Came together in a mirage of a band line up change and Covid-19 pandemic, the new EP from Scottish emo band HOMERUN is a great reminiscence of how after the poppy indie emo era of the 90s nothing really fresher or ground breaking happened in this particular youth culture. The organic production, heartfelt melodies, but also hitting vocal falsetto notes that could crack glass at times, add such a wonderful charm to the release, and we’re really pleased to give you the first hearing, along with the band’s extended commentary below.
EP II is out today digitally and on tape via Glasgow based Ripcord Records and serves a great treat for fans of: Tigers Jaw, Oso Oso, Pinegrove, The Promise Ring, Weezer, Braid and The Get Up Kid.
Comments the band: “Weโd recently been made a two piece; myself and drummer and founding member Rob; who, in the past few years opened up a studio and rehearsal space in our hometown called EFR Studios with a few other local musicians and engineers. This was basically our first grab to take advantage of that. This is our first true DIY effort, from mic set up to mastering, we wanted this project to be ours and ours alone, which this naturally came with a lot of trial and error. ”
“But we made sure to do our due diligence take the time to go back and re-record stuff that didnโt sound right.” – they continue. “We tried to approach this with a degree of humility and not expect too much from ourselves, in return weโve produced something that both of us are really happy with. Weโre super stoked to refine what weโve learned (and un-learned) for the next release. This EP consists of new re-recorded versions of two tracks weโd released previously as part of our โHeartworksโ compilation last year (Tracks 4 and 5) and three new tracks that were also written last year. I feel like these tunes stay true to our mission statement; short, simple songs and sad lyrics. Happy songs about being bummed out.”
This record is being released by our pals Ripcord Records on tape on the 30th of October.
“Charlene from Ripcord has been super helpful and awesome to work with and we are super grateful. Everything from this EP was recorded by us between EFR Studios and our respective homes during tighter lockdown restrictions. Rob was responsible for the majority of the editing, mixing and mastering. Weโre really happy with how it sounds.”
Asked for more details behind their story, the band offered the following: “Personally, this band was basically therapy for me in the beginning. I had just returned from a prolonged period abroad that was fraught with heartbreak, depression and some pretty intense self-reflection. Iโd always wanted to be in an emo band and this felt like a perfect opportunity to start writing some sad songs after playing in heavier bands (Gay Panic Defence, Black Mirror) for a while. After a few jams I realised I was really into playing this music and writing in this style. Weโve been through a couple of line-up changes but myself and Rob remain the core members, weโve been playing music together since we were 14 years old, so thereโs an unbreakable bond there. As for the future, weโre as certain as anyone else. If and when itโs safe, getting a band together and touring is our priority. ”
๐น๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ค๐, ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ โ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐กโ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก.
“Unfortunately, given the circumstances, itโs been even quieter than usual.” – reports HOMERUN. “Pre-covid, there were monthly โAuld Kirk Collectiveโ shows at The Wheatsheaf Inn, the closest thing our town has to a venue; with bands travelling from across the country to play in the tiny cramped room. Itโs a super fun night and 100% of profits always go to charities. Highlights from those shows have been; Get It Together, Endless Swarm, Gendo Ikari, Bratakus and Big Cloud. Me and my bandmates from my other band Gay Panic Defence also put on shows here and in Glasgow under the name โNothingbutdirtโ. But yeah, times are tough.”
Track by track breakdown:
Apart
This song definitely takes a softer, slower approach in the immediate half; which we thought was a nice way to start the EP. We liked the idea of this song lulling you in with a very straight forward and soft first verse and then for time change in the chorus to jar you a little; then its pretty much foot to the floor for the rest of the track. This release saw us experimenting with a couple of new instruments; you can hear lap steel throughout this song and on โFocusโ. Iโm a not-so-closet country fan and have always adored the sound of the lap steel. Iโm so stoked to have finally snuck it into a release. The lyrics are about the relief of having someone else in a pretty dark time; when it feels like you’re at your most lonely and someone; be it a friend or a family member, lifts you up and brings you back to life a bit; just by being there.
Focus
Focus is a short and sweet emo tune; possibly the most fundamental song on the release. We used keyboards for the first time while recording this EP, which you can hear throughout this track. Itโs amazing what a simple keyboard track can do to lift a song or a mix. In true corny style; I wrote it as a kind of letter to myself; as a kind of long hard look in the mirror. I guess its about self care, self improvement, keeping in touch with yourself, reassuring yourself and not getting too bummed out.
Symmetry
Symmetry is definitely the beating heart of this EP; โthe bangerโ if you like. We went for a really grungy solo in this one; that lovely neck pick up sound we got from a beautiful 70s Ibanez โLes Paulโ style guitar that I own. The lyrics are about time spent in a beautiful, vibrant place and feeling unable to participate in any of it. Feeling kind of trapped but surrounded by beauty; frustration I guess is a good word to sum it up.
Green
We originally released Green as a live version on our compilation โHeartworksโ that we released last year, weโve also played it at a few shows so weโve had this one in the pipe line for a while. It feels so good to finally get a studio version out there. This one for me sonically was all about that crunchy almost Weezer-esque crunchy guitar tone. Another pretty simple song with simple hooks. I guess this ones about being stoned and paranoid.
Summer
Again, we originally released this as a stripped back acoustic tune last Christmas time as a charity single for a local food bank. People have described this one as our โpoppyโ song; which weโre fine with; all about those hooks. The lyrics to this weโre written at quite a transitional stage in my life; so they kind of just reflect that. Moving onto new things, trying not to carry too much baggage from old experiences. I guess itโs essentially about change.
Extra: top records of 2019 & 2020:
Lomelda – Hannah (2020)
Nothing Clean / Exorbitant Prices Must Diminish – Split (2020)
Live Free – Get it Together (2019)
New Music – Another Michael (2020)
2020 – Richard Dawson (2019)
Shore – Fleet Foxes (2020)
“Other than that Iโve been listening to a lot of Big Thief and Steely Dan during lockdown. Steely Dan are now my favourite band. Every other band is substandard by comparison.” – concludes
