Mucksavage Release Cathartic Spikey Indie Single ‘Dirty Chin’ (Irish Alt Rock/Indie)
After a quick check on Urban Dictionary mucksavage is ‘someone unfamiliar with urban life.’ James decided that Mucksavage would be the perfect name for releasing the disenfranchised songs he had been crafting over the past few years. James Foy is the founder, writer, engineer, singer, and guitarist of the band, whose own life shapes, steers, and informs their music. Drawing influences from spiky indie masters like Pixies to the undisputed kings and queens of pop, ABBA, the band’s debut single, “Dirty Chin,” reflects this range. Written by James as a subconscious way to process the grief of losing his uncle, he was careful to keep the song from being drenched in sadness, instead aiming for a hopeful tone. This is all woven into a rich sonic tapestry, featuring gnarly fuzz bass, torn-speaker guitars juxtaposed with delicate acoustic picking, and driven by Albini-esque drums.
To bring the project to life, James has surrounded himself with some of his favourite local musicians, Caolan McAuley joins him on guitar, Cleo Collyer-Greer plays bass, and Aidan Rols completes the lineup on drums.
The band’s writing process often begins in James and Cleo’s attic studio, where they bounce ideas off each other before introducing them to the rest of the band, allowing each member to add their unique voice to the sound. However, “Dirty Chin” is an exception, written long before the band, as it exists today, was formed.
After receiving the call that his uncle had passed away, James picked up his pockmarked Telecaster and, almost as if the song were being given to him, started writing the chords and lyrics. This initial burst of creativity became a way to deal with the grief, and the song evolved into a vessel for channelling those feelings. The track leaps to life with a gnarled fuzz bass adding considerable heft to the pretty melody line. The verses pull back to give space for the vocals, while multiple layers of guitars; picky acoustic nuance, surfy reverbs, and dying fuzz squeals, add ear candy to the track. “Dirty Chin” was the nickname given to James’ uncle, and he addresses him directly from the outset. It’s emotional, heartfelt, and clearly cathartic, but it always feels like there’s an inside joke between the two that we aren’t privy to.
Lyrically, the track explores all the things left unsaid. Given the passage of time between the song’s inception and completion, the lyrics take on their own grieving process: “It’s been a year, don’t feel like nothing’s changed.” The choruses are massive and to the point, not wasting a second of the song’s 2:45 runtime. James’ vocals sound great layered on top of each other, and his decision to sing in his own accent reflects the band’s commitment to authenticity, a sentiment they hold tightly.
James turned to his bandmate and longtime collaborator, Jonny Woods, for help in capturing the essence of the song at his 1980 Something Studios. Building upon the initial parts from James’ demo, adding new drums and bass tracks, the song grew bigger than the sum of its parts.
The video, shot by Eoin Bannon, was developed in collaboration with the band to reflect the song’s theme, with grief personified by the red balloons. Its poignancy is heightened by the fact that it was filmed entirely in James’ uncle’s house.
In keeping with the DIY and personal nature of the project, James created the artwork himself, scanning an old picture of his uncle Alex and adding inter-dimensional elements that tie back to the song’s lyrics: “I find myself staring into space.”
The debut release from Mucksavage is an emotional one, offering insight into a band for whom truth, authenticity, and emotion are at the core. A plethora of sonic elements provide the band with a colourful palette as they continue to forge their sound, which, like grief, constantly changes and evolves.