Midlands punk trio MC16 have announced a new single – their first fresh work since last year’s excellent debut album …No Blood No Guilt.
Decent Pubs And Murder will be available on all digital streaming services from 5 May and via the band’s Bandcamp page.
The words ‘decent pubs’ and ‘murder’ sound so random when put together, yet they could be applied to nearly every town or city in the UK.
Random word-play
Decent Pubs and Murder is not just about random words that make sense, but also about the words themselves. It’s powered by a juddering bassline and thunderous drums, and punctuated by shards of guitar, with a simple-to-sing-along-to chorus.
The song’s middle eight features the lyric ‘You can’t call them bouncers any more’, which as bassist Quinn explains, stems from a conversation in his local boozer.
“So I am in my local pub sharing the news of a bouncer who has been done for manslaughter, but the reaction I get is not ‘geez, that is horrific’.
“But instead I just get corrected ‘Oh you can’t call them bouncers any more! It’s not so much a war OF words these days but a war ON words.”
Drummer Duffy adds: “This ‘random sense’ idea is something I see every day where I live. At a national level the government are pushing us closer to the edge of the cliff, whereas at a local level we have community groups trying to make life better.
“We could have easily called this song Flower Beds And Rough Sleepers, or Free Yoga And Knife Crime.
Positive randomness
On a positive note, guitarist Carson says: “‘I do like paramedics, bringing together someone who loves riding motorbikes and also loves medicine. That is positive randomness.”
The single was recorded with Simon Hopkinson (Dave Greenfield, Hung Like Hanratty) at Electric Bear Studios in Mansfield.
MC16 are set to play Morecambe Punk Festival as well as gigs with Dirtbox Disco and Knock Off, among others. Check out forthcoming live dates on their Facebook page HERE.
MC16 believe music should challenge, confront, question and entertain, and have done that in spades on their debut EP Outvoted By Robots (reviewed here) and the seven-track album …No Blood No Guilt, which rounds up five singles and adds a couple of other tracks for good measure. Check it out on their Bandcamp page HERE.
