Ghouls and Rebel Kisses - The Downtunes of Now
Picture it. It's Saturday night, the sky is clear, I'm getting a massage from a handsome man named Claus, and then my phone goes off. I have two emails from a couple of bands who have singles out on the 1st of May, will I take a look? I tell Claus that would be all for the evening and I hit the play button.
Going Feral are a band that scrapes the six month age mark. Formed in West Yorkshire in November 2019 and citing a strong influence from Mogwai, this band do what many bands daren't try - they are entirely instrumental. Made up of two guitarists - Yuri and Rob, with drummer Alex, as well as the lack of vocals, the band also dispenses with a bass player. Going Feral are a tight band, as their debut single 'Ghoul Rebellion' proves.
Feedback kicks off this track, the scraping of strings and then the drums reel you in with a riff lower than your grandma's milk floats. The drum work is inspired, carrying the piece through in a way that really makes you listen. The hi-hat is crisp, the ride sound is like a needle. That isn't to say it's all cymbal, it's alternated with tom fills that go hand-in-hand with the guitar riffs. We have the low riffs, of course, but there's a melodic sound here too, which evaporates when the track breaks down halfway through. A tight bass drum keeps the beat going with the familiar atmospheric guitar heard at the start of the track. Add some hi-hats and a creeping guitar riff that makes you want to lock your windows and doors, then a bright bit of melody from a second guitar takes you off guard. Suddenly we're back in. Feel the machine gun bass drum and the smashing of cymbals until the track is brought down and back up again. You can't help but feel Ghoul Rebellion is telling a story without using words. The final moments of the piece make you want to bang your head, and before you know, it's over, leaving you wanting more.
Going Feral were on hand to answer some questions about first times, no times, and times in the future that will only happen once lockdown is lifted.
1. Going Feral does away with the regular convention of a vocalist, but people must keep asking you where your bassist is as well, what was the thinking behind this and what feedback have you gotten from it?
Yuri: We wanted to form a band that would be an effective unit, so decided to have as few members as possible to make booking practices less of an issue. As time went on we realised the sound we were going for was already there with just the three of us playing together. Drop tuning our guitars to baritone range has filled out the low end, so people have not recommended we enrol a dedicated bassist yet.
Alex: Music is fluid. Most people just want to hear the drums anyway so we’re making that as easy as possible for now.
Rob: When we were first getting together I showed up to Yuri’s with my bass and my guitar to jam. I ended up putting the bass to one side and focusing on the guitar, with the low tuning on the guitars filling out the sound it really didn’t feel like an issue. It’s definitely something people notice, but we’ve decided to turn that into part of our USP.
2. Ghoul Rebellion is a strong start, was more music recorded? Can people expect more releases in 2020?
Yuri: There are a couple of other tracks demoed by us, but we are yet to record them in an actual studio. Hoping for later this year, all things permitting.
Alex: We’re in talks with Nice Weather for Airstrikes about recording an EP after the tories let us stand near each other again.
Rob: The creative wheels are always turning, at this point we have a full set of songs that are ready to be recorded as well as a pile of riffs to sift through. Hopefully they’ll be on an EP very soon.
3. You've very kindly donated Ghoul Rebellion to The Parish to use for their Parish Before Perish Vol. 1 compilation. Tell us more about The Parish and why it's important to save.
Yuri: Alex is based in Huddersfield and frequents the place as a patron as well as having played there a lot. It is one of the best small venues in the country, and gives a quality platform for underground bands to showcase their hard work, as well as larger touring acts. It has become one of the brightest beacons for live music in the region.
Alex: The Parish has given us and thousands of other bands a platform to perform and a place to get pissed over the years. We’re just giving something back that is more of a statement than clapping in the street.
Rob: They have good burritos there.
4. Going Feral made their stage debut in early February. What was it like playing to a crowd who've never heard your music before?
Yuri: Playing our first gig was a unique experience as we were closing out an evening of theatrical performances with a loud post-rock set, but it seemed that an atmospheric sound and the openness of interpretation we provide with our music was a perfect fit to end a night filled with monologues and overt storytelling.
Alex: Playing live is what this band is all about, it’s awesome and hopefully something that we can build on to keep people coming back for more good times.
Rob: I’ve been in love with playing live ever since I joined my first band at 17. That’s not changed. I’ve never played in a fully instrumental band before so I was apprehensive about how we might go down in front of a crowd. The response to our shows has been great though so like Alex said, we want to build on this and have people coming back for more.
5. Finally, is there a dream artist Going Feral would like to support? What would be the pinnacle?
Yuri: There are many great artists we admire, the dream would be to play with someone who has a lot in common with us, but showcases a style different to our own. I would personally be over the moon to play on the same bill as the mighty Mogwai.
Alex: We’re always hopeful for a full Spice Girls reunion, we’d love that support slot. Until then we’re pushing towards festival slots in the post-rock field; radar, portals, strangeforms, and Arctangent watch out.
Rob: For me the dream slot would be arctangent. I’ve been as a fan a few times and it’s the perfect small festival. I would also love to play with Mastodon or Mogwai. A boy can dream…
Find Going Feral on their facebook and instagram pages @goingferalband.
