Hey, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
Moo to you too. I’ve been chewing the cud mostly. Sometimes I lie down in the field. When the farmer is not looking I sneak in the farmhouse and record music…
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound, and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I love that 80s “pigfuck” sound, bands like Killdozer Jesus Lizard etc, so I tried to make a “cowfuck” sound. Bigger, faster, and nastier. Influenced by Cows (of course), Harvey Milk, Cream, along with cow-friendly vegan bands like Rudimentary Peni. Big Black did a song about the horrors of the abattoir called “Cables” that is a big influence too. I do not, however, like Cattle Decapitation…
Congrats on the release of ‘crunch’, the EP sounds great. What was the inspiration behind it?
I actually recorded a bunch of songs between 2018 and 2021 which I wanted to put together on an album, but they never really worked together. As I have a new album of stuff recorded this year (titled “slaughter”) coming out next month I wanted to get a couple of my favourites from those earlier recordings out there to remind people that I’ve not been turned into burgers just yet. The first track, “Tobacco Eyes (Do Not Equal Turpentine)” borrows a lot from Sonic Youth and Pavement before spinning off on its own trajectory, while the second, “Concrete Pink Dots” borrows a little from My Bloody Valentine, with its own rougher edges. “Bloody Diffuser” is a more experimental drone piece close in spirit to my other music project, Coaxial. By the way the cover image is a photo I took of Beat writer and junky iconoclast William S. Burroughs’ rusting car while visiting his house in Kansas.
What’s your favorite track on the EP and why
I don’t have favourites really, but I have a soft spot for the second half of “Tobacco Eyes (Do Not Equal Turpentine)…it helps my nerves when the farmer tests us for TB. What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist? Mainly eating grass and avoiding the abattoir.
Who’s your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
Hank Williams – the original cowman; a total, all-round (albeit troubled) baddass.
You are also based in London. Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?
I played a lot around London in the 2000s, where bands that centered around the Silver Rocket club at The Garage in Islington gave me encouragement. Some are still going like I’m Being Good, Cove, Joeyfat, Charlottefield (Sweet Williams). Labels like Upset the Rhythm, Ingue, Gringo and Unlabel did so much. I remember playing alongside bands like Fuck Buttons, Mugstar, Dethscalator, Soeza and others – great bands.
If you could perform at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
Glastonbury Festival – because I could stay at Worthy Farm for the rest of the year…
Finally, have you got anything to share regarding upcoming gigs, and what have you got planned over the rest of 2022?
I’m playing live in Murcia, Spain next month as part of a conference on the Beat Generation writers (EBSN). I’ll have a contortionist/dancer on stage with me so that’ll be fun! I’m trying to get some shows in Taiwan (where I currently live) to support the new album, with more in the UK next summer all being well. Trouble is I don’t heifer lot of time… MOO!
