Trashbag Release Visceral Debut Single ‘My White Van’ (Irish Punk Rock)
Trashbag release blistering debut single ‘My White Van’
A visceral blend of noise rock and post-punk, the band establish themselves as ones to watch.
‘My White Van’ – Out June 25th
A volatile blend of visceral noise rock and post-punk, Trashbag are releasing their blistering debut single ‘My White Van’. The two piece comprised of Zap Dickson (bass, vocals, harmonica) and Pijus Furmaniukas (drums, vocals) make a sound that seems incapable of being produced by only two people. Zap has a specific set up, utilising a massive range of pedals, a Bass VI and splitting the signal across various amps, allowing them to cover more sonic territory than your usual two piece. Trashbag are not another White Stripes or Royal Blood rip off, having spent time playing in numerous bands together or standing in for each other in various bands, the pair decided to strip it all back and see what they could come up with. The result is the pummelling debut single ‘My White Van’, which sounds like Idles and Primus colliding with each other. Over the course of 2 and a half minutes the band establish themselves as ones to watch as they tear through and unrelenting slab of noisy post punk.
Trashbag – My White Van (Spotify Link)
ABOUT TRASHBAG
Having spent years playing with each other in various bands and projects or standing in for each other Zap and Pijus made the decision to strip things back and form a band themselves. An instant chemistry between the two from years of playing resulted in a flurry of writing and the band was born. Trashbag is based around a philosophy of fun and not taking themselves too serious. In this the pair found freedom to explore new ideas and sounds, pulling from a wide range of influences including punk, funk, prog and metal. When writing the pair are conscious to set ego aside, focusing on the chemistry between them and letting the music go where it may. Locked in the practice room the pair jam out ideas, preferring to keep the writing process spontaneous and fun. Working quickly keeps the song writing fresh and exciting, capturing lightning in a bottle and being careful not to over work the song.
ABOUT “MY WHITE VAN”
Having already started building a reputation for themselves as a formidable live force on Dublin’s live music scene, when it came time for the band to have their flag in the moon moment it was ‘My White Van’ they choose to mark the occasion with. ‘My White Van’ does not sound like a debut single, it is the sound of a band confident in their sound, who are they and where they want to go. Taking a DIY approach to the recording process the band decamped to a warehouse in Cavan to help produce the massive drum sound we hear on the song. Digging deep into their microphone collection the band used 14 mics on the drums alone, employing a mixture of close mics and mics scattered through the space to blend together. Later they moved to Dublin to record vocals and multiple layers of bass through a multitude of pedals.
The song opens with a brief sample declaring ‘It’s all powered by diesel, baby!’ It is the starting pistol that sets the band off. A gargantuan sounding four on the floor kick and snare from Pijus have the listener instantly locked in. Before the band turn on a dime into a seasick disco groove, an undeniable swing that the band describe as ‘hillbilly groove’. Zap’s bass sounds industrial an unrelenting grind pushing against the drums as the song acts on two rhythmic counter points. The lyrics further add to the maniacal unhinged nature of the track, ‘Mama said don’t talk to strangers, don’t accept no free candy/Papa is warning me of all these creeps, but everyone is so friendly’ is skin crawling creepy. Recalling the provocative sounds of the Amphetamine Reptile bands of the 80’s and 90’s. The band say lyrics and vocals are an afterthought, ‘we are a drummer and a bass player at heart, what can you expect.’ But here they seem to punctate the unease of track, like Pennywise is fronting a rock band.
Turning to their friend Echo for the artwork, the band were keen to keep the aesthetic reflective of the attitude. Echo captured this perfectly in a scene that might be taken from a darker universes Beano or Dandy, with creeps dishing out candy from a white van.
TRASHBAG – MY WHITE VAN
Two piece bands have nowhere to hide, so often with this formation of bands we find them retreat back to a gimmick or aesthetic. This is not the case with Trashbag, nothing here feels minimalistic or stripped back, it feels maximalist, in your face and unapologetic. Their debut single feels and sounds confident, not a band still searching for their sound, but already deeply entrenched in it. There are swathes of Primus, Idles, Mr Bungle and Metz, but Trashbag come out always sounding exactly like themselves. With ‘My White Van’ the band announce their arrival with a singular voice on the Irish music scene.
