Interview

Why Not Meeting Belgian Compelling Poet And New Visual Wave Performer NEL?

Posted on by JL

12 December 2025

We did countless interviews in Turn Up The Volume‘s 10-year span, but this one is special, as NEL isn’t your characteristic rock and or pop artist. She’s a compelling poet and visual performer from Belgium.

Last year, she teamed up with musician JP for a collaborative album, named Waarom Niet? (Why Not?). An engrossing record that fuses spoken-word poems with new wave electricity.

I’m sure our international readers/followers will
also be triggered to know more about this affecting
personality. Engrossing art isn’t limited by frontiers.

As usual, to warm up, we start a Q&A with a slice of
music. Watch/hear the duo’s title track from their LP.

Hello Nel,

What got your attention first, Nel, poetry or music?

“You start with a difficult question! I think they attracted
me both very early in my life, but on two different paths.

Perhaps language sparked my greatest interest. I remember asking my mother to teach me to read and write when I was four. I was already a short sleeper as a child, so there were plenty of books in my bedroom for me to read at night, when I couldn’t fall asleep
or woke up early.

I devoured books then, much more than I do now. I recall that in second grade, I was allowed to read a book intended for adults. That was Over De Bril Heen (Over the Glasses) by Louis Verbeeck. It contained his rebellious version of “Little Red Riding Hood.”

I read it hundreds of times. And at age 11, I discovered Jotie ‘t Hooft. And I felt at home
and simultaneously recognized in his words. I wanted more, but he died young. His oeuvre wasn’t that extensive, so I started looking for more poetry and soon started writing myself.

But there was always music at home too. All kinds of genres. My parents listened to classical music and cabaret, but also rock and punk, which led me to discover bands
like Vangelis, Deep Purple, Queen, The Sex Pistols, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, early on,
but also Bob Dylan, Eros Ramazotti, Willem Vermandere, Bob Marley, Urbanus, and so on.

Since meeting JP, you’ve been combining the two on record and live. Was the combination a joint decision, or was it the result of exchanging ideas?

“Our collaboration arose after what was supposed to be a one-off collaboration for JP‘s then-band This Can Hurt. Just after the pandemic, they had almost finished their semi-acoustic EP, ‘A Deeper Shade of Blue’. They had one instrumental track for which they wanted to do something with poetry.


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They found me through word of mouth. Initially, I thought I’d just provide lyrics,
and asked me to also voice the lyrics to the music. We enjoyed the collaboration,
so JP suggested we write some songs and experiment with a few other things.

And off we went!”

Is the collaboration with JP your first active experience as an artist?

“Yes. I didn’t have anything more than a few free stages at school and two years of singing in a rock choir with which we played a few gigs, and an occasional piano performance at a celebration.”

Did you consciously choose for spoken-word performing,
or did you explore other forms of expression previously?

“I had performed my poems at quite a few poetry evenings (from my two collections, ‘Strip(p)ed’ and ‘(S)trapped’), but I never felt like an artist back then. On those stages, you’re a writer, aren’t you? I’ve done singing, piano, djembe, guitar, painting, drawing, collage work, and stone carving, but all as a hobby.”

Your first collaborative album is titled “WHY NOT?” Why that question?

“JP and I are both quite enthusiastic and impulsive, so “Yes, why not?” was
always the answer, in the beginning, whenever we were asked whatever.

“Would you like to come perform here? Yes, why not? Would you like to sing a few songs with Arbeid Adelt! at a show? Yes, why not? Would you like to do a photoshoot? Yes, why not? …”
We simply enjoy not missing a single opportunity.

But also because that question is the perfect way to get to the right answer or the right choice. If there are hardly any reasons not to do it, what should stop us? Or, as the title track of our debut album says: “Why wouldn’t we do that, if it wouldn’t hurt anyone?”

Your lyrics plough through life, through emotions, and
through the human ego. Are they autobiographical stories, Nel?

“Often, yes. But I’d rather not elaborate too much. I grew up in the warmest home I know. And yet my emotions, my choices, have always been incredibly turbulent. Every track is written from an emotion I’m experiencing, or have felt at some point.”

Musically, the album is a mix of dark wave, post-punk, Goth pop, and dark EBM. Genres that have shaped you your whole life. When and how did your love for these timeless genres of music develop?

“Actually, quite late, you know. Until I was 25, I was primarily a huge metal fan
and a fan of female-fronted bands such as The Cranberries, Björk, Belly, Skin, Sinead
O’Connor and others.

My love for new wave grew purely from the fun, dark parties I attended. I wanted to see that music live! So I soon started attending as many goth/new wave/EBM gigs as possible, both at home and abroad.”

Suppose ‘WHY NOT?’ was the soundtrack
of a movie. Which film would you choose?

‘Trainspotting’ without drugs. Or ‘De Helaasheid Der Dingen (The Misfortunates)’ with drugs.

In terms of outfits, makeup, and hairstyles, you’ve been visualizing the genre’s signature physical fashion style for years. When and why did you choose this, Nel?

“I don’t remember a single moment when I consciously chose or decided to do so.
I’ve always loved dark clothes. Even for my First Communion, I wanted a gray dress (with a big pink bow, no worries 1.0 / now debaptized – no worries 2.0) while my friends were in white lace.

My wardrobe just kept getting blacker and blacker. And at parties, I dressed more
and more extravagantly, and that soon carried over into my everyday style (I say now, unashamedly, wearing a – albeit black – onesie).

I think that style subconsciously became the outcome of the struggle in my head.
But a good one. A kind of realization of, “Hey. Here I am! This is who I’ve always been!”
Now I feel completely myself, and that’s okay.

Your favorite track(s) and album(s) of 2025?

There were several tracks I really enjoyed this year. For example, there was “Simpele Dingen” by Morgen De Knoop. Spoken-word on something that rubs the air between cabaret and new wave, from the project of poet Alex Deforce. Word porn to carve into souls.

Within the dark genre, I thought “Hide Away” by Dresscode was very strong. Emotionally compelling. And “De Weg” by Suicide Commando was, for me, the pinnacle of their abilities.


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From the metal world, it’s “Many Shapes Of Anger” from the album “Mandatory” by Steegmoord, Maarten Doumen‘s solo project. But also “Buh” by Chibi Ichigo, “Liefde Is Dood” by Parkaparaplu, “Silk Skin” by Mildreda deserve a spot on my list. There’s so much good music being made in Belgium, damn it!

Internationally, as best track, I go for the single “Brutus,” which
announced the return of Das Ich. Wonderful!

As for the album, I have one that really stands out for me, because no other artist has touched me as much with her work as Stony Beds by Head On Stone. I could list many more albums I’ve enjoyed, but they’d still pale in comparison to this one.

Which song would you choose to play on December 31st,
when the clock strikes midnight?

“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. Without a doubt.

What can we expect from N.E.L & J.P. in 2026?

“New work! Maybe even something with some vocals, and
hopefully at least as many gigs as in 2025.”

Thank you very much, for this interview, Nell.
May the road rise with N.E.L. & J.P.

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HEAD ON STONE – Belgian Songstress Shifts From A Scream To A Whisper With Her Soul-Stirring Debut LP ‘STONY BEDS’

Posted on by JL

28 November 2025

Emotive Belgian singer-songwriter Nele Janssen is, so far, known by her fans as the fiery frontwoman of high-powered post-punk turbo Peuk who have released 2 albums to this day.

