Photo Credit: Alistair Underwood
Asylums are back with their brand new album Signs Of Life, the follow-up to 2020’s Genetic Cabaret. The quartet gave us an early glimpse of the record in June with their single Scatterbrain, a song that band member Luke Branch describes as “Dr. Feelgood meets The Jesus & Marychain.” We caught up recently to find out more about the track, including the writing process, themes and stories from behind the scenes.
Can you give us your quick elevator pitch on this track?
Hello, Asylums are back – and we have been dragged through a hedge backwards several times. Musically it’s sort of Dr. Feelgood meets The Jesus & Marychain.
Why does this one standout for you?
It’s just fun, it doesn’t mess about, it just gets right to the point. Lyrically there is substance there too – it’s certainly informed by the experiences of the last few years…when all the disparate parts of your life were squeezed under one roof and began tap dancing on each other’s feet.
How did you tackle the writing process for the song?
I wrote the song at home – towards the end of the writing cycle for the album. I worked out the basic drums and arrangement by hitting pillows in my little studio, demoed it on my eight track and sent it to Jazz to add lead guitar. Then I drafted the lyrics over and over for months.
Was there anything unique about this track compared to your usual/previous approach?
I play some piano on it and it was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales in one take. The screech at the beginning was taken from the original rough demo.
Can you tell us how the song’s theme came about?
I was a new father during lockdown, I was working a demanding day job, not getting much sleep and being an artist by night. Things got intense very quickly and this song came out…well lots of songs came out in fact.
Tell us about the video, do the themes of the single transfer to the video?
It was a collaboration with our good friend Andy Delaney who directed it. We worked on the concept together over a few months. We wanted colour, childishness, chaos and a little bit of The Monkees and Benny Hill.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories from the video shoot?
At one point I was upside down in a sleeping bag singing – that just about sums it up. My son also visited the set too and we did some B-roll with him dancing – it was beautiful.
Anything else you’d like to add for our readers?
Our new album Signs of Life is out now – check it out if you have the time!
Asylums‘ new album Signs Of Life is out now via Cool Thing Records, available to stream or purchase HERE.
