Interview: Andy Falkous Brings Mclusky Back to Life at The Sinclair
Mclusky had a brief but storied history in the United States with the Welsh noise rock band straddling the tricky boundary of catchy pop hooks and cacophony, a territory not tread upon by many. Managing a couple tours over here, the final one ended in frustration and disappointment at the end of 2004. The band broke up early in the next year, possibly precipitated when their gear got lifted in Arizona with four dates left the tour, and in parallel, the relations between Andy Falkous and bass player Jonathan Chapple fell off the proverbial cliff. Falkous went to start Future of the Left as well as Christian Fitness, but neither attained the same level of popularity or notoriety. After a series of one-off gigs starting in 2014 without Chapple that blossomed into a handful of dates around the United Kingdom in 2019 and 2020, in 2022 Mclusky announced their first Stateside shows in 18 years.
Then Falkous suffered a hearing problem that pulled the plug after just a few West Coast shows. The chances of a brutally loud band coexisting with a member suffering from extreme sensitivity to noise seemed daunting, but here we are. The band played a few dates around home, and they’ve re-booked their dates in Australia and the United States with March 8 happening at The Sinclair in Cambridge. Be sure to get there early for both The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries and Minibeast. I got the chance to get some questions in front of Falkous via email, so let’s get down to it.
Good to see you were able to reschedule the canceled Mclusky dates. What measures did you take regarding your hearing issues? Will you be wearing those rifle range ear protectors like Roger Miller had to during some of the Mission of Burma post-reunion shows?
Yeah, they simply had to be rescheduled, they couldn’t not happen. The main measures I took were panic, laughter and then acceptance, after which time I tried various set-ups because I didn’t really want to wear massive ear defenders on my head. Eventually, I gave in and to be honest it’s not so bad, I’ve got some in-ear monitors in there giving me enough of my sweet little voice to get through. With something like that you’ve got to own it rather than giving in to the circumstances.
Some advice you gave was to always rate your Uber driver a five. Let’s be honest, you’ve definitely had rides that didn’t warrant that rating, right?
Most definitely. The guy who told me ISIS, not the band, were “Alright actually” so he only got a 4. Even maniacs have to live.
You hinted that a new record was forthcoming and last autumn you released four new songs. Your new EP talks about the unpopular parts of a pig. In your opinion, what’s the tastiest part of a pig?
None of it. I don’t fuck with the pig or any animals in a digesting sense. Even when I ate meat, I struggled with chowing down on particular parts of animals, that always seemed a bit blatant to me.
[Steve] Albini seems like the ideal producer for you. How did you get him to record Mclusky Do Dallas, and while I see that he wasn’t involved with the newly released material so far, are there plans to work with him if there’s a full length in the works? Can you tell us a funny story about Steve?
He worked on the album because the label, Too Pure, asked him to, it was as simple as that. Yes, we’d definitely work with him in the future, it hasn’t quite happened yet because of location and schedules. We’ll probably finish up the first record over here then do something with him soon. There’ll always be new songs. History demands them.
A funny story about Steve? He never smiles. Unless, unless he’s happy. Also, he’s a good listener.
Mclusky ended nearly two decades ago, so when you scan the music landscape, who would say took direct influence from you? I can hear some in Idles or in Pissed Jeans, or maybe Chat Pile with the tempo stretched out to breaking point and the hooks wrung clean out. What bands do you think took inspiration, either overtly or in less obvious ways?
I don’t know. I think non-metal bands who use distorted bass get hit with that hump. I heard Gilla Band say catty things about not liking being compared to us once, so let’s just go for those fucking charmers. All the bands are good, really, most musicians are nice even if their lyrics are silly. Mine are fucking ridiculous.
What’s your favorite riff from a song you’ve written? And what’s a riff you wished you’d written?
I really love the guitar part from the Christian Fitness song “Bruce Hated Puppies” and so does my daughter. Believe me, you don’t want to argue with her. Riff I wish I’d written? Chorus Part of “Contract” by Gang Of Four. Oh my days.
Aside from the few 2022 dates before the tour got cut short, you’ve only really toured the United States once in 2004. What was your impression of America then versus now? And since it’s been so long, what sorts of audiences do you expect to see, veterans of the past, or newly curious converts? Or both?
Nah, we did the States a few times, maybe five as Mclusky, first time would have been 2002, then at least three or maybe four times as Future of the Left. The United States is the same but different, and now seems insanely expensive even compared to the United Kingdom, which isn’t exactly a socialist paradise itself. Compared to our merry shithole it’s more competent, ambitious, but ideologically unhinged and with bad chocolate, no caveats. Despite that, the audiences we saw in September 2022 were a heartening combination of ages and attitudes. It’s always better when I don’t feel like I’m exclusively communicating with guys in their forties like myself.
I mean, I’m fine, but if I wanted to talk at or to myself I already own a mirror.
How long do you see Mclusky going for this time? Can it co-exist peacefully alongside Future of the Left and Christian Fitness or are there not enough hours in the day?
How long? Let’s see. Not enough hours in the day my friend. If I had the money to pull everyone out of their inconvenient jobs we’d be holed up making music 24/7. Well, when we weren’t parenting adorable children.
You obviously have a lot of fun with creating song titles. Which are your favorites, and which ones would go back to the editing cycle if you have a chance?
It’s all I’ll ever be known for, but that’s cool. The best titles, like the best lyrics, are the ones that are about something without being about it, if that makes sense. I like “Your Children Are Waiting For You to Die” because the person it’s about knows it’s about them and they’ll never tell anyone about it and I like the conceit of that. Also, I imagine, they don’t really mind. I quite enjoyed the B-side title “Reformed Arsonist Seeks Child Bride”, even if it sounds like it’s trying too hard, but it’s really not. Oh, let’s say “1956 and All That”, which is a joke which works on so many pointless levels, taking in a comedic look on the Norman Invasion of England in 1066 and the Suez Crisis, that it barely exists.
I love that song. It’s a rare example of, for me, getting it totally right, being as it is an anti-war song written and performed by people who clearly want to kill you.
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