That will all change now with her brand-new solo debut album, named
STONY BEDS, released under the moniker of HEAD ON STONE.

Only Nele Janssen and her piano. Intimate, passional and heartfelt. From a Peuk scream
to a solo whisper. A beautiful, soul-stirring record that silences you from start to finish. Eleven bittersweet gems for the midnight hours. Stony Beds is an ideal companion for cold winter nights, while relaxing with dimmed light on your couch and your favourite drink at hand.

Enamoured by this musical exploit, Turn Up The Volume reached
out to Nele for a chat about her amazing solo adventure.

Do you have a classical music schooling, or is this a DIY story, Nele?

“I had some classical music schooling when I was a kid/teenager, but I didn’t take
lessons for it in high school because in those days, you had to work with sheet music, and I wanted to create my own stuff. I don’t create music on sheets.

I write down some notes in a small book and record some ideas on a small recorder.
The rest is in my head. So I have to keep on playing the songs now and then to
remember them.”

For many PEUK fans, this intimate solo album will be a musical and
vocal surprise. How and when did you start this project?

“I’ve been writing this music since I was finishing my classical music school. I needed to express these feelings and find ways to cope with them. It was hard for me to put these feelings into words, and so my piano became my friend. The piano gave me the comfort and focus I needed. So I just played for myself in my room.

I did not want people to hear it. It was between me and the piano. Later on, I let some close friends into this world, and it felt okay to do this. So I guess I was opening up more. They told me to share it, but I was scared. So I wanted to overcome this fear, and I played some small, intimate gigs.

People showed their love for it, and it felt like maybe it could be important to other people too in a way. But I still wanted to keep it more to myself. Peuk is a more extroverted affair and helped me to become less scared of performing, and it helped show a different, more angry emotion. So now I’m sharing more of this intimate side Peuk protected me from in a way.

What does your moniker ‘HEAD ON STONE’ stands for, Nele?

“It was the title of a song I wrote when my Head On Stone project didn’t have a name yet.
I wrote the lyrics of the song when I was lying down on a sandy hill in the woods, and my
head rested on a stone, and it felt kind of nice, but also discomfort. Warm but cold.

The songs are like that. Some lyrics come from negative feelings
and thoughts, but the piano carries them in a healing way.

Is that a horse eye on the album’s cover?
What’s the story behind the artwork?

“Yes, it’s a horse eye, and my reflection is in it. This horse was very important to me.
She passed away, but I wrote some of the songs during a period she was still with me.

OUT is a song I wrote for her.

She wanted to hide from the sun because of the mosquitos. She was allergic to them. It itches badly. A bit like I don’t like crowded places and hide from people. This picture was taken when it snowed, so no mosquitos there.”


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What do you want to express with the record’s title ‘STONY BEDS’?

“Stony Beds is like Head On Stone. A bed is comfortable and soft. A stone is cold and hard. So there’s a contrast, and I think you can find that in the songs. Also, you can hear me sing it in the song ‘mountainside‘. It’s about going into nature without anything but yourself. You meet nature. So if we rest, we lay our heads on stony beds. Lying on something stony.”


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Your crystalline vocals are impressive. Quite different from your
fiery PEUK vocality. Does it feel that way for you too, Nele?

“It’s different, but it’s still me. It’s the way I sing. I sing how I feel. So I guess I have different kinds of voices because of the feeling I get when I sing with them. I don’t think about it, it just happens.”

I hear mixed emotions about life and these weird times in the
lyrics. Is that what you wanted to address or are my ears wrong?

“The songs are more about myself, in this life. It’s not really about life in general but more about what’s going on in my head, how I feel, and how I try to cope with it. But I’m in this life, so it’s included. It’s just more introverted.”


Photo by Syl

Is this a one-time adventure, or do you have more solo work in mind?

“It doesn’t feel like a one-time adventure. I don’t know yet, but for now I don’t think it is.”

Thank you very much, for this chat, Nele.
May the road rise with Head On Stone.

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DIY MAGAZINE – New Issue With The Irish Mavericks FONTAINES D.C. Talking About Their Upcoming LP

Posted on by JL

23 July 2024

Irish indie stars FONTAINES D.C. already have 3 top-tier LPs on their
résumé. And number 4 is waiting in the pipeline. They titled it ROMANCE
and will hit the streets on August 23rd. Pre-order info here. So far we got
two tasters, Starburster and Favourite. Watch/Listen below.

The Irish mavericks are the cover stars of the new DIY Magazine
issue and talked about their new upcoming longplayer.

Interview HERE.

DIY: “In just five years, Fontaines DC have gone from promising post-punk newcomers
to one of the most celebrated, consistently evolving bands of the decade. Restless, curious,
and disinterested in ever taking the path oft-travelled, fourth album ‘Romance’ finds the
Irish quintet reshaping themselves and challenging everything that’s come before.”

You can buy your DIY copy HERE.

– STARBURSTER –

– FAVOURITE –

F-DC: Instagram

A Chat With British Writer ADAM STEINER About His New Book “DARKER WITH THE DAWN: NICK CAVE’S Songs Of Love And Death”

Posted on by JL

1 June 2024

Adam Steiner is a book/essay writer, poet, and journalist who works for several magazines and websites. He’s based in London and Coventry. His new book DARKER
WITH THE DAWN — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death is out. We had a chat with Adam about the making/writing of.

You’re a versatile writer of articles, essays and reviews (books/music), a poet, an educator, a creative producer, and an author. Sounds like you’re a workaholic, Adam?

“I wish I wasn’t. I tend to focus down on one topic, very intensely and pursue it through
to completion. If that sounds a bit mindless and thoughtless, that’s because it is. Books demand hours of work done, on research and working out your ideas – and hours more just to see it through: finished, edited, rewritten etc. But – without the passion for the subject or the idea you are pursuing it would not be enjoyable, it could easily become
just another job.

So the saving grace is having some sort of belief in what you’re doing; perhaps even a hope in what you’re trying to explore or express and the particular mode you’ve found in which to say it. the late music journalist Neil Kulkarni said that writing about music was the best job in the world, Ultimately, I have to remind myself sometimes that writing books and having other people read your work is a privilege!”

You already wrote a book about NINE INCH NAILS’ classic album ‘The Downward Spiral’, DAVID BOWIE’s ‘Scary Monsters’ and now one about NICK CAVE. What makes you want to write about musicians?

“I’m not entirely sure how I ended up doing music books. Ultimately, I’m writing about artists and albums that I love. Again, it’s a fortunate kind of project to be pursuing. I think writers, sometimes failed musicians (or very successful in their own write!) are fascinated and intrigued by the musician’s lifestyle but also the mystery of how they seem to pluck inspiration out of the air – on both sides of the divide we’re just doing our thing.

But the artist and the critic enrich and sustain one another; writers ‘embiggen’
the work of the musician, nourishing its public profile and representing it to the fan or casual listener. I hope the books deepen the readers’ understanding and appreciation of the music, even though I’m equally inspired by the fan’s passion and perspectives – in
that sense there is no top-down tier – but mutual appreciation!”

Your new book “DARKER WITH THE DAWN: Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death”
is out now. What was the overall goal that you wanted to achieve with it?

“I love certain key records across The Bad Seeds discography, so I wanted to explore
the connective tissue between those records. It’s a very different person who wrote
“The Mercy Seat” to “Push The Sky Away” and yet there remains a common thread all
through it.”

