Belfast’s Slacker Rock Heroes Mucksavage Release New Gaze-influenced Single ‘Watto’
Following the success of their debut single, Dirty Chin, which caught the attention of Hot Press, Golden Plec, PureMZine, and New Music Sonar Radio, Belfast’s own Mucksavage return with their sophomore track, Watto. Conscious of not being pigeonholed into a box that doesn’t fit, Watto blends their spiky slacker rock with a shoegaze wall of noise and ethereal dream pop melodies. Hidden beneath the woolly mammoth-sized fuzz is a love song spilling its heart out to that person who saves you from whatever murky depths you’ve found yourself in.
Frontman/guitarist/songwriter James Foy has always used the band as a vessel to help process complex emotions and make sense of them, and Watto is no different. In the midst of a turbulent time; facing the breakdown of a long-term relationship, dealing with a debilitating medical condition, and having to move home, James felt lost and disconnected from the world around him. He says, “I felt like an alien on a planet that I had no business being on.” Having just finished playing drums on tour for Belfast shoegazers Virgins, with the swathes of fuzz and reverb still ringing in his ears, James took this influence and channelled his swirling emotions into a song. Written in the small hours of the morning, the music came together quickly, but the lyrics didn’t flow, and the song was shelved. Once Mucksavage was up and running, James met bassist Cleo, who became the song’s muse as they grew closer and eventually got together. Suddenly, things made sense.
The song opens with a tsunami of fuzz on guitar and bass, courtesy of Death By Audio pedals, while the kick and snare drive the song forward. The verses pull back, giving some breathing space as James intones, “I’ve been under the weather since I found out that the weather exists,” before the chorus kicks back in: “Stuck on a planet I don’t know.” Both sets of lyrics exemplify the isolation James felt at the time, resolving in the end with “I found someone like you, I found someone like Watto.” The Star Wars reference is entirely intentional. The signature Telecaster twang is balanced out by a gargantuan bottom end and a T-Rex-thumping kick drum. Vocal harmonies float under the chorus, leaning into the gazier end of their influences.
When it came time to record drums, bass, and guitar, the band turned once again to longtime collaborator and bandmate in Wynona Bleach, Jonny Woods. His Nineteen Eighty-Something Studios is a second home to the band. The musical vocabulary and trust between everyone involved allow the band to experiment, take things on board, and ultimately produce the best song possible. When it came time to record vocals, James and Cleo ensconced themselves on their sofa, recording under the dutiful eye of their cat Sadie, with Chris Coulter of Decimal Studios adding the final touches during mastering.
The artwork is by Mollie Browne, a Belfast-based artist and photographer. In this instance, she used acetone to distort her photography, resulting in an image that is equally beautiful and disturbing. The colour choices were intentional with blue denoting the track’s melancholy, while red and pink represent its more heartfelt elements.
The band has also chosen to release a secret Valentine’s Day B-side, Love Bomb. Written in an inebriated state on Christmas Eve, the song was conceived with the intention of coming out swinging during live shows. James says, “I had this concept floating around about taking the idea of ‘love bombing’ someone literally and writing from the viewpoint of someone so desperate to be in love that they’d go full Unabomber. If Watto is the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ phase of a relationship, then Love Bomb is the honeymoon phase.”