Track By Track: The Mighty Roars - Swine And Cockerel
We caught up with The Mighty Roars so they could talk us through their recently released (April 16th) debut album 'Swine And Cockerel'...
We caught up with The Mighty Roars so they could talk us through their recently released (April 16th) debut album 'Swine And Cockerel':
1. 'Sellotape'
A song about how confusing it is to be a leather clad tattooed turbo bitch but with a breakable heart. There could have been 8 girls or 3 in her but she only has a six minute attention span so you'd better hurry up. She is inviting people to 'get on the bus' which will change their shape. The trouble is that underneath her poor little heart is held together with sellotape. Obviously written to get royalties from a 'scotch' (tm) tape advert but we just couldn't get the damn phrasing right and 'sellotape' (tm) weren't interested.
2. 'Captains Ship'
This is one of the oldest songs on the album. It was written after reading a very amusing quote by dung heap artist Chris Ofili in comment to the Satchi gallery burning down and the 'loss' of many 'esteemed' works of British artists. He said something like: "Don't worry Captain Shit will rise again". It was part of our very first recorded EP 'Take a Bite of Peach' released on the German label 'Little Teddy' and we won the XFM unsigned competition with it - yeah! We open live gigs with it.
3. 'Daddy Oh'
This is what we wrote about the song to our video director: The song depicts a girl who thinks she's just it - a bit dominatrix too (all of the girls are going to admire my style, all of the boys'll wanna jump my style) who has found a boy that she feels worthy of coming back to meet her 'father figure'. This father figure, Daddy, is a man but can be more abstract (freudian spirit) and quite 'beastial' perhaps a bit deliberately kinky and pushing the freudian thing but in a funny way. The boy meets Daddy and things can happen: party, party party party. I was thinking 1950's style - almost skiffle (you know arran jumpers with high collars). Maybe a "wicker man" feel. This is reflected in the artwork for the single.
4. 'Whale'
At the beginning of 2006 we went over to Sweden to work with a producer but things didn't really pan out. This guy was always distracted and we seemed to waste soooo much time. Whilst we were waiting in the studio we got jamming and came up with the basic track of what turned out to be 'Whale!' Back in the UK we were really down thinking we had wasted money on recordings that would never be used. It was at this point that London was visited by a Whale that seemed to be intent on committing some sort of spiritual suicide by swimming up the river thames. We were struck by the primordial return to the source and the touching nature of us humans trying to 'help' but maybe not understanding the whales higher purpose. They are archetypal beasts that have always captivated us. That was the inspiration. Then we made a bloody stupid pop song out of it! Oh and we are all freaked out by the magpies which appear in verse two.
5. 'Kiss It'
David wrote this song whilst visiting friends down in the south of France and visiting the wall into which this french comedian dude called 'Coluche' fatally crashed his motorbike: "I suppose it's about mortality and chance and people not realising how lucky we are to be alive - whining and winging - they can all kiss it!". This is one of the bands favourite songs on the album and lots of fun to play live. We still fuck it up though because of the funky timing.
6. 'Wish Everything'
Something of a departure for the mighty roars - an acoustic number (?!) Written whilst looking for a label, in abject poverty, fed up with eating spaghetti and tomato sauce and somehow resisting the inevitable need to get a job. 'Wish Everything' is a statement of self belief from the suburbs of London that you might yet still be able to walk your own way amongst head-shrinking fascists and the understanding of what it might be like to be truly free. This is, of course, totally naive but fuck it, it's a pretty tune...
7. 'Funky Machine'
This was written in France too. Its about Lara's mum who, after being on the dole for ages, finally got a job and a new suit. We were there at Christmas time in this really old farm house right in the middle of nowhere and having the usual debauched piss up (she likes a drink). She insisted on putting on the record of the Beverly Hills cop soundtrack (!) which has the song 'New Attitude' on it. We danced like fools and she sang - she has an unbelievably loud voice. Don't know what the horse is doing in it but they are underrepresented in the modern pop tune anyway so why not?
8. 'Romeo'
Your'e in the sweaty thick of a nightclub, the guy with the testosterone eyes has his own circle of female hangers on that have passed his patronising 'interview' date giving him undivided attention as his fame in the nightclub grows from a small possie into a packed audience of ravers dancing on tables to his gold plated majesty, although every one of us that looks further than a pink cocktail for pleasure knows that this guy is the biggest sickliest moron you'll ever meet.
9. 'Jude and Sienna'
Is a low-slung ode that slowly climaxes to a deranged prog-rock bender. "It's a warning not to get too relaxed with something, otherwise it will only bring tragedy," says Lara. It is inspired by the rollacoaster relationship of the infamous Jude and Sienna. It is the longest song on the album.
10. 'Bag It Up'
David: Sometimes when you are standing in the queue for the bank or the supermarket you get voices. Sometimes they are not violent. Sometimes they give you wonderful melodies with beautiful flashing lights... On this occasion, whilst in Blockbuster video waiting to pay for another shite film and resisting the 3 for the price of one maxi bag of toffee popcorn, 'the voices' delivered the line 'bag it up' along with the drum fills. The rest was a case of fiddling around on the bass guitar to make the tune and then, as I used to enjoy, forcing everyone in rehearsal to conform to this perfect vision like a total solipsist wanker... Lara thinks it's about keeping what you have precious.
11. 'The Muffin Man'
Was a late edition to the album recorded separately at home over drums by the Swedish wonderkind Christer. We call Derek, the head of our label The Muffin Man (he doesn't know this so don't print it) and it is a song about him. Would love to have spent more time on it but we didn't have any or time to do so. Maybe we will revist it on a later release. Our lawyer works on Drury Lane by the way but knows absolutely nothing about muffins.
12. 'Whipped My Bitch'
Is a song about struggling and only trying to feel fine / looking for the right sign but wasting a lot of time and ruining your body / soul in doing so. You get a sentimental idea in verse two of (after all the strife) 'I can see the sea' and all will be fine - BUT NO! You will surely be whipped back into place boy by the big bastard beast that makes sure we all live in misery and pain until we die alone. It is an angry song.
You can order 'Swine And Cockerel' from HMV by clicking here. Tracks from the album are available to listen to on the band's MySpace.
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