Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
It’s late. The haze in the small-packed out club has every face framed with a soft, fuzzed-out finish. Shoes shuffling against the sticky-beer stained floor. The energy shifting in the crowd as the low thrum of the bass is felt in one’s chest. A feverish air envelopes the room as the chaotic set starts- bodies pushing against each other, drinks sloshing, jangly chants being heard from the rooftop, all held together by the controlled calm of the band onstage. From the outside, this might not look like much but another cramped concert you come across on a Friday night. But, to those inside that packed-out club, there’s an unavoidable magic happening right under everyone’s noses, and it’s redefining the zeal of post-punk. That’s how it feels to hear Leeds trio Nape Neck for the first time.
When one flips on Nape Neck’s newest album, The Shallowest End, the immediate blood-rush to the head is a high that’s hard to shake off. Consisting of three vocalists Claire Adams (bass), Kathy Gray (drums), and Bobby Glew (guitarist), the UK post-punk band has been making a name for themselves with their unapologetically shaggy, fast, frenetic take on the genre. With this record, those sonic themes have only amplified as one feels the loss of control as the tracks spiral into jangly, disorienting territory. Touching on an array of subjects from small ideas like videos of “ecstacy-fueled bike rides” to more political turns such as “government obfuscation” and more, it’s a feat to create a project that feels devoid of traditional rhythm but flush full of entrancing, chattering noise and spectral atmosphere. The Shallowest End is a bizarre, loud, biting experience from start to finish. And you won’t want to put it down once it’s found its way into your ears.
I was able to speak with the band the other week about the release of The Shallowest End, touring the US for the first time ever, and Leeds DIY music influences that have impacted their sound the most (and more!) down below.
So The Shallowest End has been out for over two weeks. How has the reception been?
Pretty good I think, there have been some nice reviews and it’s got a 3.25/5 from 2 ratings on ratemymusic.com. Folks seem to be liking the songs live too.
What’s been some cool moments or feelings that’ve happened since the record dropped?
We’ve just been on the road since the record came out so it’s just been a series of cool moments. A member of the band God Is My Co-Pilot attended our record release show, and they bought a copy and said they were going home to study it! We are big fans so that felt good.
You guys have existed in this musical environment that I always describe as a type of “controlled chaos.” What drew you to the sound of post-punk?
In Leeds DIY circles, this angular, rhythmic sound has been persistent since Gang of Four and Delta 5 were around in the late ’70s, so it feels more like just how rock music should sound. I couldn’t pin point an initial moment. It’s a kind of a awkward sound and that is soothing somehow to my awkward self.
Who in the scene has influenced you most over the years?
Locally, Leeds band Bilge Pump were pretty huge for all of us in Nape Neck, being consistently around for years making super bizarre rock music in their own style without much care for genre definitions.
With each new release, it seems like Nape Neck pushes and evolves when it comes to experimenting with your sound. What was something you either brought or fully refined going into this record that hasn’t been explored in the past?
I tried to write more guitar parts with actual notes played with fingers and frets instead of just making shapes with bits of metal, that has been really fun and difficult (I’m not a guitarist by trade). We even wrote some “riffs” on this one. But overall we just tried to let it happen naturally.
What topics are touched on in The Shallowest End?
Being in a big net with a lot of people, people pretending to be farmers to avoid paying inheritance tax, YouTube videos of ecstasy fueled bicycle rides, hypocrisy of racist British “expats,” third spaces, retaining ones humanity in the face of atrocities, deliberate government obfuscation, and plenty more in the mix. It’s a big jumble really.
What was the most challenging and what was the most satisfying track to piece together on this record? Why?
“Pylon” took a lot of work to get all the parts in the right order and when it finally worked it was a big relief. Also, a lot of the vocals are only fully tried out in the studio, so once we get to hear them back all together and it works, that’s a rush!
Outside of music, what stimulates you creatively, keeps the “artistic juices flowing” so to speak?
Claire: Naps.
Kathy: Kicking.
Bobby: Omelettes.
Ever since I first started going to concerts as a teenager, I’ve had a profound appreciation and adoration for the DIY community and its sound. I’ve heard that you guys also share that love. What is it, for you, that draws you to that connection? It always seems like it’s something different for every person you ask.
I think it is the only real way to work. The music makes a lot more sense if it is developed without letting the pressures of market forces get too much of a say. It feels more honest and generally results in more fun.
You’re currently on your first ever US tour, correct? How has that been? Any differences you’ve noticed so far that’s specific to US touring that isn’t present when touring elsewhere?
Yes, we are touring in the US right now and it’s going really well. We’ve adjusted to the long drives and no sound checks are great because we can spend more time looking for weird stuff on the road, though it’s similar to touring in mainland Europe in that people have a hard time understanding what we are saying.
As one reaches the end of your record, what’s one thing you want listeners to take away from The Shallowest End?
We wouldn’t want anyone to take anything that specific, it’s too subjective. Maybe just a sense that rock music can still be fun and interesting without relying so heavily on established tropes and genres? Or to make your own band with friends and have it just develop as the logical result of the interests and influences of its members.
Disappointing / Average/ Good / Great / Phenomenal
Nape Neck’s The Shallowest End is out everywhere now through Dot Dash Sounds and Red Wing Records.
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Hope Ankney | @heart_vandelay
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