Ever since The Mules hit Gigwise between the eyes with there debut double A-side single 'Polly O/ Misprint' in late 2005 we've been eager to hear more from the Oxford based five piece. Their music has been pigeonholed as 'Electrobilly', Gigwise thinks its just plain brilliant. So, how happy were we when after their gig recently at Brixton's Windmill the band sat down with us to discuss their debut long player 'Save Your Face' and even give an exclusive sneak preview? Very happy, thats how much!
“It will bring you the funk!” enthuses drummer Ed Seed (corkscrew curls, loud shirt), slamming his fist on the table almost as hard as he was hammering the skins only moments before. And he’s not talking about his Middlesborough FC garb. Relighting his Golden Virginia, the multi-instrumented lead man says of The Mules’ debut record, “It’s an album in the way that people don’t make albums any more.” The quintet has just played a blinder of a set, kicking off a barn dance style shindig on this day of St George but if pianist Tim Burke (Viking beard, not so loud shirt) has anything to do with it, they aren’t going to let worn-out oneliners sell themselves short in this impromptu interview. “The record’s in three distinct parts”, he beams. “The first part drives very hard, the second is uneasy and guilty and the third winds up and drives really hard.”
Owing to the plethora of additional instruments they draw on: piano, fiddle, harmonica and banjo, The Mules have created a rambunctious, country-influenced sound inflected with scuzz, jump and jerk that’s truly their own. And this more or less explains the quirky reasoning behind their name: “We’re called ‘The Mules’ cos we’re all knees and elbows”, says Ed. “Our music’s awkwardly funky”, chimes in Tim, “the record’s 15 songs in 37 minutes; a dynamic, uneasy delight”.
When mentioning influences, the usual names are dropped: Costello, The Band, Dylan, The Fall and indeed, when The Mules started out they were a beefed up eight member outfit “like a fucking orchestra”, decries Ed but the 2006 get up has slimmed down and punked up, delivering the unique ‘electrobilly’ sound. “Come on, we’ll show you more of what we mean!” They’re totally up for it and with that we ditch our plans to watch the rest of The Ludes’ set off to meet Jennifer.
Tim: “Michelle, this is Jennifer.”
The excitement at an exclusive listen to the debut LP of one of 2006’s breakthrough bands means we say hi back. To a car. We climb in and Ed reaches for his tan-coloured briefcase and whips out the “only copy in the land” of ‘Save Your Face’, recorded in Jersey last September and due for release July 3 via Organ Grinder Records. “Fuck is it even gonna play off a rewritable CD?!” agonises Tim but thankfully it does. “This track drives very hard”, he says as he tells Ed to play debut single ‘Polly O’ (they’re liking this description), as does forthcoming single ‘Here To Help’, out in May. ‘Live Feed’ is their favourite song from the "uneasy and guilty" section and ‘Misprint’ from the final section of the album, released on the double-A side in December, gets the thumbs up from Gigwise too.
If you believe the current crop of guitar bands seems all too lacklustre, you’ve either been living in a cave (improbable) or you haven’t heard The Mules (probable). And if their mish-mash of quasi-haphazard electrobilly won’t give you a kick up the ass, nothing will. Yeehaw!
Written by Michelle Connolly for www.gigwise.com, May 2006. |
