Philadelphia-based band The Margaret Hooligans are a fairly new rock and roll band on the scene, having released their expansive new single Our Museum of Failure recently. The band have a fairly busy year on the horizon, as they’re releasing a new single every month. Keep your eyes peeled for more from The Margaret Hooligans in the near future!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new song called Our Museum of Failure. What can you tell us about the track? What does the title mean?
When I think about the history of man up until this date, it seems like we don’t have a lot to celebrate. I believe our civilisation is on the decline, and the tropes and heroes we have looked to are being rightfully dismantled. The song is an exploration of that, but I think it is hopeful. Just because men have to redefine what it means to be a so-called man, doesn’t mean this isn’t an impossible task. You can hear that in the chorus, when I ask, “But who needs heroes like this?” Also, there was a stabbing at the British Museum while Strontium and I were in line to see some of the historical works that have been pillaged. So except for the vibrant ‘Africa’ section, the museum, to us, was a failure.
How has the reception to Our Museum of Failure been so far, and where can it be purchased?
Our Museum of Failure is available for digital download on our website, as well as on our Bandcamp site. You can purchase it also through iTunes, but of course we make less money on that!
The reception has been great so far – this is one of a few tough songs we have released where I wasn’t sure how people would react to it, because we are typically silly and use humour as a way of talking about serious things. This is just a straightforward serious song and so far the welcome has been great. We’ve been compared to the likes of The Clash, Ramones, Sex Pistols and Queen, and that’s great company.
It’s the first of eleven singles you plan to release over the next year. When is the next single due?
From our new album we have Revenge of the ScarJo up next on October 17th, another serious song that explores what it would be like if men were subject to the same kind of sexual harassment women commonly experience. We flew all the way to England to have our friends from the band 9 o’clock Nasty record the video with us, as well as record their video for Bird of Happiness, which came out last month – the video is amazing.
We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful opportunity in August to meet up with three bands whom we have been working with online in England. In addition to meeting the boys from Nasty, we also met up with The Qwarks, and recorded an EP one cheery afternoon. The first song, Monkey Nuts, from that collaboration will be released on October 13th. I am not quite sure what that song was about, mainly our delight that peanuts were called monkey nuts when we found them at Sainsbury.
What prompted the idea to release eleven singles in this time span? It’s very unique!
We just like to keep the ball rolling really. I guess Trump and Covid were powerful motivators to create music, and we’ve just kept going at it, just like how Covid and Convict Orange are still around tickling our collective anus. Also, having something new to promote constantly seems to annoy everyone we know, so we’re doing well.
The track is part of your fourth full-length album, which has also just come out! How has the reception been and what can you tell us about the record?
I have to correct you there. This track is part of our fourth album, but it’s not out. It will be released October 2024. We’ll be recording and completing our 6th album before the 4th is released. I guess we’re always behind, or ahead.
Anyway, our third full length album, Saturday Night in Bartertown, just came out this past July. Saturday Night has had some sleeper hits like My Dog Ringo, the lead track, which is about man’s love for his best friend, as well as I Won’t Speed Up, You Won’t Slow Down, which is about the difficulty of compromise. It really has a little something for everyone in there, a song about Meg’s love for donuts that she can’t eat because of her gluten intolerance, a starving Strontium fighting a dog for the last pizza crust, a Grateful Dead cover of New Speedway Boogie, a song about that time the stilt walkers disappeared in New Orleans’ Congo Square right before our very eyes and a bluesy powerhouse about neighborhood gentrification.
Your music has an punk/garage rock sound. What/who influences you most as artists? What have you been listening to recently?
First, I have to say, we are rarely trying to sound like anyone in particular. We might come up with a part of a song where we want a certain vibe and might have a band in mind, but when we come together, we are just doing our thing and this is how it sounds. We both like to play pretty fast and mid-tempo seems to be our enemy, so things are usually pretty driving because that’s the energy we create together.
I have bands I like to listen to for different reasons and the range of music we both like is pretty broad. We always say The Who, New Orleans soul music, Fiona Apple, the Grateful Dead and Lou Reed. But Strontium listens to a lot of world music that has interesting drums, which I think helps influence his drumming, and I like to belt out show tunes and St. Vincent songs when I cook dinner, which informs my singing. So there’s this weird mash up between the two of us, joined together by the fact that when Strontium comes up with such intricate rhythms, there is a limit to the subtlety I can create on the strings. I find that everything I’ve ever been mad about comes out the minute I sing into a microphone, so that’s how we’ve arrived at a garage punk sound.
Recently, I have been listening to our friends 9 o’clock Nasty quite a bit, going through their back catalogue. I have also been going through some early punk music like Television, The Slits, The Cramps, The Raincoats, Lou Reed, and of course, Ethiopian Jazz.
You’re based in Philadelphia. What is the local music scene like with you at the moment?
I wish I could tell you, but I rarely go out here. I think it’s good? That’s what I hear, but we are hermits who live in our basement and make music there. In a few years when my kid is in college, maybe we’ll venture out for ourselves and find out if the music scene has survived while we were busy raising her.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up this year?
We are planning to release another single from the fourth album, Alley Cat Stomp, in November and may even get out the second single we created with The Qwarks. But the real thrill will be driving out to Lancaster, PA for whoopie pies and flavorful turkey sticks.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Not until my daughter is old enough to be allowed in the venue. We had planned to play in Leicester and Brighton in August with Nasty and The Qwarks, but not a single venue would allow her in! She is often a part of our videos, and frequently adds back up vocals, and trumpet bits to our songs, we don’t want her to be excluded from our shows.
Any last words for the fans?
Listening to The Margaret Hooligans is like trying a new food: you may be disgusted at first, but after a few tries you’ll be addicted. Yes, the addiction will cause you to lose your job, your spouse, and the respect of your peers, but one must sacrifice for the music. Just take a look at that Coldplay singer, you know, Gwen Paltrow’s little brother. He could have been The King of Cod, opening Fish & Chips shops throughout the realm know as Cockfosters, but he loved crying into the microphone so much that he turned his back on the delights of Cod.
Honestly, we are so grateful to you for giving us a chance and listening to our music, thank you.