Dan Kert, singer and guitar player of London alt indie outfit Plastic Barricades:
When did the initial idea for your latest single come together?
“Lucid in the fall” was one of the first songs written for this new album. Most of the work happened in the midst of the darkest and loneliest lockdown.
How would you describe the track, to a reader that is unfamiliar with the band?
Nonchalant indie rock guitars twanging about, while a slightly melancholic singer is trying to instil hope and provide some food for thought. Drums come in hard in the chorus. There is a guitar solo, but not of the epic kind. It features a beaten up and half-broken old fuzz pedal.
Can you tell us a bit more about the meaning behind the track?
On a umpteenth day of yet another lockdown, I was reading an article about all these corporations reaping record profits, because apparently the only thing that the world population could come up with while sitting at home was consumption. We all know exactly how every unnecessary new gadget will quite quickly find its way into a landfill. We know how bad the pollution problem is all around the world. We know how dreadful the conditions in those sweatshops are. We are lucid. But we keep falling into the same endless hole…
How would you say that the track compares to anything you’ve done before?
Evey song has its own story and it is hard to compare them to each other, especially when they are from different albums. “We Stayed Indoors” is most definitely the most introspective record I’ve ever made. It was written during the weirdest time of our lives and I am sure that there might be a bit too much melancholy in some of the tracks. There is also hope for a brighter day in there as well.
What was the hardest part about putting it together, and why?
The loneliness of the creative process. Pandemic put an end to in-person rehearsals and gigs and writing and recording became a very solitary process. I wasn’t prepared for this and it was a properly up-hill battle at first. I’ve learned a lot along the way up and the view from the summit made it all worthwhile.
Why should a reader check out the track?
They really shouldn’t! Don’t do it! Don’t check out the track! And definitely don’t go and listen to the other two albums afterwards! I forbid you! 7. What else can you tell us about the track, that we haven’t covered in this interview? “Lucid in the fall” comes with a cool little B-side called “Tallest Trees”, that is quite an unusual song for Plastic Barricades – it even contains a trumpet solo! But the coolest thing is that we managed to convince an artificial intelligence algorithm to help us with both music videos! Results are truly shocking and we are stoked to share the videos with the world!
“Lucid in the fall” music video:
Spotify:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticbarricades
