San Francisco – Early on Drenge’s sophomore LP Undertow, singer-guitarist Eoin Loveless shouts in a tone tinged with obstreperous punk-rocker triumph, “we can do what we want!” That succinct declaration of autonomy and defiance adequately sums up the U.K.-based duo’s musical philosophy. Instead of simply continuing the same blistering sound terrifically exemplified on last year’s furious, self-titled debut, Eoin and brother Rory have decided to take some chances and explore some new sonic terrain. Growth and maturity: that’s something typically derided by the cynical and headstrong young rockers, or at least put off until the twilight days of a music career.
Adding a bassist and synth player to the new record, Drenge also adds layers of instrumental complexity, lyrical depth and genre melding arrangements. Sure, the scorching mosh pit starters are still there (the vicious “Favourite Son” probably the best example with it’s pummeling toms and killer main riff), but the brothers also shine when they slow things down. The haunting “Running Wild” is a nightmarish meditation on failed dreams and the dreadful realization that you may not be as free as you always assumed you were; the creeping “Standing In The Cold” finds Eoin sounding like a wearied Danzig over crashing cymbals and features a suitably grungy guitar solo; “The Woods” echoes post-punk noir with it’s lamenting melody and disillusioned words.
Eoin was able to answer some of my questions via email on the new sounds and what exactly led to the creation of Undertow.
With the addition of a bassist and synth player on your new LP, were you feeling creatively constricted by the two-piece arrangement? Were you always looking to add members or was it simply a necessity for the material on the new album?
Both the addition of bass and synth were down to making sure the songs sound more dynamic and sturdy. They don’t deviate heavily from the composition, instead they back up what the guitar is doing. We wrote “Side By Side” and “Undertow” with our mate Rob, and that was the first time we had played with a bass player, so they freed Rory’s drumming up and gave me a bit more room to be more clumsy at guitar.
During the making of Undertow, I read that you were influenced by albums constructed around a particular theme, which is a sort of old-school approach to writing an album. Music in the Digital Age, however, is oftentimes not consumed as a whole; it’s usually digested in bits and pieces. Do you fear that maybe some of your larger themes may be lost due to this scattered consumption?
We’re massive music fans and I rarely listen to music in any other circumstance than outside the album that the song is featured on. I don’t use music to constantly fulfill a sugar rush of well written songs. I like listening to the wider body of work and trying to understand what the artist/band is trying to say through that. Kendrick Lamar’s latest LP has huge overarching themes and the record references and repeats itself. It makes the experience much more enjoyable, and one that you want to revisit.
It seems that many of the album’s lyrics are concerned with escape and the limits of freedom. Why was this such an important theme for the band to tackle?
It fitted in nicely with what our last record was about. We were stuck in a tiny village with nothing to do, so we started a band to express how we felt. It’s only natural to write about what came after, which was two years seeing bits of the world and bits of our country that we would never have had the opportunity to see outside of touring. It’s a celebration of that, but also a bit of a reality check. Yeah, we can play a show on the other side of the world, but you’re not going to see much outside of the block around the venue or the trip between the hotel and the airport.
How collaborative is the writing process between you two? Is it a 50/50 arrangement, do you each bring separate songs to the table, etc.
I generally come up with several parts for each song. Then me and Rory sit down and we structure and throw lots of stuff away. Then we go into the studio and a lot more stuff gets thrown away. And then I stress out about the lyrics and then we usually run out of time.
Though many songs off Undertow contain the raw, punk edge of your debut record, this one is, overall, a tighter, more polished creation. Was that a conscious decision or did it come naturally as you’ve matured in the songwriting process?
I just became a lot more interested in modulation and reverb and effects that are used in the studio. On our last record, we didn’t want any of that. We felt like it would undermine what we were about. We didn’t want to write choruses or have guitar solos or anything. This time round we were a lot more comfortable with that side of song writing, at least, on our terms. I still think Undertow is a really heavy record. We’ve just decorated it a bit better than our last.
You’re currently touring behind Undertow. How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen it before?
It’s a lot heavier than our recorded output. It’s usually a lot faster as well. We love playing live, and we really enjoy getting better night on night.
More information on Drenge’s upcoming tour dates and new album can be found here.
Nick Schneider
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