In Conversation With #254 - Do Nothing
Nottingham’s Do Nothing have just released their highly anticipated debut album ‘Snake Sideways’.
Snake Sideways stays grounded throughout and avoids straying into myopic territory, with songs including ‘Fine’ and ‘Sunshine State’ touching on themes of gambling and America’s response to the AIDS crisis respectively. The latter, one of the first songs Do Nothing wrote when they started the band in its current form, references the artist Keith Haring in its depiction of an anger that leaves you shaking.
The elephant in the room is that all this fear, self-loathing, and inability to create, plays out on an album that very much exists. Every second of Snake Sideways is, therefore, a celebration of triumph over this paradox. It’s also a mark of the friendship in the band, rounded out by bassist Charlie Howarth and drummer Andy Harrison, and their decades-long bond. Nothing in life ever turns out quite how we imagine it and Do Nothing capture that journey in its totality here. It’s a bumpy ride but one that finds a band finally at peace with their own imperfections.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Do Nothing - how are you? So your album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hi! We’re great thanks.
Depending on when this article comes out, we’ll either be in the middle of a run of in-store performances, or I (Chris the singer) will be in Sicily with my trotters up eating pasta. So either way we’ll be good. It feels extremely nice to have the record out, it’s been a long time coming and it means a lot to us that anybody would listen to it at all. Excited to play shows and see people react to the songs, for me that’s always where the whole cycle sort of ends. Things don’t tend to feel finished until I see how folks connect with it.
It is called ‘Snake Sideways’ - what is the meaning behind that?
Other than the fact that it’s named after a track on there called “Snake Sideways”, I’d say it’s to do with the general thrust of the album, which is falling into a whole heap of mental trouble and trying to wriggle out.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
In London! At a studio called Modal Studios, with a very nice gentleman called Andrew Savours (with assistance from Josh Rumble, Matt Facey and Ned Prevezer).
The general experience was made up of a lot of fun times, establishing a solid working relationship with someone, and doing lots of fiddling on computers. This actually reminds me that we filmed some odds and ends in the studio on a little camcorder, and that I must sort through that footage soon.
Andy was a pleasure to work with, in that we trusted his ear in regards to song structure, arrangement etc. In addition, he allowed us the luxury of hanging out in the studio after hours, to work on parts and stuff.
We also watched a lot of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in our Air BnB.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
It’s all quite anxious and twitchy; I was having a bit of a hard time while writing it, and that became the crux of the whole thing. In short, lots of self-worth issues and over obsession etc.
There’s definitely a bit of trying to come to terms with your place in the world, and learning to be OK with yourself. Despite it being largely based on personal stuff, I’ve always approached it with the intention of leaving space for people to see themselves in it. Looking at it now, I reckon the record will act like a little statue on my desk that gives me a little thumbs up for getting through those particular couple of years.
If the album could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Oo this is a fun question! I’ll start by listing some film soundtracks I like off the top of my head, because why not -
Coraline
Everything Everywhere All at Once
I’ve run out.
As far as our album goes, probably something distressing but pretty like Aftersun.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album - if so, which one and why?
This changes every time I think about it really! At the moment it’s probably the end bit of a song called “Moving Target”, which goes:
double vision
sick and tired
what is it really?
why is it always
a moving target
in and out
it should be easy
maybe you don’t belong
Not because it’s particularly brainy or anything, but more because it’s probably the most honest i’ve been on record thus far. Also, it works better when you hear it, so go listen to the song and watch the cute little video we made.
Now the album is out there - what next?
Well first of all we’ll be touring the record, playing a few places we haven’t played before and some extra big scary venues. The London and Nottingham shows in particular are big shows for us, and we plan on making them extra special. We’re already in the midst of writing new material, and i’m excited about skipping off in some new directions.
