One of our favourite breakthrough acts of the year has been Brixton trio Alien Chicks who have brought a unique flair and Punk-spirited madness to the underground scene. Their new EP 'Indulging The Mobs' blends the angsty frustrations and social unrest of traditional Punk Rock while showcasing an instrumental flavour more akin with Jazz and Funk. This blend makes for a sound that will scratch just about every music itch you've ever had.
Photo Credit: Anya Rose
Aggressive Political musings comparable to Shame or SOFT PLAY blend with the Math Rock rhythms of Squid and Geese. Meanwhile, moments of delicate artistic flair that ring of English Teacher quickly switch into frantic moshpit chorus' reminiscent of early Sports Team. Musically hectic but lyrically thoughtful, the EP sucks you into a scrappy whirlpool of Punk-fuelled madness that forces you to let go of every care and intensely reflect on everything all at once.
We spoke with the band about the EP release.
Q. Can you explain the concept behind the EP title 'Indulging The Mobs'?
A. "The EP title actually comes from a lyric which is in one of the EP tracks 'QWERTY'. The original line is “It’s always the same, indulging the mobs, I’m used to it now after driving with bobs”. Josef actually originally wrote the lyrics for this part of the song whilst half asleep! We liked the phrase “indulging the mobs” as it makes us think of the “mobs” of crowds who love to mosh at our shows. We love performing live so it’s in a sense a dedication to our loyal and energetic fan-base!".
Q. What inspired the majority of the lyrical content on the EP?
A. "The lyrical content on ‘Indulging the mobs’ serves as a social commentary or expression of feelings towards anecdotes. The lyrics contain themes of anxiety, crashing your car, estate agents, bad magazines and people who are too big for their boots. The EP floats through the mundane but explores the musings beneath the surface".
Q. Do you source inspiration from other art forms such as film, TV, literature, poetry and art for your music?
A. "Josef writes a lot of poetry and a lot of the lyrics used on the EP were originally poems. There are references to literature and inspiration from TV and Film- there are even name drops of his favourite actors in 'QWERTY'. 'Steve Buscemi' is of course an actor too- this song was actually named by one of our fans in the smoking area at Windmill, Brixton!".
Q. How important is the visual side of the Alien Chicks project? Who paints your artwork and how do these designs help feed into your aesthetic?
A. "The visual side has become a very important part of the project, perhaps more so than we expected it ever would. The artwork plays a central role in this. The artwork for the singles released from this EP were painted by Charlotte Armstrong. Many of her designs have been used on T-shirts too. The EP cover picture was taken by Ludo Caritey using a drone and the artwork itself was designed by Celia Hackford. We also love making music videos and have had an amazing team to help us create one for each EP single. We are so lucky to have so many creative people around us who are willing to help us and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them!".
Q. What do you want people to feel when listening to the EP?
A. "We want people to experience a similar energy and buzz to what they feel when they watch us live. The songs have lots of different parts to them as we love songs which change a lot. Hopefully people feel excited by this and that each song gives them a different experience. We feel there is something for everyone on this EP as it has elements of Rap, Punk, Jazz and Bossanova. There are also a lot of great lyrics on there and we’d love to hear people’s interpretations of them. Many fans ask for the lyrics once the singles are released and we really love how invested our fans are in what we do. We have the best fans in the world and we hope they feel that this EP is for them!".
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