The internet, of course, didn’t invent self-promotion, but it’s certainly made it a lot easier. Bands, labels, errr blogs, we’re all at it. Social-media might not have been invented to be part of the advertising machine, but it quickly became key to its success. People want your clicks, want your attention and yes want your money: and indirectly we’re probably all playing into that.
The advent of free online content, from news to music reviews, is in danger of killing any sort of journalistic standards. Why worry about writing anything of note, or checking if your story is true, when it only exists to get the click in the first place? The internet is a wonderful tool, but free content comes at a price. By not rewarding journalists, musicians and filmmakers for their chosen art-form, we inevitably turn them into self-publicists. We morph them into adverts and force them to invent ways of monetising their work, often at the expense of the quality of their output.
The internet is for everyone, that was how it was invented and how it should remain. However ultimately we need to consider just how we fund the content providers, otherwise we might well end up with nothing worth looking at.
Hailing from the smallest town in England, Manningtree in Essex, Superglu are a quartet consisting of an abstract painter, a disco dancing sociologist, a bloke who lives on a houseboat and a guitarist. The band formed back in 2014, and have been gently gathering attention ever since. The band recently put out their latest single, Welcome Home, as part of the well received Communion Singles Club.
Channelling some of the punk-tinged spirit of their live show, Welcome Home walks the middle ground of Billy Bragg and Andrew WK. Building around bright, clanking guitar chords, heavily hit drums and dizzyingly joyful, yell-along choruses; Welcome Home has all the energy and passion of Los Campesinos! or Trust Fund. All in all, Welcome Home is a summer anthem in the making, a hugely promising single from a band who look poised to take the remainder of 2017 by storm.
Today, Superglu’s drummer Ben Ward has picked some of the music behind the band’s sound, as well as slipping into a bit of shameless self-promotion, but when you’ve got plenty of things worth promoting, you won’t hear any complaints from us.
1. The Beatles – She Said She Said
Why ever make fun of Ringo?? There are actually loads of reasons, but the drumming in this is top of the fucking world!
2. The Go! Team – Lady Flash
Grab your loved ones, eat some ice cream and realise the world is actually quite good.
3. Interpol – Untitled
Beautiful and haunting. The guitar at the end sounds like whale talk.
4. Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
It’s a massive song. I love Rivers as a songwriter, his lame lyrics and power-chord combo gets me every time. Patrick keeps it real on the drums too, a righteous kick.
5. Hovvdy – Problem
We saw these guys at SXSW this year. They played to a group of nice people at what was essentially a picnic in the park. They were really lovely. I bought their album.
6. Lil Wayne – A Milli
My friend Luke actually thought he said ‘A Milli’ exactly 1 million times throughout the track. Have not listened to it since 2009 but I remember it feeling very fresh and awesome when I was 19. I liked how instead of a bass line there was just a really low noise.
7. Beta Band – Needles in My Eyes
The 3 E.P’s was maybe the first album I ever loved, they were great band. Really beautiful and scrappy and sad but maybe also a bit optimistic. Reminds me of rain drying off the playground for some reason.
8. (Sandy) Alex G – Kicker
I love the never ending droning guitar in the background and how the vocals dart about on-top of the song, dancing hand in hand with the lead guitarist. It’s cool.
9. The Longcut – Vitamin C
Another band that’s not around anymore. An experimental 3 piece from Manchester, me and my mates thought they were the continuation of Joy Division so maybe a new type of Christ or some bullshit?
10. Bessie Turner – Big Sleep
She’s my girlfriend and I play drums on it so just looking for a bit more self promotion if that’s cool.
11. Dingus Khan – Milk of Every Mammal
They are a group of guys that I’m friends with. We meet up on a Monday afternoon to trade ideas and partake in group sex. I play drums on it so just looking for a bit more self promotion if that’s cool.
12. SuperGlu – Welcome Home
Krista’s Ben’s girlfriend and I play drums on it so just looking for a bit more self promotion if that’s cool.
Welcome Home is out now as part of the Communion Singles Club. Click HERE for more information on Superglu.
For The Rabbits 