor sharp guitars. Never have Svalbard sounded so beautiful and crushing at the same time. It’s these two extremes that inform the rest of the album, working coherently together to battle stark themes of depression and misogyny.
Guitarist and vocalists Serena Cherry and Liam Phelan work extremely hard to deliver passionate, forward thinking lyrics whilst bringing some of their catchiest and euphoric guitar work up front. ‘Throw Your Heart Away‘ and ‘Listen to Someone’ bring the most gleaming examples of this; the lyric “Listen to someone without judgement” is something we all need to think about more. ‘Pearlescent‘ is a light at the end of the tunnel moment. Opening with the post rock prettiness of early Explosions In The Sky, this is the sound of a new relationship blooming. It’s a hopeful and joyous closer that really makes you feel like you’ve been through a journey alongside its creators.
‘When I Die, Will I Get Better?’ is exactly the album I was hoping Salvbard would offer. Soaring higher than before with their post rock melodicisms yet thunderous and defiant in its delivery and message. Not only is this cohesively Svalbard’s strongest set to date, but it’s also their boldest statement as a band.
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Remember the days of the old schoolyard? Remember when Myspace was a thing? Remember those time-wasting, laborious quizzes that everyone used to love so much? Birthday Cake For Breakfast is bringing them back!
Every couple of weeks, an unsuspecting band will be subject to the same old questions about dead bodies, Hitler, crying and crushes.
This Week: Ed Fraser, vocalist, guitarist – and by the sounds of it, basketball player – in noisy outfit HEADS.
a/s/l?
As old as time itself / yes necessary for survival of species / Melbourne.
Have you ever seen a dead body?
Yep.
Who is your favourite Simpsons character? Moe the bartender. So much depth of character, so little compromise.
What T-Shirt are you wearing?
It’s brown and beautiful with a giant hole in the front where I very recently snagged it real good on a door handle.
What did your last text message say?
“Absolutely! See ya at Alv’s joint at 7 big fella”
What’s the last song you listened to? Idles ‘Grounds’. I really enjoyed it. Video is great too.
How did you meet the people in your band?
Craigslist Berlin, true story.
What’s the first record you bought? Brian Adams ‘Waking Up The Neighbours’. I thought he was rebellious haha.
What was your favourite VHS growing up?
‘Dazzling Dunks & Basketball Bloopers’, quality stuff.
When was the last time you cried?
When I hit this sweet three pointer at the buzzer.
Have you ever kissed someone & regretted it?
No regrets.
Best Physical Feature?
Jumpshot, when it’s on.
Worst physical feature?
Left-handed layup.
Reasonably ok/not bad feature that you’re not fussed about?
Free throws.
Do you have any pets?
Not at the moment. Too much travelling usually.
Ever picked up any injuries on tour?
I fell off stages in both Adelaide and Hobart on the same tour and mangled my wrist up. And in 2018 I toured Europe with a freshly dislocated kneecap. I couldn’t do any cool moves on stage but I also didn’t have to load any gear, so it was great.
What did you do for your last birthday?
Went walking in the bush, mid-corona.
Name something you CANNOT wait for?
Playing shows again.
Do you have a crush on someone?
I got one on you now pal. (Woof! – Ed)
What’s the shittest experience you’ve had as a musician?
Waking up in pitch darkness on a concrete floor, locked inside this warehouse venue in Brussels, mid-winter after a large after-show party with USA Nails. It was cold and confusing.
If you could go back in time, how far would you go?
All over. Lots to see.
How do you want to die?
Gorging myself to death on delicious foods.
What’s your favourite thing about pizza?
Oh everything.
What are you craving right now?
Now a pizza.
Have you ever been on a horse?
I was born on a horse.
What did you dream about last night?
It was something to do with Joe Pesci and Las Vegas but it’s gone now, into the haze.
If you could go back in time and kill the baby Hitler, would you?
No. But I would teach baby Hitler to be nice. Get myself hired as his nanny and then get to work. This really feels like the plot of a tv show, did I steal that?
Do you like Chinese food?
Oh yes.
Have you ever been on TV?
As a teenager I somehow managed to talk my way in and got my first band hired as the house band on a TV show called ‘Raucous’ on a community channel in Melbourne. It was kind of like Wayne’s World but way worse and way more Australian.
Ever meet someone famous?
In recent years at our shows I’ve been lucky to meet a number of musicians I really looked up to when I was young. That has honestly been a real buzz for me.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I’m pretty content where I’m at right now.