“So I enjoy looking at what makes those records stand alone but also seeing how the artist can entertain all these conflicting, contradictory states. I originally wanted to write more about later Cave, from 2013 onwards, but Cave did the Carnage book so I thought there wasn’t really space for me there.

Instead I looked across all the albums and dug deep on the main themes of love, death, violence, god, the universe – big ideas but drawn down to a granular, individual level – that’s what great art achieves.”

You talked with a lot of people who know CAVE, you did tons of research,
and you consulted lots of sources. Did you also talk with the man himself?

“I spoke to a couple of people, but Cave himself keeps his thoughts and collaborators
close. It was not an official, endorsed book –and that’s ok – in some ways, it gives the
writer a more open-ended challenge.

There’s an interesting challenge for the musician to own their narrative, but also to promote themselves where it best endorses or sustains that image and the things they want to focus on. I respect Cave’s need to look forward, like Bowie, I don’t think he has much time for examining the past.

Being creative is the most life-affirming, sustaining
force; so I imagine being in his shoes, within reason.”

How long did you work on this detailed Nick Cave opus?

“Piece of string that forms its own noose. You can indulge the writing, and
the research for a very long time; edit a manuscript to death, make it worse
even. So while I tried to remain a healthy even keel, I was actually writing
my Bowie book at the same time.

So writing two quite different projects concurrently is a bit of a killer.

I started thinking and researching back in 2019; it all went from there, finally
submitted it in autumn 2023. All in, it was a bit of a killer; but the work is addictive!”

The book confirms my principal idea about CAVE. He’s a complex person and an almost obsessive observer of the human psyche. What’s your conclusion after dissecting countless songs and albums?

“Damn. As mentioned, I admire Cave’s persistence to just do his thing. The early
Bad Seeds, like The Birthday Party, were so spiky, acerbic, intriguing – they really
stuck out from any kind of scene and resisted definition – a contradiction really.

It was only around Your Funeral…My Trial, Cave went more introspective and started to craft more nuanced verse-chorus tracks. If you think about it, those early albums are very experimental and piano-led alongside the drums. more musique concrete, so the idea that Cave became something of a balladeer is strange, he has the pleasure of being able to do both!

But to answer your question, I think Cave has very specific interests and a strong voyeuristic eye on human weakness and the enduring better angels of our nature
that seem to raise us up beyond mutual destruction, ‘evil’ if you like…”

Which public /audience did you want to reach out to?

“That’s a huge question. I think like a lot of writers I’d like everyone to read, enjoy and understand/appreciate my writing. Already, that’s a big ask. To go deeper I’d like to find my tribe; people who are attracted to going further around the cultural context of music and to embrace new approaches and speculations to its meaning.

I’m not looking for the ‘right’ answers to a musician’s work, equally I’m not making unfounded/ irrelevant claims. I’m looking to embrace that middle ground between
fact-finding and the imagination. Art invites us to read between the lines.”

From his destructive era with THE BIRTHDAY PARTY to modern-day crooner. From Mr. Hyde to Dr. Jekyll. After analysing CAVE’s repertoire — what was instrumental in your opinion, Adam, for his transformation, personal and artistic over the years?

“It would be easy to focus upon the loss of Cave’s son Arthur in 2015, followed by the more recent death of one of his older sons, Jethro. And that is a major shift in Cave’s personal and creative life, from Push The Sky Away and the rupture of Skeleton Tree and then the reckoning of Ghosteen – it’s an amazing transition and I’m grateful for it as a listener, but like most of us, it was arrived at through such an unimaginable human cost that no-one should have to experience.

While Cave has claimed this is a closed chapter, it has continued into his work on
The Red Hand Files, the sometimes heavy-handed approach to interviews (where he sidesteps talking endlessly about grief, but is often invited to weigh-in on the state of
the world, like a seer), and with the new album, Wild God. It promises a ‘return’ to basics, odl school Cave and rock and roll, etc.

When, in reality, I think The Bad Seeds and Cave have always been great at reimagining
rock and roll; pushing boundaries while maintaining a passion for more traditional music, like the blues, and latching onto southern gothic imagery – eventually to a point of near-parody. So, I love Your Funeral… My Trial but get a bit bored with The Firstborn Is Dead, for example.”

I could easily cut the discography in half but I know that all the records together mark a continual and necessary progression – part of my reason for writing a book with a wide span, that nonetheless digs deep on what makes Cave quite unique (an impossible task!)

What did/do you want to express with the book’s title?

“I love the song, Darker With The Day, and as my original focus for this book project
was just to explore the loose trilogy of PSTA/Skeleton Tree/Ghosteen I thought the idea
of waking up to darkness (and through a play on light) was both relevant to those albums and subverted the idea that night and day, good and bad are entirely divisible – in real life – this is rarely the case.

So Darker With The Dawn draws us back to the continued struggle
of living, set against death, when really it’s all one endless cycle.”

The cover is impressive. To me, it feels like CAVE’s eyes want to look into your
heart and soul. What did you, along with designer Johnny Nicholds, want to communicate with the artwork?

“Jonny Nicholds is a great artist in his own right. He has a great sense of proportion and control in producing portraits of well-known artists and musicians and renders a very strong likeness. I was really impressed with a portrait he did of Bowie and asked if he would ever consider producing a Nick Cave image for my book.

By chance, Jonny is also a big fan and had already done some sketches. We talked about presenting Cave alongside many of the symbols and cyphers of his songs, but realising that has already been done in the Lovely Creatures best-of artwork.

Instead, Jonny focused on producing a deeply textured image of Nick Cave, looking austere, intense and serious. Originally, Jonny created Cave’s image with paint drips running like blood into a typewriter, emphasising Cave’s deep commitment to the written word; as a reader and a writer.

This interest in books alongside the craft of songwriting sets him apart from a lot of musical artists. Like Bowie, Cave would read as source of creative inspiration and go beyond the text; absorbing and reimagining his reading into something new.”

What have CAVE and BOWIE in common as human beings and artists?
What are the main differences between the two?

“I’ve always been interested in their different status as artists. They started in different eras, but while Bowie defined the decade of the 1970s and inspired a whole new raft of musicians with each new record, these gathered into new mainstream momentum that steered the culture overall. And despite Bowie’s extreme confrontation with the wonderful world of the secret strange, he was able to have both hits and produce singular experimental records.

Cave has always sat on the edges of the musical world, he avoids being pigeonholed
and in that he persists as an alternative musician but not completely outside the realm of traditional music, as I said. I think he always ploiughed ahead with the kind of music he wanted to make, in stark defiance to other people’s expectations.

Instead of selling-out Cave would always be challenged with ‘mellowing out’ and it is only now in his later years that he has become a major public figure. Before that, it was the ballad “Where The Wild Roses Grow” a duet with Kylie Minogue that brought Cave and The Bad Seeds to Top Of The Pops on television and made their 1996 album, Murder Ballads a chart hit.”

“In spite of all this turnaround, Cave has never been equipped to produce pop-centred hits – the true definition of a great musician. Although he has continued to reinvent himself, although not in such a drastic fashion as Bowie, it was Cave and close collaborator Warren Ellis, who created dark, electronica and heavily produced late albums, Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen, akin to the dark revision of Gil Scoot Heron’s, I’m New Here in 2010.

So I remain divided but adoring of both artists for all of their differences.”

Your Top3 CAVE albums?

Henry’s Dream (2010)

Your Funeral… My Trial (2009)

Push The Sky Away (2013)

Your Top 3 of songs by this once-in-a-lifetime artist?

Stranger Than Kindness (from Your Funeral, My Trial – 2009)

Stagger Lee (from Murder Ballads – 2011)

Idiot Prayer (from The Boatman’s Call – 2011)

Thank you very much for this chat, Adam!

You can find the various outlets through
which you can order the book HERE.

INTERVIEW – How Was 2023 For British Rap Wordsmith JODIE LANGFORD?

Posted on by JL

19 December 2023

JODIE LANGFORD is an up-and-coming young artist from Hull, UK. Not just
the umpteenth one. She’s a kick-ass hip-rap-hop poet that thrilled Turn Up
The Volume‘s ears for the first time with her arousing debut single I Miss It
back in 2021.

Langford is notable for her open-mindedness, her critical, head-on outspokenness,
her faster-than-a-riot-gun ranting, and her detailed daily life observations. And she embeds her razzle-dazzle rhymes in head-spinning and hyperkinetic tunes. All of
which you can experience on her 2023 debut EP Chaos Of Time EP and brand new
ripper Foefetti. I’m sure The Streets’ Mike Skinner would love it all.

From here on, Jodie will do the talking and tell us about
herself, her music, her mum, and this past year

Hello Jodie,
Welcome,

What/who inspired you to start your musical
journey, Jodie, and why did you go for rap music?

“At the age of 16, I developed an interest for having thought-provoking conversations with people (if you can call that an interest?). This started out as just ranting and discussing with people about the government or state of society, later it turned into introducing live acts and bands on stage at local music events and festivals, and then shortly after that I found a passion for spoken word.

I always loved music but could never play an instrument or sing very well so I think that’s why I loved the rhythm and lyricism of spoken word. As a young teen, I had the lyrics from all my favourite songs printed out and stuck on my bedroom wall, so words have always been important to me and are at the heart of what I do.”

Which track would you play to people who never heard of you?

“I would recommend that they listen to Foefetti. I think this track will bring people up to my speed on my current musical direction and has a nice blend of punk vibes, spoken word elements and foolishness! It may not be a lyrical masterpiece, but it is one of my faves.”

Your rad 2021 debut single ‘I MISS IT’ reflected perfectly how so many young people felt during lockdown. How do you look back now on that song and that somber period?

“Thanks for calling it rad! I Miss It is a song that I still have a lot of love for. It was the song that kickstarted my musical journey. As the world was entering the unknown so was I, but the unknown for me was this musical path that I hadn’t really explored yet.

What is nice to see is that the song is still relevant for many people in different ways. It can be for people that remember the tough time of restrictions and lack of social interaction or for people that want to relive their memories and messy night out shenanigans without getting involved in the real thing.”

You named your debut EP ‘CHAOS OF TIME’.
Why? What did you want to express with it?

“The words ‘CHAOS OF TIME’ encapsulate how I feel when I’m trapped in a state of overthinking. At around the time that was written, I felt as though endless stream of thoughts wouldn’t stop biting at me and I found it hard to shut off from that.

With the song, we wanted to replicate that feeling and so it has an unrestrained vibe where you feel like you’re falling down a rabbit hole of uncertainty. I decided to name the EP after the song as the EP explores a range of emotions and experiences I felt throughout that period.”

How’s life post-Brexit?

“It’s weird man. There is so much fear, anger and division in this country. I do think that some people are finally starting to realise how they were manipulated and lied to which inevitably led them to vote leave in the first place. People are struggling and don’t feel supported and don’t know who to trust. We’re even more anxious and fearful than when discussions were first opening about leaving the EU and the future is so uncertain.

I suppose it’s also hard balancing being passionate about change, being there for others and calling out the powers that be, whilst also making sure you’re not burning yourself out to the point where you make yourself sick.

You just gotta look out for people in times like these.
The world is in bits and we’re a part of that.

Maybe this is a daft question, but I still wonder and always did how
long it takes for rap artists to memorize their word-waterfall stories?

“I can’t put a timeframe on how long it takes to memorise my lyrics, sometimes I can memorise a whole song in a very short space of time. With others, I have to listen to my own recordings and demos repeatedly until I’m sick of my own voice so that it truly sticks with me. Oddly, I find the longer the verses the easier it is for me to. I tend to have no problems with songs like Take Your Money or TV Or Not TV.”

Never had a writer’s block, Jodie?

“I’ve struggled a lot with writer’s block, but I think that ‘block’ mainly comes down
to being preoccupied with other things and when I sit down and dedicate a time
and space to writing I can overcome that.

I was watching a Ted Talk recently by Pages Matam where he explained that a good
friend once told him “Writer’s block is not the absence of imagination and inspiration, but
it is a surplus of judgement,” and I think that’s a really interesting point.”

Your work is also musically very rich in orchestration.
Do you write the music yourself?

“All the lyrics to my music are written by me, however I am fortunate enough to work
with an incredibly talented producer and DJ called Endoflevelbaddie. He produces all the beats and creates all the music to bring my words to life. As I’ve never pursued music in educational settings, I don’t know much about the production side of things.

He has the magic and skill to turn all my visions into a reality. And often he creates something wayyyy better than what I had in mind in the first place. You should check
out his solo stuff too, it’s sick. If you ever get the chance to see a Baddie set live, you’re
in for a right jamboree.”

Do you play instruments, Jodie?

“Over the years I’ve tried to play violin, ukulele, guitar and drums and I’ve always
given up within weeks. I can grasp the basics of most things, but then I give up when
moving on from that.

I hope that one day I will pick up an instrument, I would love to learn how
to drum again. But right now I’m enjoying just playing around with my voice.”

New single FOEFETTI is a blast. Sounds like your
6th birthday was really special. Was it?

“My 6th birthday was bloody ace. Cake, princess dresses & pin the tail on the donkey- what a time to be alive! Any excuse to be a little silly, be around good friends, and act/look like a princess all day sounds sweet to me. I thought that it would be funny to include the clips of my 6th birthday party in Foefetti.

The innocence of the tiny little voices in the clips is so wholesome, then you contrast it with a 24-year old me being radgey as hell yet still holding that princess-esque entitlement. Just a bit of a laugh, innit.”

Your favourite track and album of 2023?

“My favourite album of 2023 is House Party by Keaton Henson, it’s beautiful. I always listen
to him when I need a good cry and his music is there crying with me, creating a space for me to just feel everything. My favourite track of 2023 is ‘ECDYSIS’ by Yard and YINYANG, I would love to see YINYANG live.”

Prick of the year?

“I mean Rishi Sunak (note: British conservative politician) is the obvious choice. But I’m going for the little kid who stole my seat in a busy food market on 2nd December 2023.
I was carrying around my tofu stir fry for ages whilst waiting for a seat in this lovely food court called Trinity Market in Hull, and as I was walking to a chair that had just become available the unthinkable happened- a little gremlin had run in front of me and stole my seat.

He didn’t even buy any food, so he didn’t deserve that spot. It’s frowned
upon to argue with a child, so I just had to move on with my life… GRRR!!!”

Hero(ine) of the year?

“My mum. Sorry if that sounds a bit wet (Note TUTV: It doesn’t) but she’s conquered a lot this year and she’s powered through despite all the difficulties life has thrown at her. Her strength inspires me every day and her efforts/time spent helping those around her hasn’t gone unnoticed.

