Melbourne’s self-described “horror psych-punks” Horace Bones recently dropped their new EP Son of the City, lead by lead single ‘Jack The Knife’, taking strong inspiration from the Birthday Party with added dashes of ’60s garage and surf-rock.
They’ve landed a spot on this year’s NYE On The Hill festival on December 30, as well as a couple of great support slots backing The Cherry Dolls at Howler this Thursday November 10 and British India this Friday night at 170 Russell, followed by a set at The Loft in Warrnambool on Saturday where they’ll be playing alongside The Pretty Littles.
Son of the City is out now via MGM and available for your listening pleasure below, and the band have taken us through each track below.
Tarantula
We wrote Tarantula about a year ago and it’s the oldest of our songs to make the EP. I guess that’s kind of fitting that it’s the first track, though there was no intention to portray a timeline. It serves as a mean gig closer because it’s fucking mental and a treat to play live.
The story is a dramatisation of a real event that recounts a night I was out with my girlfriend and this sleazy old dude kept hitting on her. He reminded me of some monstrous insect-like demon. I’m by no means a fighter but when I told him to give us some room he punched me right in the breadbasket. The bit about fist fighting a spider in outer space is an exaggeration.
Jack the Knife
When we were living in our old share house together, there was this shifty dude that was always paying us a visit, trying to sell us his wares. That place had a few regulars that no one could remember inviting. We used to call this guy Jack the Knife because every time he tried to sell you something, he’d offer to throw in a knife to seal the deal. I think he watched too much shopping channel.
This song itself was really easy to record and only took about an hour all up. Christian (the drummer) came up with the driving bongo bridge at the last minute and it’s probably my favourite part of the song.
Outside
We were listening to a lot of Lou Reed around the time of putting this song to paper. Lyrically I’ve always shied away from writing “relationship” songs but then I realised that when Lou isn’t singing about heroin he’s usually writing about a girl, or both and that I should just grow up and give it a crack. Also sticking a few La la la’s in there never hurt no chicken.
So this is our unashamedly catchy number. Id say it’s sort of in the vein of an old ’60s garage tune, like from the Nuggets compilations, but with some grungy guitar and bass.
Son of the City
An ode to Melbourne, this song is about walking the streets at night, listening to music and feeling like you own the place.
The guitars came out really large and frightening thanks to Caz (the Guitarist, duh) going ape shit in the studio. Actually I reckon this track shows each of us at our best. I’m hollering and screaming in between a little crooning, Christian’s drumming sounds like a hell flung train to Footscray and Derny’s playing bass lines that could really give your bladder some grief.
Listen out for our cheeky bassist playing his own name just before the second chorus, “Dery Derny”.
Like Dust
There was an alternate track for the EP that was going to go in place of this one. However, the week before we were due to record, the band was over in Adelaide playing a couple of shows. On the long drive back I was getting my usual cabin fever and ranting to the ire of the other guys. Eventually Christian told me in so many words to save my breath and handed me a notebook and pen, so I proceeded to write down all the words as they’re sung in ‘Like Dust’.
The day before we went into the studio we came up with a rough idea of the music and then went in and put it down. The backing vocals at the end came about at about three in the morning on our last day in the studio. The overwhelming guitar sounds was a perfect way to end the whole thing.
Listening back, I suppose I must have been coming down a bit in the car because it’s pretty nihilistic. Though I find it uplifting because it’s saying that we’re nothing and nothing matters so what you worried for?
Horace Bones Live Dates
Thursday November 10th || Howler w/ Cherry Dolls || Brunswick, VIC
Saturday November 12th || The Loft w/ The Pretty Littles|| Warrnambool, VIC
Friday December 30th || NYE On The Hill || The Farm, VIC
