Band Of The Week #188 - Public Body
This week’s Band of the Week is Brighton indie-punks Public Body - who have just released their new EP ‘Flavour of Labour’.
Recorded at Echo Zoo studios, produced by the band’s guitarist Theo Verney - known for his production work for FEET, English Teacher, FUR and Home Counties (and engineered by Christoph Skirl), vocalist and guitarist Seb Gilmore said this of the new EP: "‘Flavour Of Labour’ has a couple of different themes but it's mainly about work. At the time I had lived in Brighton for almost 10 years and for a lot of that time I'd worked pretty terrible call centre jobs. When you leave education and your first taste of full time work is working for bad companies who are either taking advantage of their employees or their customers. How can you feel good about giving 40 hours a week of your life to something like that. So heck! I'll write a song about it or like 10.”
The band took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey Public Body - how are you? So your EP is finally here, how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Yeh we’re doing good, it feels good that it's out! It means we can move onto the next thing. Very much up for changing genre and getting into the thrash scene.
It is called ‘Flavour of Labour’ - what is the meaning behind that?
So that was something that just fell out of my mouth when I was winging the lyrics on the first take for the title track track. It was done at home in my pants during a work call.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
The drums & bass were recorded with the MVP Christoph Skirl at Echo Zoo Studios in a couple days, the rest of it was done at my house through a £20 70’s preamp straight into the interface. It was recorded so far back now I can’t remember any stories tbh. But I can make one up…. Theo wore a muscle fit suit the whole time we were recording, he had a long whip made out of his own pubic hair that he would use on our drummer Thom if he didn’t play perfectly in time. He kept calling him a little bitch and then whipping his bare bottom in front of everyone with the biggest grin on his face whilst eating a sandwich from the really nice deli up the road from the studio (you should check it out next time you’re in Eastbourne). Theo’s a hard ass, he really makes us work for it, but I’m into it, I wish I was him.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Fast hi hats, the corporate world and my failure to get used to the fact I have to work till I’m 70.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
‘I have a cat, his name is Melvin, I like to smell him, and feed him’ I love it because I love my cat, and sadly he had to go to a cat sanctuary recently because he hated life so much he stopped going to the toilet.
If your EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which would it be and why?
Oh man, who knows I have no idea. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, cus why not?
Now the EP is out there - what's next for you?
We've got a new body of work that's all recorded. And thank god it's not about how crap my job is… that got a bit boring didn’t it folks!
