In Conversation With #279 - Pop Vulture
Leeds art-rock outfit Pop Vulture have just released with debut EP ‘Another Success’ via Come Play With Me Records / EMI North.
Emerged from Leeds’ famed DIY scene, Pop Vulture wield influences from the dissonance of the No-Wave movement and the unconventionality of post-punk and drape them over tightly-wound grooves. All of this simmers away underneath stream-of-consciousness themes, often of mental health and the relentlessness of living…
Beginning their journey experimenting with noise-rock before meandering through kraut and post-rock detours, they’ve now arrived at a new-wave inspired post-punk hybrid. Spilling over with fractious guitars, rhythmic percussion and sour melodies, Pop Vulture have created a sonic atmosphere that has heads twisting and bodies contorting.
This much anticipated debut EP sees PV pushing the boundaries of guitar music and culminating musical taste. From the rowdy, driving nature of punk and its commentary on social issues, to the pulsing flirtatiousness of electronic music, and experimental edges of alternative rock.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Pop Vulture, how are you? So your EP is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?.
Hey! Very well! It feels like a relief as we’ve been working on it for so long, but it feels great to see our own vinyl in the flesh
It is called ‘Another Success’ – what is the meaning behind that?
It came from a lyric in the final track, ‘Self Help’, and was a bit of a joke about how our previous EP never ended up being released, and how things we do often don’t go to plan. As we hit more and more setbacks on the road to release it became funnier and funnier.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
It was recorded all over the place, bass and drums at Funky Junk with Louis Milburn who also mixed the EP, guitars and viola at The Room, trombone at Jacob’s house in London, and vocals at Sam’s house in Leeds and Battery Studios.
What are the key influences behind the EP?
Our roots of British Post-punk and New Wave are definitely still in there but we got quite into experimenting with synths and manipulating sounds with studio trickery, mostly due to Jacob’s experience working as an engineer at Battery studios. This led to us writing our first song without any guitars, ‘Left for Dead’. Lyrically a lot of pessimism and tongue in cheek nihilism with the odd bit of sincerity peeking through.
If the EP could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
A Bug’s Life.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
The crowd favourite is always ‘I’m shaking like a shitting dog’ on ‘Dog’ but there’s a lyric a couple of lines later which is ‘the squirrel in his nest outside, his children mock me. I’ve made a mess of my life, and it haunts me.’ which is a rare bit of vulnerability on quite a boisterous song. I’m also proud of ‘Opportunity knocks me out’ on ‘Self Help’ as I like being able to squeeze some wordplay in there.
Now the EP is out there – what next for you?
Unsure as of yet, I know we’d like to do an album though. We’ve been working on some new stuff recently which is pretty different to most of what we’ve put out previously, more in the vein of ‘Left for Dead. We’re going to be touring in September also, and will be announcing those shows very soon!
