Though only a year young, UK pop punk newcomers Trash Boat have made little short of a flying start. The St Albans based quintet came bursting out of the blocks in July 2014 with their debut E.P, the aptly titled ‘Look Alive’. Boasting buoyant guitar licks and vocal melodies custom built for impregnation on the temporal lobe, ‘Look Alive’ saw Trash Boat quickly capturing attention. A flurry of live activity followed, the band hitting the road to share stages alongside Me Vs. Hero, Light You Up, Roam, Homebound, Six Time Champion and Knuckle Puck. ‘Look Alive’ received rave reviews, its lead track ‘Boneless’ earning the band a coveted spot on Rock Sound magazine’s covermount CD, and securing the band a worldwide deal with respected international label, Hopeless Records. Since securing a sought-after place on the label roster, alongside such well respected names as All Time Low, Neck Deep, Taking Back Sunday and New Found Glory, Trash Boat have been hard at work on the follow up to their debut and recently released their sophomore E.P ‘Brainwork’. Here vocalist Tobi describes the process and thoughts behind the creation of its artwork…. Artist: Jake Carruthers Why we picked him: We had seen a bunch of stuff he had done for other bands and were really digging his style, we were interested to see what he would do with our brief and he smashed it to be honest!
Creation Convo: Our original EP artwork featured that little ragged purple/blue guy so the brief we sent over to Jake was asking for not only the theme of reflection, but we also wanted to see someone emerging from him like he was shedding skin. What the art is attempting to represent is growth from adversity, the 'Look Alive' guy was on his knees and looking hopeless, with the Brainwork art we wanted him looking like he was picking himself up and moving forward, shedding his skin, reflecting on his issues and gaining some perspective (several puns in there I'll leave it to you to find them).The term 'Brainwork was coined as even though a lot of the lyrics to Trash Boat's song address physical issues, the biggest struggle is in our heads.
Trash Boat released ‘Brainwork’ via Hopeless Records on 18/05/15. Watch their most recent video for Eleven here:
Though only a year young, UK pop punk newcomers Trash Boat have made little short of a flying start. The St Albans based quintet came bursting out of the blocks in July 2014 with their debut E.P, the aptly titled ‘Look Alive’. Boasting buoyant guitar licks and vocal melodies custom built for impregnation on the temporal lobe, ‘Look Alive’ saw Trash Boat quickly capturing attention. A flurry of live activity followed, the band hitting the road to share stages alongside Me Vs. Hero, Light You Up, Roam, Homebound, Six Time Champion and Knuckle Puck. They then secured a sought-after place on the Hopeless roster, alongside such well respected names as All Time Low, Neck Deep, Taking Back Sunday and New Found Glory. Trash Boat have been hard at work on the follow up to debut EP, with brand new E.P ‘Brainwork’, which just saw release on 18th May. Here vocalist Tobi goes through the work, track by track…
"Compared to our debut release ‘Look Alive’ we actually wrote this EP fairly quickly. Our first EP was still fresh in our minds and we felt this was going to be a solid continuation of something we were pretty happy with and had received a really good response from so far.
Sound wise we were really going for that chunk, as if a hardcore band had just done a pop punk album, I’m stoked on the tone, I mean…listen to Taylor, that intro is phat as.
TAYLOR
Taylor was the first part of a longer song that I was writing lyrics for. When I laid down demo vocals over the riff we were trying out, it sounded huge and we were really pleased, we decided to keep it short as it was a perfect introduction to Brainwork, as it builds up the energy nicely.
It was the first song we heard with all the instruments recorded in the studio and it got us really excited as we’d been listening to our scratchy bedroom demos for so long, the difference was awesome and it really bought the tracks to life.
The lyrics are a reference to a certain group of medical ‘professionals’ who continuously let me down over the years, I will be writing more songs on this topic in the future, but for now it’s just this snippet.
PERSPECTIVE (Check out the video here)
Perspective (lyrically) is probably the most emotive track on the EP andit took the longest to write as it was chopped and changed a lot. It was the last song we did and the studio was fast approaching, we were spending hours every day trying to get it right and we were close to being sick of, even on the way to the studio! Once we heard it recorded properly and started tracking vocals though we knew the hard work had paid off, banger!