She deserves so much peace and love and I hope that one day she’ll have a nice house
in some place gentle and calm where she can cuddle up with Kiko, our dog, on the sofa, sipping rose wine and have plenty of space to work on all her vibrant paintings. 2024 better treat her well- OR ELSE!”

What track will/would you play at midnight on 31st December?

“I’m spending New Year at a club in Amsterdam this year, so I unfortunately
don’t get to dictate what song will play. However, I would probably go with
Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. I just love it, no matter the occasion.”

What musical and or personal plans do you have for 2024, Jodie?

“I don’t have many plans for 2024 as of yet, I totally overbooked myself this year with various occasions so I’m fearful of doing that again. I want to go on a sunny holiday somewhere as I’ve not had many of those, that would be nice.

I hope to do plenty more gigs this year and it would be ace if a few festival slots were chucked my way too. Aside from that, I’ll keep writing and making tunes in the studio
with Baddie!”

Thank you very much for this interview, Jodie.
Have a splendid Xmas and an amazing 2024.

CHAOS OF TIME

Stream/buy


.
Jodie Langford: Twitter – Instagram

THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY Have Their 4th Album ‘GOOD BUSY’ Out – Their Frontman JOSHUA BAUMGARTEN Talks About It With TUTV

Posted on by JL

10 October 2023

Dutch humanistic rock unit THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY is a pretty special affair.

A band with its roots firmly planted in both the regional and international
counterculture. They produce a raw, dirty groove influenced by punk,
provo, punk icons and spiced with sultry saxophone here and there.

Their poetry is packed with social criticism. They drew my ears’ attention with their 2021 album We Are… Doomed. An open-minded-plainspoken-asskicking-anti-establishement-and-other-scumbags opus. The same biting spirit is present on their brand new full-length GOOD BUSY. Moody reveries and blasting belters alternate creating an overall stirring/roaring record in the end.  Perfect occasion for an interview.

The band’s highly dedicated and caring America-born frontman-punk-rapper-poet-storyteller Joshua Baumgarten will tell us in-depth about being busy in a very good way. But first, as usual, we start an interview with a slice of steaming music from the new LP.


.
Hello Joshua,
Welcome,

When and how did TIL got together?

“I guess we got together around 2016. I was then running my own secondhand subculture shop in Haarlem under the name The Irrational Library. It was filled with books, music, film, posters, random weird stuff. We had two barbers, live music, a fridge full of beer, and was an open door to all those who crossed its threshold.

It was via the shop I met Tom (baritone saxophonist and guitarist), and Mishal (bassist). Lars (drummer) I knew from the bands he was then currently playing in. Mishal offered to put some music behind a poem I had called “The Don’t be a Dick About It Doctrine’s featured on our first album Now That We Still Can


Cover of 2017 debut album Now That We Still Can

What he did really blew my mind. We had a chance to do a 15-minute live set on a local festival that spring. Mishal and I and two other musicians did something that I felt was really unique and special. A few months later I told Mishal that I wanted to do this more as a real band. I knew Tom played baritone sax and I liked him as a person, so I said I wanted him in the band.

We did two tryouts for drummers. Lars was the second and from the first beat, he and Mishal clicked as rhythm section. Like most things with us, it happened organically. Wasn’t forced, it just was meant to be.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name and why
you’re described it as a counterculture act?

“I have been using the name The Irrational Library since 2000 as a publishing title for small self-made books of poems and art. When I started living and working in Haarlem I started using it as the name for performance evenings with local bands, poets, performers of all sorts. Then the shop and then the band. It just has a ring to it and it covers everything we are.

A long time ago I lived in Los Angeles and my roommate and I had a very vast and diverse collection of all different types of art. An Irrational Library is the idea that you don’t have to be into just one thing but the beautiful combination different genres, forms, styles make a person a more well-rounded versed person. And being able to recognize the links in music, poetry, art. Self-expression doesn’t need to be single minded but continuous searching into whatever it is that calls to you.

As far as being a counterculture act, I guess the base of what we do comes out of a punk ethos. Push against the grain. To define your own style. To cut and paste your own creative vision. The Irrational Library members grew up feeding off of those great creative visionaries that came before. We aren’t re-creating the wheel per se, just spinning it at our
own tempo.

Plus I like to write a lot about what a fucked up world we all enjoy. I guess that is somewhat counter to the accept it as it is culture. It is a label put upon us so people
can grasp on to an idea of what we do. In the end, this is who we are as a band and this
is what we do.

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“Interesting question.

Huevos Rancheros, the first single of the new album Good Busy. It is so out of leftfield for us. It was one of the first we came up with after our last album We…are Doomed. It is fresh and vibey, shows the growth of Tom’s guitar work. The groove just picks you up and carries you along. And lyrically I am very fond of the poetics in it. Somewhat surreal, stream of consciousness but also very pointed.

I can remember sitting down to write and telling myself to just let go and free form something. Huevos Rancheros is what came out. It is a fun and freeing song to play live as well. And it opens the door to the surprises of the new album. We stay true to what we do but are never afraid to follow something that just feels good to us.

It is a song that can make people say, “well now, what was that?” And then the rest will make them think, “well, what is this?” Each track stands alone and is equally part of the whole essence of the album.”


.

Your 4th album GOOD BUSY is out now. What is
it that you want to express with the title?

“I am an American living in the Netherlands for 23 years. I love playing with the two languages of Dutch and English. Incorporating Dutch words or references into songs.

GOOD BUSY is translated from the Dutch saying, Goed Bezig. Dutch people say this to one another when they are more or less busy with doing something productive. It can also be used sarcastically when you are busy fucking something up. During practice one day we were just doing what we normally do and it just came out, GOOD BUSY.

After our last album We…are Doomed, it was fun to flip the coin and play with something sounding more positive. Also the fact that even during corona we came out with our 3rd album/book together with graphic artist TRIK and also wrote the majority of GOOD BUSY.

Staying busy with what motivates you will pull you through all the ups and downs in life. Giving in, giving up, turning over and going back to sleep won’t fulfill your days. Take a power nap and then get back to it. Stay GOOD BUSY.

We also played around with the title ‘Full On Rock Show!‘.
But figured we could save that for out best of compilation.”

The album’s artwork is impressive in a weird/funny way.
Who designed it and what’s the connection with the songs?

“TRIK, the graphic artist who did the artwork and book attached to
the We…are Doomed project did GOOD BUSY as well. Mishal, our bass
player had an idea of putting a photo of Lars’ dreamy face on the cover,
a sort of homage to Iggy Pop on the cover of Lust for Life.

Mishal made the photo and TRIK did his thing. Not everyone was into it at first. Took a bit of convincing to get all four of us on board. I think it is a beautiful, life-affirming illustration. It stands out. It POPS. TRIK created the letter type as well and the distinct colors. How it connects to the songs…maybe the cover portrays a state of being, blissfully aware? Smile into the face of stupidity? Take from it what you want.

Some people comment that my lyrics/poems are anything but positive. I disagree to a large extent. They are more rallying cries then critical commentary. With a wink and a smile, we can all get by. In that way, the album cover art, the words and music all come together.”

Which music/artists inspired you when writing/making the record?.

“Music is for all of us a daily inspiration. I myself was listening to a guy named Sheafer McOmber who makes epic sort of stoner rock under the name Bloodshot Buffalo as well as Deer Lord. I call it mountain music, cause it makes me want to keep climbing mountains, though Holland has an eternally flat ass landscape.


