Welcome to Impose's Week in Pop, where we deliver the latest exclusives and developments from the artists that mean the most to us, you, and everyone. As we begin, guitar-god Kevin Shields just laid the smack down on the “sinister forces at work” behind the over inflated and increasingly irrelevant Mercury Prize, as everyone from Twin Shadow to WAVVES is jumping on the GTA V game soundtrack bandwagon frenzy, while Mumford & Sons got thrown out of an ATL strip joint, as buzz circulated over an upcoming Bad Religion Christmas album, as master of misery Morrissey temporarily pulled the plug on his upcoming memoir, and we continue to mourn the loss of Jamaica's o.g. rap pioneer, Prince Jazzbo and hi-fi pioneer Ray Dolby. But this is only the beginning, as we hand over the microphones, stages, instruments, pens and paper over to the artists who have made a difference and are taking over according to their own rules. It is our honor and pleasure to present them all to you, in no particular order.
Giving you the kickoff, Audacity gives you a “Cold Rush” to the head with garage rock anthemics straight from the heart of Fullerton, California. Their upcoming album Butter Knife comes out October 29 from Suicide Squeeze and cuts sharper than the cutlery of choice reserved for coagulated dairy products. Taking it from the man, the four piece bring you everything you love about the rock coming from the Burger Record capital of indie, interjecting the audio into the semantic root of the term audacity that presents a new hope that keeps the noise, melody and meaning on the meter and always on point. The ambivalence of lyrics like “thinking about things that I can't decide” manage to capture the essence of being stuck in neutral, caught between the quandaries of choosing careers, choosing what life decisions to make, choosing between burgers and burritos, and choosing between fucking up, slacking off, or making the grade. As the quartet chants out “it's not really for you”, their true aim, dedication, and audacity of helpless hope wins out.
Audacity's Cameron and Matt cruised by this morning to talk a bit about the forthcoming record Butter Knife, Burger Records, Suicide Squeeze, and everything and more you could need and want to know about Fullerton, California, and still so much more.
“Cold Rush” is damn epic, loved that lyric of “when you're dead you'll never stick it to the man”. Amazing a song can be so gritty, so dazzling in that flurry of guitars and so addictive and dare I say melodic and full of purpose. What is the unsung tale behind the composition of “Cold Rush”?
Cameron: Gonna have to ask Kyle that. He's at work right now testing micro chips.
What was the driving force and vision for you all in making the upcoming Butter Knife album?
C: We had a ton of new material and it was time to get it down on record and Mellow Cruisers had been out a year already.
Matt: We didn't really have a concept either for the record. The material was already there figuring itself out. A lot of songs are about looking at situations from different angles for example what life would be like without a baby.
What was different this time around with Butter Knife than prior release from over the years?
C: Unlike our previous full lengths we did this record with 2″ tape and digital combined instead one or the other and we did the recording out of town for 2 weeks non stop.
M: We also self-produced this record as opposed to Rob Barbato on Mellow Cruisers. This was a much more hands on experience.
Can any of you all share any rowdy stories from backing up King Tuff and Todd Congelliere?
C: Oh man, well, hmm well we're a bit younger than both those dudes and they're pretty mellow now. It did get pretty wild at times. Todd used to yell at us, 'I was in Baghdad when you were in your dads bag!'
M: Once we sat with Todd for 3 days straight watching 'The Kardashian's' in a hotel room in Federal Way, just South of Seattle.
What's it like in living in Burger Records capital, Fullerton?
C: It's our home we all grew up here and are attached to the place. Quite suburban middle class town nothing special on a surface level but when you look close its an important place musically. Fender guitars started here, Jackson Browne grew up here, lots of punk roots here too, ie: Adolescents, The Middle Class, Social Distortion. Burger is here now too of course to add to the secret culture, and it trips us out to hear that some people think of moving here cause of Burger.
Favorite recent Burger releases?
C: MASSENGER is rad. Also new White Knight, we love dat.
M: The Garden is also great. Chad & the Meatbodies too.
Favorite recent Suicide Squeeze releases? Antwon is killing it these days, stoked to see him on the 'Squeeze.
C: Dig Antwon, and we love The Coathangers.
M: N