HEADS. new album ‘PUSH’ is out now via Glitterhouse Records! Grab a copy (or two) here! You can also read our review right here!
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Unless it was a dream, I remember first seeing Billy Nomates on Twitter, via some video recorded on a phone from one of her performances, her on her tod with a laptop as musical backing, getting her Northern Soul-esque moves on as she sweated it up on a small stage.
I remember thinking (like everyone else commenting) that it looked as exciting as it did brilliant and having heard her debut single ‘No’,there’s a definite confirmation on the brilliance. It only takes 60 seconds to realise she’s onto something.
Taken from her forthcoming debut album, released on Geoff Barrow’s label Invada Records, ‘No’ reminds us musically of Sleaford Mods with its post-punk chug (the duo are big champions themselves) and similarly, the striking, straight-down-the-barrel lyrical approach reminds us of Jason Williamson – but less shout-y, more soulful (especially on that hypnotic chorus). Think a more succinct ‘Imperfect List’ by Big Hard Excellent Fish.
Hailing from where they make pork pies (Melton Mowbray), these days she spends time between Bournemouth and Bristol. Having shared stages with the likes of IDLES and Beak>, once all this lockdown business is over, chances are she’ll be playing a spot near you. Get this watched sharpish.
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Mid-week in Manchester and whilst the wind is relentless throughout the Northern city, Southern duo JOHNout of Crystal Palace are in town and not to be missed. The pair have been on quite the run as of late, putting out their second album ‘Out Here On The Fringes‘ to much acclaim and sharing stages with the likes of IDLES and Future Of The Left.
The last time they were in Manchester it was in the much smaller confines of The Castle, so it’s a thrill to see them leapfrog their way up to the much bigger Deaf Institute (plus the stage is higher up, so it’s unlikely any whoppers would jump on stage and walk all over the pedals this time…)
On arrival, my eyes dart to a number of Hot Snakes shirts knocking about (including on the frame of guitarist Johnny) and it comes back to me that one of the most recent visits to The Deaf Institute was to see Hot Snakes, who it turns out would end up paving the way for more rock hard, full pelt noise from JOHN.
Coming on stage to the best of USA Nails‘ oeuvre (‘They’d Name An Age After Me‘), the duo do their best to dust off any cobwebs and vanquish the notion of any January blues. Opener ‘Squad Vowels‘ is teeth-chattering in its ear splitting loudness and they rarely let up over the next hour.
For those unsure of who they’ve paid to see, up on stage behind the band glows the word ‘JOHN‘ from their bright light box, offering something visual in the darkened room as shadows of bodies move about up front. The guitar squeals and howls on ‘Future Thinker‘ (winner of Steve Lamacq’s coveted BBC 6 Music Roundtable honours) after drummer John opens it up solo, thundering along at pace, his sticks looking mesmerising in the low light as he hammers away.
“This is a delight for a Wednesday night.” Says drummer John, calling Manchester almost a hometown for them. Not long after they dive into a number of singles from 2017’s ‘God Speed In The National Limit’, with opener and absolute ripper ‘Balfron‘ sounding ridiculously big in the much larger room. ‘Ghost Printer‘ follows immediately without a missed note, and not long after comes a much older number in ‘Dust‘, one they’ve not played live for around seven years we’re told: “I doubt anyone’s heard it…”
A mid-show survey proves that most attendees at The Castle in October have made the leap along with JOHN to The Deaf Institute, but there’s also a lot of newcomers amongst the audience. To thank them for coming out, everyone is treated to the unveiling of a new song which is just as raging, danceable and LOUD as the rest.
We’ve been with JOHN almost from the start and it’s been joyous to see their fan base grow with every release. The rooms get bigger as do the tours, and it’s great to see they’re still hitting all the right spots. A night out with a room full of people, low lighting, two bodies on stage playing so loud your chest tightens. No fucking about, bashing it out.
Having a piss afterward, I overheard some revellers discussing what had just taken place.
“Sound big for a two piece.”
“Mate, sound massive for a two piece!”
Job done.
“There’s a lot of emails in punk rock…” Read an interview with JOHN here!
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One can never know what to expect when meeting musicians for an interview. 90% of the time you’ll get diddly squat in the refreshment stakes – which is fair, obviously – whilst some (like Anna Burch) might give you a belt of whisky to sit with or others (like Jason of Allusondrugs) might offer you a rider beer to enjoy. Occasionally some might just stand with the guitar on their person and mumble through five minutes of questioning, but the less said about that the better.