.
I reached out and made contact with Sheafer, who lives out in Northern California.
Funny, rad dude who is just doing what he loves to do. It is great to just chat/message
with people about being creative, sharing outtakes of music, etc.. getting inspired by like-minded people who are out there in the world.

And as always when I need a bit of poetic inspiration, I grab the book The Journal Of Albion Moonlight by Kenneth Patchen. Open it to any page and my mind is locked in and lit up.”

Was every member involved in the writing process?

“Yeah, what we do is like I said earlier, for lack of a better word organic. I do my writings when the moment is needed. Then I bring what I have with me to practice. As we are setting up usually Mishal is ready first, so he just starts laying down a groove. His playing is so unique in that he is actually a guitar player. For the band he wanted to do bass. So, what he comes up with it so different than the standard bass playing. Lars is usually next and starts laying out a beat.

Then Tom feels out if it is something at that moment for guitar or sax. And then maybe Tom will switch. It is all a feeling at that moment. And I just shuffle through the poems and wait to jump on to the train. Jams can evolve into songs of course and most times they do. But there are plenty of moments when I am digging something and when we finish the rest just say, nope. I am easily satisfied when I hear the other three play. They make my job very easy.

Once we have a sketch of an idea, then we start puzzling. Looking for B parts, trimming extra fat off the text…killing those darlings. This is my favorite part of being in the band. The puzzling, the figuring out where the words should bounce and land on the beat. Pushing and pulling against Tom’s baritone. The baritone is the counterbalance to my voice. So, we are always listening to one another to see where the space can be filled and left open.”

Are all songs in some way lyrically connected or do they all stand on their own?

“I think they stand alone but are also connected. All the poems are written during
a certain time frame. So, a state of mind can be picked up upon. But as I often write
about what is going on in the world, the stories evolve and change even as they stay
the same.

Every album is a sort of time capsule that encapsulates the here and then but
hopefully can also be stand the test of time and be relevant to the “here and now.”

Single HUEVOS RANCHEROS is one of the LP’s highlights. What’s the song
about and how is the colored air balloon in the video related to the song?

“Like I mentioned earlier Huevos Rancheros is a stream-of-consciousness poem that became about, I guess, just about being alive. There are so many fun twists and turns in the wordplay that sometimes that is also just it. But unconscious to me while writing the poem, the wordplay does its own dance. Words have a tendency to pick their own dance partners.

Like these lines… “And as landscapes unfold like origami untold and newspaper swans
are just yesterday’s news, well, I saw extinction walking secondhand alligator shoes.”

I just dig how those words puzzle themselves together and create such a fun vision. Whenever I doubt my own poetic capabilities, I just think of those lines and smile.

The video of the colored hot air balloon was like lots of things with us, a mix of randomness and opportunity. We are not a video band. Who has the attention span to watch a full music video these days? Plus, Huevos would be a tricky one to try to set out and make a video for, unless there were some chemicals involved.

My barber and an old partner in the Irrational Library shop, Rob (now named the Mad Daddys Barbershop) gave me a good tutorial about putting shit online for promo. Insta, Fbook, YouTube, all that stuff that I can never really get into for promo reasons.

But he convinced me of the benefits it can have of at least making people aware of what you are doing, like a candle in the middle of a clusterfuck. Anyway…my family were at the camping we hide out at during the temperate seasons here in NL – and often during the summer, there are hot air balloons passing by in the sky in the early evening. This one sort of hovered for a bit above the camping, then dropped out of sight, then just made it over the tree line to finally set down in the farmland behind us.

I just started filming cause it was kinda cool looking. Later on that night, I thought that it would be a good fit for the song. Plus the length of the video pretty much matched the length of the track. Oppurtunity and convenience.”

Suppose the record would be the soundtrack for a movie, which one would it be?

“We have always thought that our music lends itself to cinema quite well. Maybe one day we will end up on a soundtrack. Qua soundtrack to an already existing movie…hard to say since I feel like we are so based in this time period of existence. For sake of the interview, I will say SLACKER, the first film from Richard Linklater. How the story weaves seamlessly from one character and discussion to the next. I miss the quality of filmmaking from that era of the early 90’s. Our music is also a product of that period.

Lots of rough and tumble edgy work came out during that period. From film (early Tarantino, music like Morphine, writing like Chuck Palahnuik) I feel fortunate to grown up in a period of time that was looking towards the future but still in tune with and open to learn from the past.”

What is an IRRATIONAL LIBRARY gig like and which
band/artist would you love to tour with and why?

“A gig is a coming together. A happening. And for us, an evening or day out with the boys. We come to play. And be that for five of five hundred, that is what we do. We go hard. Even in the softer numbers, we reach deep. We want people to get with us as we want to get with them. Has to be a give-and-take. I aim to hit the people in the head by what I say and th band is responsible for the neck down. Best compliment I ever got was when a woman told me that “we were the only band that made her dance and think at the same time.” Get loose, get lost, get yourself free.

In December we will be heading to the UK for our first time to do one show with the band Dead Anyway and label mates Rick & Rudie (Floprecords.com). Dead Anyway were here last winter for a show with us. We met when both bands were featured on the playlist of an online radio program called Bagel Radio out of New York from a super cool dude named Ted Liebowitz.

Dead Anyway reached out to us to say hello and how much they dug what we did. It was again just a pure and inspiring moment of contact. I like doing things with people I see as contemporaries, like minded searchers. Also helps that we are all grown ass adults with very few illusions about what we do and why we do it. In the end doing shows with people you champion as much as they champion you is a gift.”


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What’s the band’s ultimate goal?

“Me doing interviews that contain much shorter answers.”

Thanks a bunch for this interview, Joshua.
May the road rise with The Irrational Library.

STREAM ALBUM

BUY ALBUM


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TIL: Facebook – Instagram
TUTV: Blog – Facebook – Instagram

Happy Birthday To Rat Girl KRISTIN HERSCH

Posted on by JL

7 August 2023

KRISTIN HERSH was born on 7 August 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Happy 57 to a particular and wonderful artist. Best known as the voice-face-songwriter
of guitar-pop legends Throwing Muses. But she’s also the driving force of 50 Foot Wave
and released solo work too. Actually, a new solo LP, named Clear Pound Road lands
on 8 September. Pre-order info here.

I had the privilge to interview Kristin back in December 2020.
The year that will always be rememerbed as the lockdown year.

And this is a great occasion to re-read that interview.

But first that crystal pearl, titled Dandelion, from the upcoming LP.

Now back to 2020.

Hello Kristin

What or who made you decide to call the new arresting and
highly acclaimed THROWING MUSES album SUN RACKET?

“Titling records is obviously an artificial aesthetic move, based loosely around the
idea that we press lp’s with 6 songs per side and then sell them to teenagers, as if
we went back in time to the ’60s. So I tend to draw a blank unless a title shouts itself
out at some point in the recording process.

This one was shouted out by my drummer, across the mixing desk, as the song,
Bo Diddley Bridge played loudly through the speakers: “WHAT ARE YOU SAYING IN
THE SECOND VERSE? IS IT A GOOD RECORD TITLE?” And what I was saying was, of
course, “sun racket.”

Does the record’s cover sleeve reflects in, any way, the LP’s title?

“I took the cover photo here in California while my son was surfing down the street.
I loved the crappiness and the beauty. Kind of what I love about my bands: crappiness
and beauty. We never wanted to be rock stars; in fact, we don’t want to be looked at at
all. We just love music and we love each other. I lucked out when I found musicians like me, all about crappiness and beauty. The opposite of show-offs.”