Radio Aftermath are an alternative rock quartet hailing from Leeds. A fixture of their local scene, the band is formed of Chris Dennett on guitar and vocals, Rob Burns on bass, Matt King on guitar and Jack Craven on drums. The band takes musical inspiration from the likes of Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Biffy Clyro and Rise Against. All being well, the band will release their EP late in 2020.
Kiss From A Rebel begins with a chant mirroring the guitar riff whilst Jack keeps time. It isn't hard to imagine a crowd singing along to this. Similarly, when the beat drops in, you can picture a sea of heads bobbing to the sound. 'How could you take this for granted, how could you just walk away, I played the foolish romantic, you threw it back in my face,' comes the opening verse from Chris Dennett. Heartbreak - the biggest inspiration of them all. The band is noisy even in these verses, sustained notes alongside the tighter riff. Prior to the chorus, we're back to the opening chant, a drum fill and we're into chorus territory. 'A walk with the devil, a kiss from a rebel, it never gets easy.' The pounding of the snare fits in perfectly, this track was meant to be played loud. Once the song is stripped bare, we can hear the bass on its own, punctuated by bass drum. The chanting is back, and then the whole band dives in for another round. Underneath the last chorus you can hear some lead guitar that should be louder, I want to stand in front of that amp while the cymbals bleed my eardrums dry! If this is the first track from an upcoming EP, Radio Aftermath are off to a great start.
Although Matt and Jack weren't available for interrogation, Chris and Rob answered questions about the band's beginning, the equipment they use and their plans following the end of lockdown.
1. Who came up with the Radio Aftermath name? Were there other names that almost became the one you used?
Chris: I came up with the name. It was a classic tale; I got loads of words that I liked and put them together in random orders until I found a band name that I liked. The name then went on to inspire the band’s imagery, hence the 1940/1950’s post-apocalyptic Americana style. And the use of Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb speech. There definitely were other combinations for the band name, but they escape me right now.
Rob: I joined the band after it had already been going for about 2 years. I knew Chris before so was aware of the band and had done some odd filling in for him on gigs when their then bassist was not available. I’d always liked the strong visual style of the band so this was a big plus for me.
2. How did you find each other? Have you played together in other bands prior to this one?
Chris: The band has been through various members as I struggled to find the right musicians. Things started coming together when I asked Rob to join full time after the initial line-up disbanded. We knew each other through a mutual friend so it seemed like a natural fit, and would be a catalyst to move the band forward in a new direction creatively.
Rob: I was playing in a Sheffield based hard rock band and the drummer was a long time friend of Chris’. This is how we first met. He got in touch to ask me to play bass for him on a couple of gigs that were booked as their then bassist was away for work. When the bassist left the band completely this led to Chris asking me to join full time. We found Matt through the tangled mess of wires that is the internet, and Jack was a friend of a friend who was looking for a new project and we all clicked.
3. What gear do you use when you play live?
Rob: We’re looking to develop a stronger visual element for our live show with a video backdrop and some sparing use of backing tracks to stick in people’s minds. In terms of equipment we’re a traditional rock band setup; two guitars, bass, drums and two vocals. Chris and me are total Fender fanboys, I play a 5 string jazz bass and Chris rocks a telecaster. Matt is a fan of a les paul style so that helps the guitar’s sound distinct from one another and not muddy the sound too much. Amp wise I love my Mark Bass little mark 3 and Chris and Matt both favour Marshall’s.
4. Tell me more about the upcoming EP, what can people expect from that?
Chris: The EP will be a culmination of everything this band has been through to date. We want this to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the band, it will include newly written songs as well as some older demos that we have refreshed and want to give new life with a more professional recording.
Rob: Before the lockdown we were busily working on new material, the plan is to pick this back up and get studio time booked as soon as we’re allowed back outside. There are some older tracks, in particular See Through Lies and Tapestry that I have always loved and would love to give the studio treatment, but I am also thrilled at the thought of new material.
5. Is there a primary writer for Radio Aftermath, or is it more of a group effort?
Chris: The writing is a band effort to get to the finished product. The idea usually stems from a riff or some that me or Rob have. From there we all add our ideas and input, and hope that we come out the other side with something that is interesting! The main focus of our writing with this new line-up has been to create songs that pop more, by having less generic structures and throwing in some interesting musical twists and turns.
Rob: I used to write entire songs and bring them to practice, but I’ve been playing around more with the way I write, trying to foster more group writing. With that in mind recently I’ll write a riff, or one section like a chorus. Send it to the other guys and we’ll pick it up as a band to end up with more of a representative sound.
6. Once the world has returned to some kind of normality, you'd like to tour your EP, would this be a more localised affair or more nation-wide?
Chris: Absolutely, we want to continue building a following and get out on the road touring the EP.
Rob: Everything is in a state of flux thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We drew up a plan earlier in the year that included a short nationwide tour, but it’s like the old saying goes: How do you make God laugh? Make a plan.
Radio Aftermath can be found on facebook @radioaftermaththeband, twitter @_radioaftermath and instagram @radioaftermath.