The lyrics cover a specific day a few years back where I was woken from what was supposed to be routine joint surgery to having a group of doctors around me with varying sombre looks on their faces, along with my parents who had already been told the shitty news that I wasn’t going to be getting better anytime soon. It was pretty tough, it exposed me to emotional aspects of myself and my parents that I had never seen before. It was pretty overwhelming being confronted with it all at once, whilst coming to terms with the fact that I just had to deal with it. Lucky for me though I have some pretty awesome friends and family who were all there to help me slap a fat smiley face sticker on the whole situation!
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
As Seen On Screen is probably my favourite instrumentally, it’s got some real fucking bounce to it and is so much fun to jam live. That song just fell together like it was written for us, barely altered, it was pretty much there in the first draft.
I didn’t want this song to be another sad jam so the lyrics aren’t as brutally emotional as the rest of them, so it keeps up the pace of being honest and aggressive in some respects, but it’s much less personal. From the age of 15 I’ve been drifting from one mind numbing job to another, under the guise of finding a career as that seemed to be the thing to do. I felt I was too young to pursue higher education, along with the maturity it required, so I held off on going to uni and got a job. I know in some respects it can seem as though I’m coming off as ungrateful, I was always appreciative of the fact I had steady work, but I was always considering the fact that I could be doing shit like this for the majority of my life and that thought scared the shit out of me! So I saved up enough to support myself while doing band stuff and wrote a fucking song about it, chasin’ the dream.
ELEVEN
Eleven is my favourite tune overall, the energy is through the roof and that’s what I’m all about, getting a room full of people to kick off and throw themselves off stuff into stuff, expect the energy to continue to rise in our future records.
Again, this was a tune that really fell together, only some swapping of the structure closer to the studio. The lyrics to this song poured out, it was tough picking the right ones as I have a bunch more that will be the topic of some tunes in the future, they mean a great deal to me, but I’m afraid their content can’t be explained as I don’t feel it is my place.
Brainwork is out now! Check out Trash Boat's new video for Eleven below:
For a band that have only been around for a year, Trash Boat have already come a long way. Last year, the band released their first EP Look Alive which certified them as one of the foremost UK pop punk bands around at the moment. Now, a year later, the band have just announced that they've signed to Hopeless Records following in the footsteps of Neck Deep and ROAM. With the signing, the guys also announced that they would be releasing their new EP 'Brainwork' just in time for the summer months. Brainwork starts off with Taylor, a minute long opener which kick things off straight away. After a captivating start, the song shoots into a fast, up-beat, rhythmic section with fervent vocals. The EP then launches into Saving Face, another of Brainwork's rapid-paced tracks with an engrossing riff. The lyrics are self-loathing and sincere, structured into a melodic chorus. Up next is Perspective which Trash Boat have just released a video for. Lyrically, Perspective attends to vocalist Tobi Duncan's health issues and the torment and adversity can be detected through his fierce vocals. At first, the song starts off slowly but the pace soon picks. The song is a dynamic mix of energy blended with a powerful vocal melody. The fourth song, As Seen On Our Screen, deals with the struggles of a tedious job and trying to escape to find something better. The song is definitely one that stands out, with the opening riff instantly able to capture your attention. The chorus on this song is also striking, coinciding nicely with the catchy, intoxicating riffs and the wholehearted lyrics. The final song, Eleven, is definitely the most fast paced. However, it does slow down towards the end, combined with gang vocals which chant 'rip my heart from my sleeve, sinking deep inside my chest'. It's a vigorous close to the EP, with a profusion of energy which is ingrained with ardent lyrics. Overall, Brainwork is an EP loaded with rapid, breakneck songs which only slow down for a second or so. Every song is filled with enthralling guitar parts, earnest lyrics and a vehement tempo. The lyrics cover themes such as health, self-scrutiny and escaping terrible jobs; it's easy to depict a crowd of people shouting these lyrics back when played live. Brainwork leans more towards the punk than pop side of pop-punk and Trash Boat pull it off well. It's clear that Trash Boat have stuck to all the elements that made their previous EP Look Alive great, while also not becoming too repetitive. Brainwork is out on the 18th of May. Stream it below:
Trash Boat have announced a release show for their upcoming EP 'Brainwork'. The band have just announced that they have signed to Hopeless Records and Brainwork will be their first release on the label. Support for the show is yet to be announced:
Saint Albans pop punk band, Trash Boat, have just announced that they have been signed to Hopeless Records. They've also announced that they will be releasing a new EP, titled 'Brainwork' on May 19th. Hopeless have also put up a new single/video from the EP which you can watch at the bottom of the post. Here's what the band had to say about the signing, Brainwork and the new song:
'TODAY’S THE FUCKING DAY!
We’re truly elated and humbled to announce that we have signed to Hopeless Records! This news is beyond our 5, 10 and 15 year plans and the opportunity is more than we could ever ask for as a band, we’re proud to be accepted into a new family and we know that they are going to help us be the absolute best Trash Boat we can be. With that in mind, here’s our new music video from our upcoming EP ‘Brainwork’... you guys have a few days to learn this and scream it back in our faces on the Real Friends Tour! LET’S GET FUCKING ROWDY!' Pre-order Brainwork here. Check out Perspective below:
Another great festival happening in May is Pinky Swear Fest. Allusondrugs, Giants, Best Years, Milestones and Waster have just been added to an already awesome line-up. The tickets are also £12 which is an absolute bargain. Get your tickets here
Trash Boat are heading out across the UK next month with Weatherstate. Trash Boat are busy touring this year with them just finishing a European Tour with Trash Boat and As It Is. They'll also be heading out across the UK with Real Friends before their own run commences with Weatherstate. Check out the dates below:
Fury Fest have just announced that this year's line-up will include Motion City Soundtrack playing 'Commit This To Memory' in full. The line-up will also include Man Overboard, Trash Talk, Astroid Boys, Moose Blood, ROAM, Trashboat, Blood Youth, Waster, Boston Manor, Bearing Loss, Please Head North and Milestones with more to be announced. The festival will take place over two days on the 2nd and 3rd of May. Tickets go on sale February 13th.
Nathan Detroit and Trash Boat are heading out on a UK tour during April. They will also be joined by Maycomb, Northern Nightlights, Tuskens and Montrose across various dates. Check out the dates below:
Trash Boat and Brawlers are supporting Real Friends on their 3 headline shows in the UK this March. Jet Pack will also be supporting the band in Manchester and Birmingham, while Six Time Champion will be supporting in London. Get your tickets here: Manchester, Birmingham, London.
Trash Boat will be supporting Knuckle Puck's headline show in Kingston on the 7th of February! Knuckle Puck will also be joined by Trophy Eyes. The headline show will commence after Knuckle Puck's support slot with Neck Deep, Seaway and Trophy Eyes. Get your ticket for the Kingston show here.
New Noise Magazine are premièring a new acoustic video from Trash Boat. The video is an acoustic version of their song 'Lock In' from their first EP 'Look Alive'. Check it out below:
Though only officially founded at the start of 2014, pop-punk quintet Trash Boat have already played their first shows and recorded their debut E.P, ‘Look Alive’, which just saw release on 23rd June. Bursting with buoyant guitar licks and the kind of vocal melodies you only need to hear once before they’re imprinted on your temporal lobe, ‘Look Alive’ is a formidable first strike from Trash Boat’s arsenal. Drummer Oakley takes us through the design process for
their iconic cover…
“The artwork took quite a bit of time to come together, but I think it turned out for the best as a result. The initial design involved just the kneeling character, which was done by Natas Designs who has worked with the likes of Gnarwolves. We basically all loved his work and just gave him creative reign to do what he wanted, inspired purely by giving him our band and EP name. He killed it, for the name 'Look Alive' it just fitted perfectly. However, we felt it needed something else to get away from a boring vanilla background. After a photo shoot with Snooty Fox Images, we got the reference sheet for the background for the EP cover. It fitted really nicely and was what we thought was missing from the original design. I ended up putting everything together, very organically, we couldn't be happier.”
Download Look Alive on Bandcamp here. You can also check out our review of Look Alivehere.
Trash Boat have only officially been a band since the beginning of 2014 but from listening to Look Alive, you would never have guessed it. As Trash Boat's first musical endeavor, the EP shows no hint of weakness and is an impressive mixture of memorable melodies, youthful affirmations and an abundance of energy; the perfect musical accessory for summer. Cluttered Sign is an absorbing opener to the EP. The opening riff is a gentle start but the pace soon picks up and it turns into a compelling track about past experiences affecting us in the present moment. The second track Boneless is an impressive profusion of youthful energy with a striking chorus. The track talks about past experiences, specifically illness, and how it can make us who we are today (for more information behind the meaning behind the songs click here). Gnarmalade is the most aggressive song on the EP, with a fast paced beat and rawvocals. The song could easily be a an extra track from Set Your Goal's This will be the Death of Us or Sum 41's Chuck. The last track Lock In shows no fault throughout, from the verse to the chorus the song is monumental in every way. The song starts as a melodic outset and becomes an expeditious incursion of energy that provides an infallible close to the album. Overall, Trash Boat's EP is an impressive first release, especially as they have officially been a band since the start of the year. If you're a fan of Major League or ROAM this EP is definitely for you. Make sure you pick up a copy on June 23rd or download Boneless for free on Trash Boat's bandcamp.
Though only officially founded at the start of 2014, pop-punk quintet Trash Boat have already played their first shows and recorded their debut E.P, ‘Look Alive’, which is set for release 23rd June. Bursting with buoyant guitar licks and the kind of vocal melodies you only need to hear once before they’re imprinted on your temporal lobe, ‘Look Alive’ is a formidable first strike from Trash Boat’s arsenal. Here vocalist Tobi gives us some insight into the creation of the EP…
'Most of the writing for the EP tracks took place in Oak’s room, we’d play around with riffs, record them on his computer and generally spend hours doing trial and error to see what sounded good. When we all went home or to work we would still be sending each other ideas we recorded on our phones and ideas for the vocals.
Every song was pretty slow to begin with, trying stuff out, binning it, repeat etc, refining it each step of the way. But once we had an idea we thought was solid for each song, it was really fun to build on and stuff started to flow. We spent a good few months ironing out creases and changing bits here and there, but once we were happy we booked our time at the Ranch House Studio and went down there to stay for the week. We smashed it out, had a cool time and we’re really pleased with how it has turned out.
Cluttered and Boneless are very similar, they use the same base when it comes to theme I just went in two different directions with it. ‘Boneless’ is very blunt and honest, it’s an insight into the previous few years of my life in which I had faced some drastic lifestyle changes due to a lot of knee surgery, stuff got pretty bleak pretty fast. I met the guys in Trash Boat right about the time I started to get my shit together and it was really fun to write about it all. The lyrics to boneless are pretty bleak but I’m not in a bad place, that’s the point of the song, I’ve grown from that and can now look back and appreciate that those experiences are why I am who I am today.
Cluttered uses similar elements, but it’s less macroscopic than Boneless, Boneless looks back at those experiences over the entire period, Cluttered is how they were effecting me in the present moment and influencing my song writing. Gnarmalade is my favourite track ‘cos it’s got the most energy. The lyrics came from a part of me that changed during the recovery periods; I was bedridden for a period and started boning up on social issues, activisms and the like. Everyone always has a really detailed opinion on stuff like that so I won’t go really deep into it, but it was great to be able to put that time to positive use. Gnarmalade (lyrically and musically) is the first of many similar Trash Boat tunes.
Lock in is written about an old friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in ages, he called me up one night and asked me for a lift to a mates house which I thought was weird but he seemed in a bit of a state so I said yes. Unfortunately life wasn’t going great for him and his family and friends weren’t doing him a lot of good. It made me think about how lucky I am to have such a cool group of friends and supportive family around me, most likely the main reason I’m doing so well today and able to reflect on things with a clear and happy head.
Playing this EP live is what it’s all about, and I can’t think of anything more fun, we get a really good crowd participation thing going, with Boneless especially. I can’t wait to take it on tour and play to as many people as possible.'
