Viagra Boys: “lots of our output is a occasion of being a fuck-up”

“There’s always some anxiousness when releasing an album, mainly when it’s ancient to your eyes,” Viagra Boys frontman Sebastian Murphy admits over Zoom, dialled in from the consolation of his Swedish house. For the total of 2020, the Stockholm punks were sat on the rodeo post-punk whirlwind ‘Welfare Jazz’, the comply with-as much as their 2018 debut ‘street Worms’.

read greater: Viagra Boys â€" ‘Welfare Jazz’ evaluate: satirical put up-punk bangers with a ‘yeehaw!’ spirit

even though it’s been held lower back for motives Murphy claims to have “no concept about”, the timing does think correct. ultimate year may have been tumultuous, but it did present some much-necessary time for reflection. For Viagra Boys, that meant traversing damage-ups, admitting addictions and coming to phrases with being, as Murphy puts it, a “jerk”. alongside the manner, there were doubts, he says, of “’Does this album suck?’”. but when the band realised that they’d created some thing they’re proud of, the insecurities soon subsided.

We caught up with him to talk through the new album, their new nation twangs, and delved into the third album rumours.

hi Seb! How has 2020 been treating you all?

“It’s been pleasant for us in Sweden. There aren’t too many restrictions so as a band, we can meet up, apply and write. It’s no longer as annoying because it continually could be. We’ve been playing round with how the brand new songs will work are living, as opposed to madly checking out the shit out of them at suggests.

“in my opinion, I’ve had a pretty good time, too, which does suck to say as many people haven’t, but this is the top-quality I’ve felt in years. It’s been like a protracted spa. I’ve been working usual as a tattooist, but basically enjoy that so have had lots of enjoyable.”

Did writing ‘Welfare Jazz’ support you come to the realisation that you simply mandatory to take greater time for your self?

“now not truly, it became more my pals telling me that i used to be being a jerk, and my female friend on the time breaking apart with me. My frequent attitude in opposition t myself wasn’t that first-class both â€" i was basically depressed, and it was a shitty vicinity to be. but there’s no aspect in being stuck feeling that method; you’ve obtained to are trying to do better and retain going. In a way, it became cathartic to jot down track all the way through that period to aid me recover from it.

“loads of our output is a celebration of being a fuck-up. If it became emo music, you’d be sitting there embracing and residing within the sadness. For me, it’s about making a party out of it and going on to the next party.”

the new music ‘I feel Alive’ feels rather poignant during this event â€" inform us about it

“I wrote it at a time where my complete lifestyles turned into waking up, doing a fats rail of speed and then spending the rest of the day attempting to find more velocity. [The song] is somewhat sarcastic as after doing that first line, you’d feel so alive, but then spent the rest of the day feeling as if it changed into the end. I don’t like brooding about it now â€" I suppose alive these days notwithstanding, so that’s good.

“We began taking part in the song collectively within the studio, however it didn’t have any lyrics yet. I found the line I’d written in my notes app where I preserve all my concepts. It simply stated, ‘Jesus Christ, I feel alive’, but I’d truly written it at a time the place I did not suppose alive.”

regardless of being in a punk band, your work isn’t brazenly political…

“all over my first 12 months of enjoying in a band, i used to be a little insecure and felt some power round writing certain issues. The issue is, I suck at writing that shit and it doesn’t inspire me in anyway. You turn out to be being political through simply existing, and that’s satisfactory for me. I don’t need to sit down and write some smart political line. I don’t understand how to categorical myself in that manner â€" I decide on metaphors.”

Is that why you tend to have a lot of weird and wacky imagery, from the undercover Weimaraner dog in ‘Secret canine Agent’ to the shrimp references in ‘ladies & Boys’?

 â€œMy brain is enthusiastic about dogs, and for ages it become passionate about shrimps. I believe it came from when i used to be on speed; i assumed about shrimp all day. My mind gets stuck on a few field matters and they permeate via all my work, in each art and tune. It’s basically hard to clarify â€" I’ll need to talk to a psychologist to peer what it’s all about.

“loads of Viagra Boys is growing this fucked up delusion world that I made up in my head, with all of the photos of canine, shrimps, spies and strange shit. We desired to make an album for people that’d listen to it from start to conclude and spot the cohesive crimson tape running via. With the weird little intermissions we have in there too [such as ‘Cold Play’ and ‘Best In Show II’], you can create an entire world so individuals can are attempting and make sense of all of it. There turned into one tune that i needed to get on there, however the others disagreed. It’s known as ‘Pig Farm’ â€" all of them concept the lyrics have been too gross and sexual.”

There’s a touch of country on the new record that we didn’t hear on ‘street Worms’. the place did that come from?

“It simply took place as we don’t like making the same tune again and again once more. every person take heed to fully different track, and none of it’s post-punk, so as a group we’ll are trying out everyone’s concepts and it at all times appears like Viagra Boys.

“I most effective listened to nation at the time too, artists like Waylon Jennings and towns Van Zandt, so wanted to look at various out distinctive singing styles, which I’m completely happy showed via. also, loads of the lyrics came from commonplace county issues, like ‘Ramblin’ Man’ [by Hank Williams], or an outlaw category vibe.”

Did you struggle in any respect bringing the Viagra Boys sound to your cowl of John Prine’s ‘despite Ourselves’, which elements Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers? The acoustic usual is terribly removed from your general method

 â€œWe did try an acoustic edition to begin with, but it sounded too a whole lot like the usual, which we didn’t need to do. one in all our producers, Pelle [Gunnerfeldt], fucked round with it lots, made it bizarre and added the unhappy tone which i really like. Amy was ultimate for it too. I’ve by no means heard any individual sing country with such a deep Australian drawl. We’re both outsiders in a way and have a very exceptional relationship, so it fits the track basically well.

“[Prine’s] widow definitely posted an Instagram story and wrote, ‘John would have cherished this tune, he loved filthy rock and roll’. That definitely warmed my heart so I’m comfortable we did it.” 

We’ve heard that you’ve already bought a different album competent. are you able to provide us any hints on what to are expecting? 

“We’ve recorded a further 11 songs and they’re tremendous first rate. I wish to focus on that shit however can’t.”

credit: press

Go on…

“It’s R&B-fused jazz…  I’m joking! We’ve been a lot rawer with it as we recorded it all in six days. [It was a] ‘Bam! That’s executed â€" excellent’ variety of aspect. usually, the songs get dissected and reworked a thousand times, so when the album’s out, they’re fully diverse to how they all started.

“There’s actually a tweak in sound, nevertheless it’s simply rock’n’roll. loads of blues, lots of rock. There’s sad songs and heavy songs. We’ve all been cooped up and at home, banging out new concepts so have simply been having fun with it. We’ve bought a pretty good year forward of us.”