Meeting Jamie Lenman in late November, he’d graciously anticipated my arrival and made me a cup of tea, which I unfortunately had to decline (as tea is horrid). Not to be outdone, he soon knocked up a coffee (with choice of non-dairy milk) and having introduced me to his team, suggested we conduct the interview from the bunk beds backstage (lying down, Red Dwarf style) in the labyrinth of the Deaf Institute.
“There’s a lot more chin-stroking than moshing than there has been previously,” He says when we eventually get set up, sat across from each other on the same bunk bed as I put to him a line of questioning whilst trying not to scold myself. “Which took a while to get used to, but when I constructed the set – designed to showcase some of the deeper cuts of the new record – I was sort of expecting that.”
Manchester would end up being the penultimate show of a thirteen date UK tour, which included several spots Lenman hadn’t ventured to previously as a solo act. The last time he was in touring mode, for 2017’s ‘Devolver’ – shows including on stage drum battles where Jamie himself would hop behind the kit – he tells me it was the first tour to focus on a concept, whilst this time around the shows have delved deeper than ever before.
“As it goes on, I’ve done so many tours now, the way I live and the way I work, I can’t really afford to just go on stage and have a grab bag of songs and shout ‘1 2 3 4’ to the rest of the band like we used to do with Reuben. Everything has to be sort of slightly more considered, so more or less against my will, the way I tour now is to construct a show – with a capital S – and then stick to that.”
(Photo Credit: Scott Chalmers)
Whilst the old saying suggests it might be grim up this way, the North has been notably warm and welcoming for Lenman and new drummer Jack Wrench (ex-Arcane Roots), with him acknowledging that venues are packed out, particularly in Scotland (where they’ve always been kind to him). A relief no doubt given the planning and set-up.
“It’s more like a show than a gig… It is quite meticulous, we work very hard on it – I work very hard trying to work out what goes where and as a result I think this one is, like I say, a bit more for the chin-strokers than the moshers.”
Given his back catalogue and stint in a cult favourite band (“Don’t do it. Oh, you can bring it up – don’t ask me when they’re getting back together…”), one assumes that putting together a setlist for each live show can become a tall order and unsurprisingly, he suggests the construction of this and the performance itself can take even more time than actually making an album.
“…With the album you’ve only got a set of fourteen songs to consider, to construct and whatever.” He says. “But then if you’re going on tour – I’ve made six records now, counting Reuben records and my own records – you wanna concentrate on the album that you’re touring, but you don’t want it to be exclusive… You wanna try and represent something from each of your records, so everyone gets what they wanna hear.”
(Photo Credit: Scott Chalmers)
The tour – his only tour of the year – came off the back of new album ‘Shuffle’, so he’s understandably had a lot on his plate. Elsewhere though, he’s had quite the eventful 2019. Following support slots for the likes of Biffy Clyro and appearances at Download and Reeperbahn festivals the year prior, 2019 saw intimate invite only performances, album listening experiences, the ‘Lenmania II’ stage takeover at 2000trees Festival, record shop in-stores, fronting Black Peaks at ArcTanGentFestival and even a showing at Glastonbury in summer.
“When you put it like that, yeah I hadn’t realised. It sort of all goes through me but yeah, the roundup – we did some big things didn’t we? I was playing with some new drummers as well, which is a challenge, but an enjoyable challenge. Yeah we did a lot of stuff didn’t we… sorry, what was your question?” He says with a laugh.
‘Shuffle’ – fourteen reinterpretations of famous and not-so-famous music from the world of film, literature, video games and TV – is an album that at the time we called “an exciting, interesting and genuinely refreshing new concept.” The genre-shifting album includes reworkings of songs from The Beatles to Cyndi Lauper, Yorkshire chansonnier Jake Thackray to a scene from short film ‘Always Crashing in the Same Car’, acted out alongside its original star Paul McGann. ‘Adamantium Rage’ – a cover of the theme music from the ‘Wolverine: Adamantium Rage’ video game, a personal Lenman childhood favourite – began to take shape back in 1995 when Jamie recorded a demo on a tape cassette recorder at the moustache-free age of 12.
“I suggested doing it before ‘Muscle Memory’/instead of ‘Muscle Memory’, because I was a little bit shy about going out with my new material on my own.” Says Jamie of its official germination. “I actually thought a record of covers – which is not why I did it – but at the time, I thought that might be quite a good way to introduce myself through sort of the guise of great songs that people might know.”
