"The doomsday clock is nearing midnight and this frantic song sets the mood for the oncoming nuclear winter," says singer Han Mee. "We wanted to punch you proper in the face with this, this balls to the wall little riffy boy comes bounding at you relentlessly. Lyrically, we took inspiration from 17th century philosopher Rousseau and the poet John Betjemen with his poem 'Slough.' Rousseau set out that humanity would never be free as we create our own shackles. In this case, we've created our own demise. Where as Betjemens poem takes this notion of demise and laughs at it, inviting the nukes in 'come friendly bombs'…. Let's set the gaff on fire and start again."
The video was shot by longtime friend Kennedy in their literal backyards of Salford and through a stroke of cheeky luck, they got British legend Frank Skinner involved.
"His background with Room 101 (an Orwellian nod) and the fact he wrote Three Lions was a perfect fit for this bleak albeit tongue-in-cheek look at the state of the world from the grey filter of Salford," says Mee.
Corporation P.O.P, produced by Jim Shaw, Zach Jones and KJ Strock, offers the band at their heaviest with their raw, unapologetic lyrics which brim with unfiltered emotion. The record serves as part social commentary, showing the darker side to the world which they found themselves surrounded by when writing the record, all the while keeping their light, mocking humor throughout.
"Corporation P.O.P is a flurry of thoughts, feelings, ramblings from the afters n questions about where we're at right now in England, the further western world and emotionally. It is an entry from the perspective of us lot who live a dichotomy of months in faraway lands and then experience the sudden grounding of returning home to Salford. It's hard not to compare, contrast, and try to understand. P.O.P = Payment of Pain. We all must live with the burden of modernity and this pain has been commodified; we all must pay. Corporation pop itself is a term Han's grandad used to refer to the water supply, something that runs throughout all our homes, just as current events run through us all," says Jim Shaw.
Not saying we have the answers but the conversation should ALWAYS be open, bring logic and evidence, and everyone should be able to change their mind, we are never finished articles. In a time where the doomsday clock ticks closer and warfare looms, it seems prudent to look introspectively into the human condition and attempt to understand the bigger picture to find a solution. The truth about ourselves can lie somewhere in between, and the imperfections can be difficult to accept for some.
Violence through expression, warfare through persuasion and I will cause irritation through takin the piss n goin slightly above my station. Fuck it, that’s where the fun lies. It doesn't always need to be said with a straight face.
The album was written and recorded both in their Salford flat and a live room in L.A., producing songs that capture that live energy they are known for, with new tracks are poised for stages the world over.
"We wanted to bring it home on this record, shooting videos/photos in our backyards and out and about in Salford. This is about us, so visually it should be about us too. Written in northern Hollywood and a bedroom in Salford opposite an Aldi, this is a true juxtaposition of an album," says Mee.
PRE-ORDER THE RECORD NOW
The album will be available as Color LP, Band Store Exclusive LP, and CD.
