MONDAY MORNING MUSICAL MAYHEM - featuring Modern Shakes
New interviews from people in the music scene every Monday, every week, every month!
Welcome to Monday Morning Musical Mayhem: an online series that focuses on musicians, bands, artists, and whoever else in the musical industry that reaches out to us! The goal is help spread the word about people doing rad stuff in the music world! Are you doing rad stuff? Email us at brutalrealitydigest@gmail.com to be featured! xoxoxo
Oh look it's August. Things are sleepy in BRD land and this segment will be taking a breather for at least the month of August. Gotta get off the computer and out into the world! Until then, enjoy this chat with British punkers Modern Shakes!
BRUTAL REALITY: Introduce yourself, your band, and weapon of choice.
MODERN SHAKES: Hey. We're Modern Shakes, a London based band that likes to play a little bit of Punk Rock. None of us own a leather jacket or a mohawk, but I think we still fall under the Punk Rock umbrella.
Ian Crook - Guitar/Vox
Dan Conant - Drums/Backing Vox
Ian Brown - Guitar
Matt Scarlet - Bass
BRD: What's happening in London these days?
MS: As of the last year not much has been happening around London besides the odd illegal rave under a bridge. We kicked off lockdown with a few live steams. Booze Cruise Festival we're kind enough to invite us to play which was somewhat unexpected, but a great experience all round. As a band we've not played together in over a year now, but have been busy writing and demoing new music ready for a full length next year.
BRD: What is the origin story of the band?
MS: The band began as a 3 piece in late 2017 and recorded our first EP Murmur in 2018, followed by Someday One Day in 2020. Ian (Crook) and Dan met in a past life and decided to start playing music together, recruiting Ian (Brown) and Matt along the way. This current line up has only actually played live together once. Pre lockdown we had a batch of shows lined up for the EP release that were sadly cancelled.
BRD: Where's the furthest from home the band has played?
MS: Hastings. So not too far. Hopefully we can change that in 2022.
BRD: Would you rather play a show in space or at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean?
MS: Space, and hopefully Tom Delonge would be in attendance.
BRD: You've recently dropped a record on cassette. What is something from the past you'd like to see make a comeback?
MS: Physical music in general. It easy to understand the importance of the modern methods of digesting music, and that people like to not clutter up their bedroom with hundreds of Cd's, but having that piece of music in your hand is so much more relevant than a free stream or a download that you eventually lose. Maybe its just nostalgia (or being old), but a physical copy comes attached with some great memories that you can attach to specific times in your life, like having a CD in your car for 4 months that you listen to everyday, or buying it a show, or a random purchase just because you like the artwork. Also, its the best way to support a band you like.
BRD: What was the best show you watched during quarantine?
Ian C: Ways Away - Booze Cruise Streams
Dan: I’ve not caught many live streams other than the Booze Cruise, but I’ve really enjoyed all the supergroup covers the Two Minutes to Late Night guys have been putting out, and as always the NPR Tiny desk sessions since they switch venues to artists “homes”.
Ian B: I really enjoyed the Dropkick Murphys live stream from Fenway Park Boston, it was early days of lockdown at a time most countries were in some form of lockdown and this was the first full band stream in saw.
Matt: I was checking out the Booze Cruise streams and there were some fantastic bands playing that one. Otherwise, I managed to sneak in a "socially distanced" outing to see Jamie Lenman at the New Cross Inn, that was a banger.
BRD: If Modern Shakes was to play on a rooftop like the Beatles, which business would you rock upon?
Ian C: We'd play on top of Arch Studios. This is where we jam weekly, but hopefully it'll smell a little nicer on the roof.
Ian B: I'd like to do somewhere ridiculous like the shard, Buckingham Palace or St Paul's cathedral although practicality would be a constraining factor I'll settle for Arch.
Matt: Pretty sure the rooftop of Arch is the district tube line rails? Maybe we should stick to somewhere safer.
BRD: What is your least favourite song of all time?
Ian C: Good Charlotte in general.
Dan: That’s a tricky one, because often awful music can have some redeeming factors, even if it’s just the production. But I’ll go with crazy frog, whoever thought that ruining perfectly good songs with that annoying bastard was a good idea should be severely punished.
Ian B: Those family party type songs that come with cringe worthy dance moves - you know.. oops up side your head, macarena, cha cha slide etc theres always one family member with 0/10 rhythm about half a move behind everyone else awkwardly trying to catch up ...the conga.
Matt: Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. Otherwise, anything by Less Than Jake.
BRD: Tell us about your plans for the rest of 2021 and beyond.
MS: I think we'll lay low for the rest of this year working on new songs in the practice space. Then unleash the record of the year in 2022.