Magnetic Tape No.5 05 | Page 6

MAGNETIC TAPE ZINE What has been the most difficult challenge so far for you as a group? Joe C: Getting to almost any show. Two of us drive, but don’t have cars. We are lucky people have taken a shine to us and our music, because it’s the only way we ever get a chance to play. Maximum shout outs go to Toby CJ, Woolage, Matt Fidler and Dany AFB here. THE LAST THING I’D CALL DIY IS CONVENIENT; IF ANYTHING IT PROVIDES CONVENIENCE TO THOSE IT CATERS TO BE IT PEOPLE COMING TO THE SHOWS OR THE BANDS PLAYING ETC. I’VE CERTAINLY BEEN LEFT TEARING MY HAIR OUT AT POINTS STRESSING ABOUT SHOWS, WONDERING ABOUT WHERE TO PUT UP BANDS AND IF I’M GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY THEM. IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT FINE THOUGH, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT. From the lyrics I’ve seen, your style is quite abstract, what is your writing process and what themes are you drawn to? Joe C: So far, all the lyrics bar a couple of lines have been written by me. It’s funny; I’ve had my lyrics described as all kinds of contradictary things by people who obviously have read them, which I actually think is kinda cool. I have been told we are a “political band”, a “personal band”, “absract lyrically” etc. I write lyrics as a quick burst of thought, I don’t work on them, I just write them down when we get a demo through to check out. I write about people, human beings. I don’t write about myself, but I find it relatable to write as a person approaching another person/people. I have a quite conversational/ spoken type vocal approach and I like that live I can be actually speaking to the crowd within the music. There are a bunch of new ideas on the album: I wrote a song about overcoming depression by discovering a kind of spiritualism in astronomy, a song about how transgender and queer people are still seen as a bit wrong/weird by people “on the left”. There are many many songs about suffering from mental health issues, both from my own perspective and the understanding of others.