Band Of The Week #150 - TV Priest
This week’s Band of the Week is London four piece TV Priest - who have just released their fuzzy debut album ‘Uppers’. After being signed to the legendary Sub Pop after their first live show, this band clearly have some character about them, they took a moment to talk to us about the release.
Hey TV Priest, how are you? So the debut album is out now - how does it feel to finally have it out in the world?
We're very well thank you. It's been quite an odd experience putting this record out at this time, especially our debut. The record was finished almost this time last year so we've had a while to kind of sit with it and hear things take on new meanings or shift as the world has been spinning so we're looking forward to people hearing it. We hope it managed to capture a time and place succinctly.
It is titled ‘Uppers’ - does that have a certain meaning behind it?
We liked that the word had a bit of duel meaning. Obviously there is the 'obvious' reference but the phrase 'on your uppers' was something we thought was a little humourous struck nicely with how we were feeling making the record and some of the wider themes we were talking about.
Where was the album recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from that experience?
We recorded it in our studio space in London. We all clubbed in to help split the rent with Nic on a tiny box room (literally about 2m x 2m) and the album was recorded and mixed in there by Nic, so it was a pretty DIY affair. Nic actually made and modified a lot of the guitar pedals for the sounds on the record and was constantly pushing us to loosen up and play in new ways. I think perhaps this sense of claustrophobia rubbed off on the finished product, all of us kind of squashed in there together, I think you can hear that when you listen to the record.
It is being released via Sub Pop, a label that has quite the history, how did that partnership come about and how does it feel to be part of their family?
It was a real bolt from the blue. They literally sent us an email after hearing one of our singles. We got on a zoom call for what we assumed was a bit of a sounding out chat and then the next thing we knew they offered us a deal. It was like something out of a bad film, you really couldn't make it up. In truth it was quite emotionally overwhelming, to have a group of people and a label like that believe in you music, it's something I won't forget quickly.
One of your tracks on the album, ‘Press Gang’, is inspired by Charlie’s grandfather - can you tell us a bit more about that?
The song is informed by Charlie's grandad’s time working as a photographer in Fleet Street during the heyday of British daily newspapers and uses a personal history as a ‘jump off point’ to explore our relationship with news, truth and information now. Alex had written a lot of the words after we'd spoken about the role of the media in how we consume information and it felt kind of apt. It’s quite an ‘uneasy’ song in that it doesn’t really provide any solutions or really seek to condemn or celebrate but explore the things my grandad taught me about the idea of 'truth' being an important cultural currency.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
I would say the here and now was something we were concerned with. Who we are as people, our personal history and our relationship with wider culture and history, politics, work, friendship. A lot of the songwriting is our attempt to try and be direct and honest even if that was an admission of not really knowing the answers; ultimately talking in our art the same way we would be if we were talking to my friends day to day.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
"I've never seen a dog do, what that dog does..." who doesn't love a misremembered Simon Cowell quote !
Now the debut album is done and out there, what next for TV Priest
It's strange, as we primarily formed the band to play live and try to reach a wider community of people but that doesnt appear to be on the horizon for a while for good reason! In the absence of physical connection we're enjoying meeting people virtually and we're back at writing music and trying to keep sane by making more art ! album 2 will arrive and we'll have still only played one show