The rockin’ tracks on the record sound garage-esque and pretty rough. A different resonance from anything else before. Is something wrong with my ears?

“There were two sonic vocabularies on this record, which were completely opposed. One distorted and hypnotic, recorded in New England; the other fragile and detailed, recorded in LA. Rather than try to blend heavy and light, I just let them contrast each other, which makes them both seem more extreme. And yeah, that makes you feel like there’s something wrong with your ears!”

On closing track SUE’S there’s a brilliant line “The devil has no soul / doesn’t
love who he fucks”. Is the devil you sing about a real person?

“I think we all embody devils when we let hate play out in our lives.
Empathy, even with darkness, is a better quality to move toward.”


.

I can’t think of any other album that came out with a visual film featuring haunting visual accompaniments to the songs. Who came up with the inventive idea and how did its film-noir content develop?

“My son Ryder shot footage in the studio and a filmmaker used on-location landscapes to create these films. Very textured and moody, which serves Sun Racket’s buoyancy. We’re all shy, private musicians who don’t want to interfere with songs, so a visual mood piece will reflect that ethos better than a “rock video.”

The full album in visuals right here

The album was recorded with the same band as the one you worked with for
about 30 years now. That’s longer than most marriages last. What’s the secret?

“I love and trust Dave and Bernie to the point where I want to live up to their expectations, so I ask even more of myself than I demand when I work alone. We have FUN, which is a dirty word in this industry devoted to its dumbing down and then calling that dumb “fun.” Real fun is insightful and smart, just like my bandmates.”

Is Kristin Hersh the same person as 30 years ago,
if not, in what way did she changed?

“I wrote a book based on my teenage diary that was reviewed well, based on my ability to “capture a teenager’s voice.” Then these journalists interviewed me and realized that I didn’t “capture” anything; I just never grew up…”


Slate Magazine review here – available via Amazon

What did you feel the very moment the fall of Trump was announced, Kristin?

“Relief. The slipping into hate my country was doing was evidence of the devils in “Sue’s.” We don’t have time for division.”

Suppose you were asked to rewrite and put new music to the National USA Anthem. No restrictions whatsoever. What would be the outcome, in sound and vision?

“I think a quiet, humble instrumental would serve America well. My poor country is mired in its entertainment industry, which could be an unpretentious fairy tale, but we need to shake off money, status, fame and fear in order to embrace that in a healthy way. “Stars” of all kinds are evidence of the bought-and-paid-for spotlight that convinces people that their attention is not reflective of their own idiosyncrasies. All we have is our perception; to give away that power to people with marketing money erases our culture and ourselves.”

Many artists came up with covers of their favorite songs in these surreal,
lockdown times. Which song would you pick to cover, Kristin?

“I’m not usually moved to cover songs because I write too many! And because if I love a song, I want to listen to it, not get in the way. But people make me cover songs, anyway, mostly for charity. I never say no to charity or a benefit. I’ve covered Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” and Nick Drake’s “Fly.” Apparently 50 Foot Wave covered “Somebody to Love,” because my drummer just sent it to me, but neither of us have any memory of doing this.”

Social media: a blessing or a pain in the ass?

“I loved Twitter at first, when it was like passing notes to crack each other up. Now, of course, it’s been taken over by noisy people who love to hate. I’m just careful to only say what I mean and only listen to those who mean what they say. I won’t abandon ship until all the quiet, thoughtful people have done so. Right now, we need each other too much to give up.”

What is the best track and album you heard in 2020?

“Invisible Man” from Fred Abong’s album Our Mother Of Perpetual Help.”

I read somewhere that you will write a book ‘about raising kids on the road while touring’. As a parent myself, I’m really curious. Can you tell us more about the project, Kristin?

“My publishing company asked for a book about raising kids on a bus, which SOUNDS interesting until you think, “Well, I’ve seen kids and I’ve seen buses…” You know, not exactly the action-packed adventure they were imagining. But with 4 sons, this book spans 30 years, and when you have that much time to work with, you can edit out all the boring stuff. So it DID turn out to be pretty exciting after all.

I just finished the copy edit and cover, so it’s not mine anymore. A tough book to let go
of, as my youngest son turned 18 yesterday. I really have to face letting them go now. It’s sooooo hard. My sons are my heroes and I’ve had a child on my hip since *I* was a child. Maybe I’ll finally have to grow up.”

What and/or who, made you laugh crazily, and what and/or
who made you cry your eyes out the past 12 months?

“I don’t have anyone in my inner circle — friends, children, lovers and bandmates —
who haven’t done both. Sounds kind of intense putting it that way, but I only cry FOR
them, not because of them. I lucked out here on earth. I’m not safe in any way — physically, financially, artistically or emotionally — but your own raw life is the only art,
the only success, the real high. ”

Thank you very much for this interview, Kristin.
May the road rise with you, your family, your music
and your band in 2021

KRISTIN HERSH: Facebook – Instagram

INTERVIEW – Look Out For Riotous Berlin Punk Trio LOBSTERBOMB And Their Barbed Wire Debut LP

Posted on by JL

After a series of stormy singles Berlin-based, turbulent trio LOBSTERBOMB released
their debut LP, titled LOOK OUT. A manic mixture of left/right punk uppercuts, garage
rock swagger, and riot grrl dynamics, stoked up by roaring riffs, a frenetic bass/drum tandem and high-pitched vocals, think of Poly Sterene, Kathleen Hanna or Bonnie
Bloomgarden. All ingredients you need for a bonkers moshpit.

If you never heard of them read on as loud and clear vocalist/guitarist Crayon Jones
will tell us more about the band and their debut longplayer. But as usual, we start an interview with a slice of music. Open your ears and eyes for one of the album’s top cuts.

When and how did LOBSTERBOMB got together?

“We met via the instagram page ‘We formed a band’ which was run by the band Gurr.
It was a page where you can post handwritten notes looking for people to play with.

Once we connected we had a few practices together and then the pandemic hit.

So it took a while before we could really get going but we were
all super motivated to make some music and play some shows.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

“We can’t say exactly what it is, but we can
confirm it has nothing to do with the B-52s.”

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“What About Never is our most recent single and it gives a pretty good idea
of what we are about. Lots of energy, personal lyrics and fun visuals.”

Your debut album is out. It’s titled LOOK OUT.
Who or what have we to look out for?

“It is both ‘Look Out, we are here!’ and also about our lyrics, which are quite
observational. We look out onto the world around us and write songs about
what we see and feel.”

How does it feel to have your first album on vinyl?

“It was definitely a little magical to listen to the test pressing
on vinyl for the first time.”

The LP’s image shows the band at its glamorous best. Do you want to express something about the band or your personal yourselves with your flamboyant
looks?

“There is no overall concept of our image, but we are all visually oriented people and find it fun to dress up. We each bring our own style rather than having a defined band uniform.”

Were all three of you involved in the writing/recording process?.

“Usually one of us will make a basic demo with the bones of the song,
but it doesn’t really develop into a full song until we play it together
and we all add something to it.”

Are all songs are in some way connected or do they all stand on their own?

“We wrote these songs over a long period of time so certain songs reflect different
times in our development as a band. For example No No No and Hitting The Wall are
among our oldest songs and have quite a raw and rocky feel, compared to What About Never, Gravitation or Dragonfly that are a bit more post-punky and have extra elements
like synths added.”


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Were you listening to other music while writing the album?

