May 2009 Archives
The last twelve months have seen the Scaremongers soar. Out of the long-cherished dreams of Armitage and Smith, they emerged, fully formed, their sound resonating along the backbone of England. Early gigs, a body of immortal double A-sides, representation on ITunes, Cherry Red and Cloudberry, radio airplay aplenty, first TV appearance on The Culture Show, and now first long-player, the instant classic Born In A Barn.
What constitutes this illustrious north country outfit? Armitage, again and again proven a colossus in the cultural life of these islands and beyond. Smith, the power behind, in front and on top of the throne. And the supporting Scaremongers, those vital moving parts in the band machine, sometime penumbral shapes who now and again step forward into the light. Time we got to know them all better . . .
The last year also saw the demise of Shoot, football magazine of choice in my youth. In a retro-fixated way, here we replicate the famed Shoot Focus on… interview format. First up, chief Clattermonger himself, Mr Craig Smith…
Name:
Craig Smith
Height:
An even 6 foot
Weight:
Fluctuates. 14 stone and a few pounds
Previous club:
Lloyd Almighty, The Dez Lawrence Soul Explosion, Route 56, Conscience, Phase
Famous relations:
My uncle's an Ewok!
Married:
Yes
Children:
None
Car:
Car-less
Favourite player:
Nick Watts, the keyboard player - I could listen to him for hours
Favourite other team:
Today it's Can. Any other day it might be Orange Juice, Jesus and Mary Chain, Black Keys, Smokey Robinson, Stereolab, St Etienne, Radiohead, Go Team, Lo Fidelity All Stars, Public Enemy, The Supremes, Beastie Boys, Velvet Underground, The Buzzcocks, Music For Grown Ups, The Walker Brothers, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, The Cookies, The Shangri Las or any of a million other bands
Most difficult opponent:
The guitar - it beats me every time!
Most memorable match:
Presteigne - the gig at The Gramaphone was great, but we were a chucked-together group of musicians at that point. Presteigne was the first gig where we coalesced a bit, where we got an inkling that we'd the makings of a proper band
Biggest thrill:
Born In A Barn - I've wanted to release an album for 35 years
Biggest disappointment:
Born In A Barn - sometimes I can only hear what's wrong with it
Best country visited:
As a 'monger, it has to be Wales - it's the only country we've visited as a band.
Favourite food:
Ready Brek
Miscellaneous likes:
A Telecaster through a Fender amp with a bit of overdrive, dogs, pigs, donkeys
Miscellaneous dislikes:
Moths - we have an infestation
Favourite TV show:
Futurama, League of Gentlemen, The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Match of the Day
Favourite singers:
Dusty Springfield, Otis Redding, Sam Moore, Beth Gibbons
Biggest influence on career:
Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous - it's why I picked up a guitar
Best friends:
My little brother, Armitage, The whole Scaremongers Crew
Biggest drag in soccer:
Not having enough time to dedicate to it. Or money.
International honours:
We did the gig in Wales - does that count?
Personal and professional ambition:
To do another album. And one after that. And another one after that.
You can also buy Born In A Barn at the Cherry Red download store: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/downloads/: Eleven tracks of tuneful flair and lyrical drollery whittled with their own hands from West Riding clints and crags by our favourite purveyors of Yorkshire Grit-Pop.
Our cricket team lost by one wicket at the weekend (and I was bowling the last over, arthritically) – we haven't won a game in four years and if it does happen, if there’s a mote of justice in the world, I reckon we'll be on News at Ten, second Big Ben bong after 'Non-poet laureate and talented mate's group hits top of charts'.
I can dream – but The Scaremongers really are the stuff that dreams are made on.
CORPORATION POP and OPM MUSIC PROUDLY PRESENTS:
The long-awaited (twenty years in the making) debut album from Huddersfield based band The Scaremongers. Never ones to be rushed, non poet laureate vocalist/lyricist Simon Armitage and multi-tasking guitarist Craig Smith crafted the songs over the past two decades, letter by letter, quaver by quaver, and now feel that the galaxy is ready for their unique brand of “kitchen-sink snow-shaker pop-rock” as they casually refer to it.
Songs range from the swirling, up-for-it-indie-dancefloor-hum-it-in-the-bathroom-classic You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes) to the soul hugging, shoe-gazing, hair-shirt wearing, seven-and-a-half minute From The Shorelines Of Venus, to the heartfelt and cryptic (even to the band themselves) Grouse Beaters Boys’ Club, to the stomping Derailleur, the only song ever dedicated to the sprocket-activated, variable-ratio transmission system frequently deployed on the modern bicycle.
“Caesar came from Rome,
picnicked here then pushed off home.
The dashboard music soared
from a Russian car,
I could have sworn… in the chrome,
your face, and next to it my own.”
Derailleur
Full track listing:
You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes)
Grouse Beaters Boys’ Club
Tea Leaves
Cardigan Girl
Legendary
Less Is More
Nodding Dog
Long Ride Home
Derailleur
From The Shorelines Of Venus
Porch
Official Release Date: Friday 7th May 2009
Picture CD, including lyric booklet and artwork by Lyndon Hayes, £8.99 available from Vinyltap Records: http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/shop/item/951171950968.aspx
Downloads available from Cherry Red Records Download Shop.
Further information:
http://www.thescaremongers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thescaremongers
Seeing (and Hearing) Is Believing: catch The Scaremongers on their Small But Perfectly Formed 2009 mini tour:
Hebden Bridge Trades and Friendly - 27 June
Latitude Festival - 16 July
Nantwich Festival - 10 October.
Contact Details - OPM:
Trevor Jenkins/David Carroll
OPM LLP
Aquarium Studios
122 Wardour Street
London
W1F OTX
t. 020 7 734 7224
m. 07793 671813
