Here at York Calling, I think it’s fair to say that we’re pretty big fans of 9 o’clock Nasty, having featured the genre-benders many times over the past couple of years. They’ve recently released a new tune called 5 foot 2, which sees the group going more towards their hip-hop sound, showing what their next album might sound like. The single isn’t due out until July 18th, but you can check out the band’s previous album Chaos below to see what you think!
By Jane Howkins
It’s been a few months since we last shared your music on these pages. How have you been since then? Has anything exciting happened that you’d like to share with us?
The whole experience of finishing and releasing Chaos and the film of the album was exhausting, and we were left a bit stunned by the whole thing. We run this project as independents, so all the admin and sales and everything are all done by the band. The album was really successful – we sold all the physical copies we made and it is still doing well with downloads.
We already had one song ‘ready’ for the next project – a rock-highway-parable called Perry Oklahoma, and we were all set to get back together and head off in a more garage rock inspired direction. However, we then got together after a few weeks break and started writing, and what came out was very, very different – we always say you have to follow the songs. So Perry Oklahoma is still waiting for a chance to be released sometime.
So yes, the excitement is definitely there with some new songs we absolutely love and plenty of rest!
You have a new single out soon titled 5 foot 2. What can you tell us about the track? Are you excited for the release?
Really fired up. The first song from a new album is always super-exciting as it sets the tone for the next few months as you find the right sonics, the right tone, the right feel for the body of work. 5 foot 2 is really stripped down and very very simple. It’s an absolute love song. Well it started as a love song, but then we started talking about this orangutan called Kenneth Allen, and the song sort of swerved. So it’s a song that twists love and affection with a desire to break barriers and tell a funny story. We often have two or three themes to a song, but in this one, they are very up front and obvious.
Oh and, for anyone that listens to the chorus, yes she is 5 foot 2, and she would certainly knock you out if we asked her to. But we wouldn’t because we do not believe violence is the answer.
5 foot 2 is actually set for release from your upcoming album, The Dirty South. When will the record be released and what can fans expect from the album?
The album will be a slow build. We have quite a few songs written and the lines are sketched in, but these things need to mature and grow as people react and ask questions. It will be more stripped down, as simple as we dare make it.
You also released a new album this year titled Chaos. What can you tell our readers about the record if they haven’t checked it out yet?
Chaos was all about heavy beats. We had found when we played live that we loved the way that grinding bass can make the room move. We fell in love with that and it ran through everything we made. We’ve really enjoyed layering sounds and building these monstrous songs and trying to ride that momentum and still tell a story at the same time. It is less punk and more dance and hip-hop (well punk is dead so that’s fine), and much less guitar driven.
The Dirty South is more, but with much more space.
How do you manage to stay so prolific as a band? Do you have day jobs or any side projects as well as working on your 9 o’clock Nasty music?
We get asked and I think it is down to a number of things. Firstly, we aren’t writing songs in a rehearsal room. We write in the studio. We build songs as we make them, perform, edit, mix and rewrite. That means very little time is spent on anything that isn’t dedicated to making the song. Secondly, we’re not relying on a single songwriter. We can throw ideas into the pot and let the others go with them. When we’ve been in bands in the past, ego has been important. We don’t have that problem, we sort of have a collective band ego, so we are unbearable as a group but really nice as individuals! We’re incredibly lucky as a unit.
Ultimately, if you put in the work, you write the music. Some days you work hard and nothing comes out that is any good, but you have to turn up. You can’t wait for the inspiration, you have to start and let the inspiration catch up.
We have day jobs of course, music isn’t a career anymore. Side hustles yes, there is a possibility of a couple of solo records called Brock and Pepper with some stuff that doesn’t really work for 9 o’clock Nasty. But we may just work on those songs as a band.
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon, either from Chaos or The Dirty South?
Yes. We’ve got the next two mixed and ready. The next one is a high octane techno banger called Check the Neck. We aren’t exaggerating. It exhausts us just listening to it. It’s an express earworm. After that is Same Ghost, which is a little more laid back and trip-hop influenced. But it’s us, so the rules get broken.
One of the things I’ve always loved about your music is the way you mix different genres together, including hip-hop, punk, funk, disco, rap and garage rock. Why did you decide to use so many different genres within your sound, and how has the general reception been? Do you think it makes it easier to stand out in the modern music industry?
Genres are an entirely made up thing. Well obviously! The song knows what it wants to be and you cut with the grain. We don’t sit down to write a ‘punk song’ – we get an idea we like and we mould and shape it into a final piece. We listen to music constantly. We talk about music nearly as much. So those influences and ideas just seep into every corner.
To write music you need to immerse yourself in it.
In truth, it would be easier to settle on one thing and allow people to feel comfortable with that. Pick a style and go with it. People like BBC Introducing don’t want to be surprised, they want predictability and safety. But there is a lot of pleasure in surprising people and even more in trying something out on them they may be resistant to and then winning them over. A lot of our live shows are an exercise in trying to push hard and then gradually entice people back in.
What have you been listening to recently that you can recommend to our readers if they like your music?One strong recommendation would be the Qwarks new album A Day In the Lift. They are an incredibly gifted band with a wicked sense of humour and their album is quintessentially English (which will annoy the Scottish band member no end), psychedelic and pure pop. It’s a delight. Musically, it is quite unlike 9 o’clock Nasty, but the strength of their song writing, narrative and world-view is so cool that if you listen you will be won over.
In Leicester there are so many bands we could champion, but my pick would be Bad Toaster, who are a jagged guitar menace – they walk a fine line between sometimes being wryly humorous and knowing, and then veering into really raw emotion that makes you pause and take stock. Their EP is called Burnt Offerings.
Are there any plans for a UK tour anytime soon?
It just isn’t economical for a band to do a tour – at least not at the level we operate at. We’re playing in Leicester a fair bit and at Wigfest this summer in Somerset, but beyond that it really is a question of finding a venue that is into what we do. We’ve enjoyed Brighton and London especially for shows and hope to do more. Anyone reading this, get in touch! Our rates are entirely reasonable and attention seekers need exposure.
Any last words for the fans?
We hope you like the single.
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