Arrows of Love
Believing everything you are fed by government and the mainstream media can be problematic for some. East London’s explosive post-punk quintet Arrows of Love came across such an entity with their experience of a close friend’s addiction to internet theorists.
This prompted the band to write their brand new single ‘Conspiracy Podcast’, a track that is scheduled for release via Strong Island Recordings on December 10th available on 250 slabs of very limited edition handcrafted vinyl, CD and select digital music channels mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac.
The chaotic track, which is a frenzied melting pot of gritty baselines and stabbing guitars, fuelled by a vocal tale of the unexpected, tells the story of a girl who became a disciple of an online conspiracy theorist. Pulled deeper and deeper into his weekly podcasts, she became an unquestioning devotee of his radical sermons, relentlessly preaching his views to all she met, and losing her previous optimistic will for change to a doomed perception of everything around her.
"It got to the stage where she was saying that buildings were evil, pointing up at aeroplanes shouting that we were being sprayed with poison, and raging at anyone who tried to have a conversation about any of it", says singer/guitarist Nima Teranchi.
But while the verses recount the tale with a healthy dose of scepticism, the choruses take the perspective of the person sat at the computer screen, eyes wide open, absorbing overwhelming possibilities, feeling surrounded, panicked, powerless, and coming to the conclusion that if we do nothing, if we don’t ‘conspire’, then every inch of freedom will slowly be taken from us.
"While as individuals we do feel distrust towards the authorities, their motivations, their secrets, and the gutter-dragging of anything anti-establishment with the term ‘conspiracy theory’, it doesn’t mean people should believe everything they hear or read without question.
"In the same way you wouldn’t believe the government or media without question. This stuff can really fuck with your head. And some of the people preaching it are more into their ego and self-image as our new age messiahs, than actually giving a shit if people are losing their minds over it."
So the listener can make their own mind up whether they hear a large dose of scepticism, or an embedded call to arms, but the fact that the band spent Guy Fawkes night spraying the CDs for the forthcoming release with a symbol reminiscent of the Eye of Horus seems quite fitting.
This new, detonative tune is followed by a b-side recorded after a failed trip to a recent over-ticketed 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster show. In the queue they decided to walk back home and title whatever they recorded as the '80’s Matchbox B-Side Disaster'.
This very raw, lo-beat track is fronted by the subtle tones of Nima’s female counterpart Lyndsey Critchley, whose breathy vocal over bass closes another stunning Arrows of Love single release.
The single will be released as a limited edition run of 250 handcrafted 7" vinyl records via Strong Island Recordings. Look out for the band playing at the following live shows:
Live Shows:
Dec 4 - Glasgow - King Tuts
Dec 5 - Inverness - Madhatters
Dec 6 - Birmingham - Hare and Hounds
Dec 11 - Portsmouth - 4pm - Pie and Vinyl (Instore Acoustic show)
Dec 11 - Portsmouth - Edge of The Wedge
Dec 12 - Brighton - Blind Tiger Club
Dec 15 - London - The New Empowering Church - w/ BOXED IN (live) and TOY (dj)
Dec 18 - London - Old Blue Last - Artrocker Magazine Party (w DINGUS KHAN)