Fresh off a stint with Tigers Jaw and Culture Abuse, Brighton-based four piece Muskets have announced the release of their debut LP Chew on punk mainstay No Sleep Records. Their unique blend of grunge-tinged hardcore caught the ears of Daniel P. Carter who premiered the album’s dark, gutting single You’re So Cool on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show.
Chew borrows the gritty-ness of Fugazi and mixes it with the energy of early At The Drive In while maintaining a certain sensitivity that’s all its own. Titled after a phrase repeatedly said in Catcher In The Rye, Chew musically documents the highs and lows of a time where bassist Dan Smith and guitarist/vocalist Alex Cheung were living in a squat-like party house coming to terms with the reality of adulthood and pursuing a life in the music industry.
‘The word ‘CHEW’ was initially inspired by the book Catcher in the Rye, where Holden Caulfield repeatedly says, ‘Chew the fat’ meaning to shoot the shit or chat bollocks. The debut album is a collection of songs written during various different periods of [our lives], and in turn the songs discuss various highs and lows that [we] have experienced.” Said Cheung.”It was a crucial time in [our] late teens/early 20’s, making sacrifices to proceed with the band whilst trying to scrape enough money for rent. Some of the lyrics discuss these issues and also some of the problems with the transitional period of dealing with adult-life without sufficient guidance. Late nights, narcotics and distress lead to [us] turning to raw sounds and obscure lyrics.’
To create Chew, Musket’s headed back to The Ranch and reunited with producer Neil Kennedy. There was just one problem – the band didn’t have any of their parts written. With inspiration from Pixies’ Surfa Rosa and Nirvana’s Bleach, Muskets crafted every single one of their parts on the spot. To capture album’s the natural energy and emotion, it was tracked live allowing for the tempo to fluctuate and give a sludgy quality to drummer Joe Phillips’ gritty, hard-hitting rhythms.
Chew hits stores on October 20th and is currently available for preorder through No Sleep Records. You can stream the new single You’re So Cool via Spotify.