Hailing from across the South-West, Cagework are a trio based around the songwriting of frontman Sam Bedford. The band only formed a year ago and through a lone single and some impressive live shows, have already caught the ear of many including, Justin Lockey (Mastersystem/Minor Victories), who liked them so much he both agreed to produce their debut album and signed them to his Physical Education label. The band’s self-titled debut album is out now, and to celebrate the band are running us through the track’s that make up its delightfully short 16 minute run time.

Discussing the decision to release such a rapid debut album, Cagework have suggested it felt like a natural end to their first period; their prolific songwriting is already taking the band off in new directions, yet they didn’t want these thrilling early musical rumblings to go undocumented. In particular there was a desire to capture the unusual malaise that seemed to be the dominant cultural theme of the last few years; like many of us, Cagework seem to grapple with a world that seems full of broken promises, and wonder what we do about that. There’s a sense of reflection throughout, a band questioning, both on an individual and societal level, what comes next?

Casework’s sound is blistering and brief; take opening track and recent single Wilson, slashes of break-neck guitar chords and clattering, primal drum battering, produce a backing for yelped, visceral vocals in the mould of Mclusky or Winnebago Deal. If Wilson is a call to arms, elsewhere the band show a winning diversity of ideas, Valuables is a slice of surprisingly tender folk with a flourish of strings, Modesty is a trip down early-emo memory lane, while Eileen has a ambling, slacker feel akin to Car Seat Headrest or Savage Mansion (and is also the only track over three minutes long).

Throughout their debut record, Cagework show themselves to be a thrilling prospect, there’s an assuredness to their music that belies their lyrical uncertainty. A band who seem ready to question the world around them, but never doubt themselves. A thrilling first leap into a hugely bright future. Read on for the band’s track-by-track guide to the record.

WILSON: I wrote this about a week before we made the record after flicking through the comic of the same name by Daniel Clowes. I feel like it helped balance out the record a bit. 

EILEEN:Eileen was a song I wrote very hastily but I think its the longest song on the record. Im not even totally sure what its about anymore but it feels fun to sing. 

23: This song is a pretty old one now. I wrote it while I was living in Falmouth about 3 years ago and its about how I thought I was wasting my time and how Im very quick to judge myself. Its still very relevant for me though so I wanted to keep working with it. 

LISTEN ELSEWHERE: This is even older! Id been playing this song in various forms with other bands before Cagework but never really found the right opportunity to record it until now. Im glad I have! 

MODESTY: With ‘Modesty’ I was trying to convey how nothing is really permanent, and how situations can change in an instant. And sometimes there is no reason behind it, its just how things go. Its the song I most enjoy playing at the moment.

TRUST: This was a fun song to record. Trust was written as a kind of commentary on forgiveness. 

VALUABLES: I tend to write most of my songs on an acoustic at the demo stage and then they become something bigger, but I felt like this song didn’t really need that. We had a woman called Brione come and salvage some old cello parts id written, which I think really made the track for me.

Cagework’s self-titled debut album is out today via Physical Education Records. Click HERE for more information on Cagework.