Producer Space (Idles producer, amongst others) nixed the initial ideas, suggesting ‘Muscle Memory’ and ‘Devolver’ were the best way forward for Jamie at that time, choosing the strength of original material over covers at that point in his career.
“…By the time we actually did ‘Shuffle’, that was my third bite at the cherry and I was pretty convinced that that had to be the record.” He continues. “The other times I’d been successfully persuaded to do something different, by people I trusted and I agree was the right… I’m still not convinced ‘Muscle Memory’ was the right move to make, but ‘Devolver’ definitely was. Whereas this time there was no option, because it was all that I could see – all that was in my windscreen. It would’ve been incredibly hard to turn the creative ship around to try and do something else. So I’m glad we did it when we did it.”
(Photo Credit: Joe Singh – Snap Rock And Pop)
“Lots of other people have said don’t do it and I felt pretty sure that Space would understand.” Continues Jamie, lamenting that when even Space said no, he considered shelving ‘Shuffle’ in favour of looking into other projects for a further three months. Whilst other projects did come about upstairs, he was unable to completely focus his attention, with everything coming back to ‘Shuffle’.
“That is a little bit what I felt like I was doing.” Lenman says of the potential for half arsing it.“When Space said just write another twelve songs, I was like – it’s not really how I work.” He chuckles.
“Space is an amazing animal and if you give him three months or even a month and say write me an incredible twelve tracks that run the gambit of all your feelings and sound brilliant, he could probably do it. But that’s not how I work and I sort of have to wait for inspiration to strike.” He continues. “All of my originals albums – and in fact, all of ‘Shuffle’ – As you heard from that demo when I was twelve, I have been working on ‘Shuffle’ for twenty five fucking years. It’s the same with every record I put out, it takes a long time to gradually come to fruition.”
Working with Space again was a no brainer for Lenman and when we talk of the in demand producer, he has nothing but kind words to say (regardless of Space knocking back the idea of ‘Shuffle’ on more than one occasion!)
“When we were in the studio, I probably had more fun making ‘Shuffle’ than any other record, because we were playing with all these beautiful toys that other people had gifted to us.” He says. “…There was a stressful side to it, but when we were actually in the studio making it and I had him all to myself, it was wonderful. He’s got so many strings to his bow and he’s being pulled in so many directions that quality time with Space is a rare commodity and something I treasure highly.”
In parallel to the past 12 months that Lenman has had, Space himself has been equally as busy (“He’s doing stuff you wouldn’t believe.”) From releasing debut album ‘Never Not Nothing’ for his own band, electro-punk act Black Futures, to their own headline tour, whilst balancing a period of likely exhaustion and becoming ill during the production of ‘Shuffle’ (“He turned up to the studio a couple of times when he really should have been in intensive care…”)
A few months back, Black Futures played HMV in Manchester to a small crowd of people, still putting in a shift and treating it like one of their headline shows, regardless of turnout. Discussing this with Lenman he looks as if he knew I was going to bring it up, knowing the thought process and graft Space puts into his work. Highlighting ‘Get In The Van’, Henry Rollins’ story of touring with Black Flag, he brings up the story of one instance in which the band played to a crowd of no one and yet still treated it like a huge show.
“That’s the attitude that I try to keep in mind and Space also keeps in mind.” He says. “I hope my energy levels or my disillusionment if I have any never gets the better of me and I hope I never deliver what is a substandard performance, despite what is happening in the audience.”
A personal highlight from the new Jamie Lenman record came with the realisation that ‘Killer’ is the title of the incredible 90’s number one hit single from Seal and Acid House DJ and producer Adamski. With that up his sleeve just two songs in, I put it to him that constructing the tracklisting must have been nearly as painstaking as a live show setlist.
“No it wasn’t that hard.” He suggests, noting that whilst a few other tracks were considered early on, they didn’t go much further due to not being particularly different to how the original had sounded. “I couldn’t think of anything that I could really add to it, so I thought there’s not really much point. So what we ended up with, the fourteen tracks, were all the ones that I really felt like I wanted to put my own flavour on.”
Two that did make the cut are the sorts that on paper may have upset the apple cart, but versions of Beatles classics ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ‘Hey Jude’ are different enough to not warrant horror from traditionalists. Or at least that’s what we thought.
“WHO said that?” Says Jamie with a smirk. “I’ve heard nothing but complaints about ‘Hey Jude’. My managers hated it.”
