Over the past decade, we’ve seen a plethora of great independent artists crafting a brand of emotional, multi-style post hardcore music that has come off earnest, inventive, compelling, and often underrated adepts. With their debut EP “JOY”, Glasgow, Scotland’s ANTIGUO join the pantheon of impressive offerings that plugged their smooth, elegant style into the modern world of post hardcore. Today, we’re welcoming them to our thick portfolio of IDIOTEQ-featured artists and giving you a chance to hear their new song ‘The Altar’, a fine, atmospheric and emotionally evocative example of their exploration ‘in between’ the genres and moods. Listen below and scroll down to see the full track-by-track rundown, explaining the concepts behind all the tracks on the EP.
Here’s what the band had to say about their first proper release:
These 6 songs represent our first output as a band and they encompass and allude to our varied influences and musical backgrounds. Having spent most of our individual musical careers to this point in the culture of “hardcore” and indeed “DIY” playing in bands such as Departures, Bear Arms & Swordmaster (UK), ANTIGUO sees us become bold enough to wear our most enduring musical influences on our sleeves. The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode and other luminaries which have been ever-presents through our musical and personal lives are just as responsible for shaping what Antiguo does as more contemporary references such as Pianos Become The Teeth, Touche Amore and Balance and Composure.
ANTIGUO is: Bobby Simpson- Guitar & Vocals; Danny Nash – Guitar; Darren Scobie – Bass & Vocals; Dean Louden – Drums. JOY was written and performed by Antiguo, recorded and mixed by Lewis Glass at Glassworks Studio Recording in Glasgow’s Southside and mastered by Ed Woods. The band is currently working on and recording demos for a full-length album which they expect to have written and ideally recorded this year.
1. Black Glitter
(Bobby): Black Glitter is about a relationship I was in just before the time of writing the song, one which came from unlikely and challenging circumstances but had an extremely unexpected positive effect on me and brought me a lot of happiness, at what had previously been a fairly tempestuous, chaotic and uncertain period of my life. The title itself refers to a small and very black in colour puppy/ dog I spent a lot of time with as part and parcel of this relationship, the memories of whom bring me the same happiness spending time with him did.
2. The Altar (streaming above)
(Bobby): One of the things I became most acutely aware of as I moved through my late twenties and remains now was that I maybe wouldn’t be able to do everything I’d always thought I’d do “some day”. People talk about fear of death, but I guess what’s scarier is that life will roar on past while you wait for some notion or desire you have to come your way. The Altar is the habits you get stuck in and the things you mistakenly see as important and invest yourself in, all of which can collapse and crumble in a fraction of the time it takes you to build them up.
3. Collapsing
(Darren) The song’s lyrics are mainly just me worrying about getting older, really. The days seem to pass quicker the older you get, and I worry that I’m wasting what little time I have. I could have used my time better when I was younger. There are relationships I could have fixed and mistakes I could have corrected but I just neglected them, thinking I had all the time in the world. I could have made people feel better or even bettered myself but I just didn’t bother. When eventually I did try and do something about these things, invariably it was too little too late.
4. Kibitka
(Bobby) The first song I wrote for Antiguo, Kibitka is about my relationship with alcohol and drugs and how in the past I’ve used them as excuses for my own hurtful, inconsiderate, thoughtless and selfish behaviour. It’s a song of regret for treating people badly and a reminder to myself to strive for better.
5. Salt Water
(Dean) This song was originally called “Totem” and is about something you hold on to, to keep you grounded, at times when you feel lost. Could be a memory of a loved one, a particular place, somewhere you used to live, or some combination or circumstance thereof.
6. A Slow Counter
(Bobby) This song is, on the surface, about recounting situations, conversations and arguments after the fact and thinking of the perfect retort a little too late. It’s about when you have something to convey but can’t force it out in the right way, or at the right time, and thus can’t change your own situation or the situation you share with others, despite sensing that you’re on a sinking ship. It’s about striving for progress in the face of reactionary conservative thought, the powerlessness and impotence, the fury and indignation of not being listened to and watching what you advised against play out badly…