“We all have a diverse taste in music. The playlists we listen to when driving
to shows are always a chaotic mix ranging from psychedelic to punk to pop.”

The album sounds as if it was recorded live
giving it a genuine raw/rough edge. Was it?

“We recorded it ourselves in our rehearsal room in Neukölln, rather than a fancy studio which is perhaps why it has a rawness to the sound, but we recorded each instrument separately rather than recording live.”

GRAVITATION is one of my fav tracks. What is
the song about and where was the video shot?

“It is about a moment when the universe seems to take control and connect you with another person. We shot the video with Unlost Films at Velodrom and Checkpoint Bravo in Berlin. We wanted locations that matched the 80s post punk vibe of the song that had some elements of brutalism and decay.”

What’s a LOBSTERBOMB gig like?

“We always try to make every show feel special and we love to connect with the audience. We want people to have fun, as it makes it even more enjoyable for us when the crowd is making noise and dancing.”

Which band would you love to tour with and why?

“We were already lucky to play with a lot of very cool bands such as Death Valley Girls, Pabst, Itchy and Laura Lee & the Jettes. A dream would be to play with Kathleen Hanna whether its with Bikini Kill or Le Tigre, we aren’t fussy!”

Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which want would it be?

“The Barbie movie as it would have made the whole marketing
the album thing so much easier. We have plenty of pink outfits
in our closets already.”

What’s the band ultimate goal

“We just want to write songs, play shows and meet nice people really! That’s why we formed a band so we try to keep that in mind whenever the ‘work’ aspect of being in a band gets too much.”

Thank you for this interview, Crayon.
May the road rise with Lobsterbomb.

STREAM

BUY


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LOBSTERBOMB: Facebook – Instagram

INTERVIEW – Dreamy Guitar Pop/Rock Trio CMON CMON Explain What Their Debut Album Means Not What It Seems

Posted on by JL

21 July 2023

Belgian guitar pop/rock band CMON CMON started their second coming
about two years ago, driven by sheer love for music. Writing it, recording it,
sharing it, playing it live, and enjoying it along with their fans.

No masterplan whatsoever to conquer the world, no commercial pressure.
They restarted with one and only one goal. Making the best album their
experience and their hearts and souls could come up with.

Enter The Crack And The Light. The band’s very first longplayer.

A balanced mix of amplified guitar-infused dream pop tunes with a melancholic
and soothing touch. References? R.E.M, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub, Sparklehorse
and The Chills, to name a few. I’m sure you get the sonic picture.

To get deeper into CMON CMON and their firstborn, I thank Jorrit Hermans, vocalist/guitarist, for taking time to tell us about themselves and the record.

But first, as usual, we start an interview with a slice of music. Enjoy one of the
LP’s highlights, the sprightly looking-back-and-forth gem ‘The Summers We Missed’.

Hello Jorrit,

CMON CMON had a first life about 20 years ago.
What or who inspired you to come back?

“We wanted to get back together as musicians because we missed playing
together and writing the songs we love but couldn’t hear on the radio.

So, our first goal was to have fun and share a laugh as friends.

Our second goal was to be ruthlessly creative and make the best album
we could possibly write. Nothing more. If you expect anything from music,
you’re expecting too much.”

What’s the story behind the band’s name?

“If you watch R.E.M.’s music video for “Imitation of Life”, you should pay attention
to the first 10 seconds. You’ll see a neon sign that reads CMON CMON. That’s where
we got the name from. Steven came up with this while we got back from London
on the Eurostar after we decided to launch the band.

The story behind the name? Well, that’s all about the attitude to just go out there and get it. Nothing is impossible in our world, and we love to encourage our fans with that positive message.”

Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?

“Love that question! I guess it would be our debut album’s closing track “New Orleans” because it really is the summary of what the band is about: a captivating story, cool melody, vocal harmonies, big, jangly guitars, Rickenbacker basslines, and drums to die for.”


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The debut album is out now. It’s titled THE CRACK AND THE LIGHT.
What does it mean?

“The Crack and The Light” reflects the nature of the songs, all of which are true stories. They’re quite dark and twisted with lots going wrong, but what connects them is hope. That’s the crack and the light.”

The LP’s image is quite intriguing. What or who do you want
express with it and how is it related to the album’s title?

“We wanted to create a mysterious cover with lots of stopping power and symbolize
the album title. Meanwhile, we wanted to tell a little story with the cover in its own right.

If you look at that girl, she seems frozen in the air, and you ask yourself, ‘Is she falling?
Or is she jumping up?’ What happened in the seconds before that shot? Is it a positive or
a negative story? It’s all in the eye of the beholder. That’s what we loved to trigger with
this cover.”

Were all three of you involved in the writing/recording process?.

“Oh yes, writing together is what we love the best. I come up with rough song ideas and demos and throw them in the group, Michel and Steven take them apart and together we make them better. Same with recording, it’s what we do together as a group that makes it work for us.”

Do all songs are in some way connected
or do they all stand on their own?

“They all have a crack and a light in them so I would say they are thematically connected but not on a storyline level. In that sense, it’s not a concept album. Every song can stand on its own. But if you listen back in hindsight, they all share the same intention. Must be the universe that was on our side there.

Were you listening to other music while writing the album?

“Well, I can’t really listen to other music when I’m writing songs. Obviously,
we build on our backgrounds and inspiration from the heroes that went before
us, but songwriting with CMON CMON is a very intense, deep dive into emotions,
narratives, and arrangements that leave no margin at all to be able to process
other music than ours.

It’s just so compelling, and we always pour our very hearts into this every time again.”

Opening track SAY WHAT IT MEANS sets the sonic tone for the full
record. What did you want to reflect with its video?

“Lyrically, this song was fueled by my experiences with dishonest people who disguise their true intentions. I developed the lyrics to support people when they’re at their most vulnerable and delicate state of mind. Yet, this can be very powerful as well. So, here’s a plea to look at strength and vulnerability as two sides of the same thing. We hope it can help people to speak up and speak out to actually say what they mean.

It’s everyone’s right to do so. In the accompanying music video for “Say What It Means” by director Aline Boyen and DOP Michel Rosendaal and produced by Wenneker in Belgium, we watch how a group of teenagers chase another teenage girl. She’s being hunted and bullied and has to escape the glances, preoccupations and judgments of others. This
creates a strong tension because a very grown-up theme is played by a group of kids
who should be representing honesty and authenticity.

These kids start to yell brutally and run towards the protagonist. They chase her down
in a scary event that ends in darkness on a deserted country road. The story shows how we sometimes deal with other cultures, ideas, feelings and opinions. Who can escape the herd? How can we find the strength and the confidence to act our spirits?

This is what we wish for everyone. Especially kids growing up with social media, unintentional attention and everything that can go wrong with being misunderstood.

Just say what it means. Not what it seems.

My ears tell me that your overall sound is
reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr. Are they right?

You have an excellent pair of ears!

Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which one would it be?

Lovely thought! I guess I’d pick “Revolutionary Road” by Sam Mendes.

It has all the inevitable drama, insight into the human psyche,
lots of cracks but also a little light.

What’s the band ultimate goal?

“We have had a tremendous first year with worldwide critical acclaim and
amazing fan response, but our ultimate goal will never change. We’re not
in this band for achievement, we just want to add a little beauty to the world
and touch people’s hearts with our songs.

If we can do just that, who needs money or fame?”

Thank you very much, Jorrit, for this interview
May the road rise with CMON CMON.

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