Whilst his managers may have hated the original version of ‘Hey Jude’ (one even providing unflinching initial feedback at the start of a meeting – “I don’t like Hey Jude”), it does come with the explanation that the unmixed, unmastered demo did consist of mostly six minutes of lengthy freakout. “To be fair to him, he did hear a very confrontational version.” Says Jamie with a laugh.
Whilst purists might suggest The Fab Four are untouchable, Lenman tells me it was “an absolute exquisite joy” to re-work The Beatles, with no trepidation on his part – other than considerable cuts to ‘Hey Jude’ for the sake of his managers’ well being.
“I believe that it’s a live and living thing that anyone can interact with and that’s the beauty of it, so I didn’t really think about any sacred cows or you shouldn’t mess with, because everyone’s covered The Beatles. They’ve gotta be the most covered artist – I might be wrong about that. I just thought, how can it possibly go wrong with such great materials to start with? I think even if I’d tried to destroy them, it wouldn’t have been possible, so I was fairly confident. I had a whale of a time.”
With the new album, we’re presented with a fully realised journey that the listener embarks on, complete with the sounds of actual shuffling and selecting between songs, as if the listener themselves is actually skipping through artists. This was an idea cooked up by Space, acknowledging that the idea of a covers records was all well and good, but listeners might be confused with the concept if it wasn’t spelled out to them.
“I didn’t see a problem with flipping from ‘Hey Jude’ to ‘The Remembrance’ to all these different styles of music – that’s how I consume music anyway.” Says Jamie. “…In the cold light of day and on paper, I do remember that no one can hear what’s in my brain and that not everyone thinks about stuff the way I do.”
Given the brief, Lenman went away and returned with the concept in place on the album, tying this in with the concept behind the artwork in the process.
“The only potential problem is that you know, the concept of shuffling on an ipod, which is where I saw it from, is itself ten years out of date.” Says Jamie with a smile. “No one has ipods any more, apart from me. But with the rise of playlist culture and Spotify, I think that it’s still just relevant enough for people to get it.”
(Photo Credit: Scott Chalmers)
Artwork wise, rather neatly the CD edition of the album actually shuffles, with little holes in the disc which can be used against the back cover artwork to reveal different logograms. Brilliant, sure, though it’s a shame the concept was unable to stretch to vinyl, no? (“Believe me, I looked into it…”)
Namechecking David McCandless (“the guru of the infographic and the logo design”), Lenman is clearly passionate about graphic design and illustration, his CV notably listing employment for the likes of Dr Who Magazine. Having spent ten years in a design agency in London getting to grips with logo design, it’s something that has always been of interest. “I love a logo, I love an icon.” He says. “To boil down a distinct concept into one tiny image I think is a very pure art.”
Another influence came through the design work of Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons who, amongst other things, created the album artwork for Madness splinter group The Madness and their 1988 self-titled studio album. Gibbons created a series of logograms to represent each track, which Lenman cites as “masterpieces of graphic design” and something to bring into ‘Shuffle’ – a logogram or an icon or a shape or a symbol that defined each track.
“…When the ‘Shuffle’ concept got introduced, I suddenly realised in a terrifying brainstorm – WAIT, what if these images themselves are shuffled, so it’s one image within another image using only a finite number of images less than the number of tracks but they all repeat, so the artwork is shuffled?” Says Lenman, sounding ever so slightly like Charlie Kelly in the infamous ‘Pepe Silvia’ scene in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. “That was a huge headache to pull out, but I thought I’ve got to try and make this work. Sometimes I only really made it work by the skin of my teeth, some of them are pretty vague, but they all do fit in a sort of warped way. So that was a very big ask to tie those concepts together and I’m pleased that I managed to get away with it. I think it holds up.”
Sounding vaguely similar to the Frank Sidebottom code that was recently uncovered with the release of a film about the late Chris Sievey and his papier mache headed alter ego, I queried if there had been any similar sleuths with the ‘Shuffle’ concept and uncovering hidden meanings.
“I haven’t actually had a lot of feedback from people re the artwork, especially things like the CD where you can shuffle it. I mean, it’s useless really because it’s not like you uncover any secret messages.” He admits. “It’s window dressing really, the artwork, I just want it to be as good as possible. The record is the main thing, but as a designer it’s nice when I’m able to combine the two.”
With artwork still being such an important factor, talk turns to artists putting out any old tat and not caring about what the artwork looks like (have you seen some of The Fall discography or that first Fat White Family album?) Whilst he isn’t a fan of disappointing artwork otherwise, he does see how these things can come about.
“I think there’s a purity in that and sometimes I wish that I could just let the record go out with whatever. The fact that I’m such a control freak makes me unable to…” He admits. “I’d be interested to see what kind of career I would have if I was so focused on just the music I can imagine being in a place where it doesn’t matter what the sleeve says… But I’ll never know that, because I’m so wired into it.”
Holding onto every creative aspect is something to be admired, with a DIY attitude to creative control being something seen more and more these days. For Lenman though, it almost wasn’t the case.
“I had a weird phase at the start, when we did ‘Mississippi’ and just before I signed with Big Scary Monsters, when I sort of launched Jamie Lenman version 2.0 or whatever. I got to the point where I thought it would be nice if someone else did this for a change.”
The idea of having someone else take the reins was attractive for Lenman at that point and he shopped around for a label with an art department, meeting with a number of these labels with a view to develop a theme. Working with Space in a collaborative way and farming the artwork out to others fit in with the ‘Devolver’ period and allowing others in.
“I just thought at that point I’d done it myself for so long, especially after ‘Muscle Memory’, which was a huge artistic mountain to climb, similar to ‘Shuffle’. I was a bit exhausted…” He adds. Ultimately the creative aspect was taken back during the production and promotion of ‘Devolver’ (“Which is in no way impugning the great work that the artists I worked with at the start of the campaign did”) though it clearly offered learning points moving forward.
“My music is so personal.” Adds Jamie. “It’s almost selfish to say to someone else – you figure out what my soul looks like and take a photo of that.”
(Photo Credit: Scott Chalmers)
“What I love about this album is how you don’t know what’s coming next.” We said of ‘Devolver’ at the time of release and the same can be true of the career of Lenman as a whole. Whilst there are inklings as to what may be on the horizon moving forward (new material is in the works, with Manchester being treated to some of it later that night), there’s the small matter of tracking down and arranging time with Space first. Whenever they do get together, one thing is for certain – it likely won’t be a full studio album in 2020.
“I think most people actually – and I’m very grateful for this – have excepted ‘Shuffle’ as my third solo album, not like a bit of fun. It’s album number three, which I always considered it as.” He says. “…Next year would be too soon to bring out a new twelve, thirteen track studio record, so whatever happens to this new material, I don’t wanna do a full LP. The idea of an EP or a mini-album is attractive to me. A nice little *smacks lips* something to mop up the gravy of ‘Shuffle’ and then give me a couple more years at least to make another definitive statement. I think full studio albums should be a definitive statement of where you are at a time. Even though ‘Devolver’ and ‘Shuffle’ occupy a similar sort of space, I wanted them to be sister records, which is why I went with Space again, ‘cus I wanted to have a similar sound. They are their own definitive statement and I think I need a lot more time to properly brew and stew my next one. Does this sound pretentious? A little bit? That’s fine.”
With ‘Shuffle’ being accepted as his third, I put it to him that it now feels like he’s gone beyond the ex-Reuben moniker and after all the hard work, is seen as his own man.
“It’s funny because ‘ex-Reuben’ has started popping up in the descriptions again. It went away a bit, before ‘Devolver’. Just before ‘Devolver’, the Reuben stuff was reaching a fucking fever pitch that was pissing me off and I thought – man, it’s been ten years. I sort of hoped that ‘Muscle Memory’ would stop it all, but it didn’t.” He says. “If I said I wasn’t disappointed, I’d be lying because as much as I love… I’m Reuben’s biggest fan, I don’t think people realise this about me. Reuben was and still is my favourite band of all time, because we made it to be our favourite band. We were huge fans of bands, real band groupies – you know, nerds – we would talk for hours about other bands and every decision we made in that band was designed to reflect what we would like our favourite bands to do. So I love that band, I love playing the songs and I love it when people ask me to sign the cover of ‘Racecar…’ or whatever. I think people get the idea that I want people to shut up about it, but I do want to be Jamie Lenman. I don’t want to be ‘Jamie Lenman (Reuben)’. So that’s what I’m working towards. It feels at the moment like it may have taken a bit of a back step.”
“I suppose as time goes on, the more records I release under my own name, it will be Jamie Lenman and not ‘Jamie Lenman (Reuben)’, which isn’t to say that I don’t look back on those years oddly fondly, because they were painful and depressing and I had an awful time.” Continues Jamie, adding with a smile. “But I’m happy to say that most of my memories of that period are very positive and I enjoy listening to the records and I enjoy hanging out with John and Guy when we see each other.”
Read our review of ‘Shuffle’ here!
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