Nightshift break down their new album Homosapien track by track

Glasgow band Nightshift‘s 2021 debut album Zöe introduced them as a uniquely playful and creative post-punk group, taking a less direct or obvious approach to art-punk while retaining a hook-laden immediacy. Three years later, they’ve shuffled things around a bit; drummer Chris White now plays guitar, while they’ve brought in new drummer Rob Alexander into the fold, shaking up the dynamic while maintaining their stylistic idiosyncrasies.

The group’s new album Homosapien, out today via Trouble in Mind, picks up where Zöe left off, embracing minimalist post-jangle and hypnotic grooves while taking inspiration from artists that you might expect (The B-52’s) and some that you might not (Robyn). It’s a stellar second album, building on an already solid foundation and adding more depth while keeping their hooks and sense of humor intact.

The band’s Eothen Stearn and Andrew Doig broke down the inspirations and backgrounds behind the songs on Homosapien, from Brexit despair to YouTube tutorials. Read their commentary and hear the new album.

“Crystal Ball”

Eo: Have to say this idea came about through the despair of the aftermath of Brexit and going back to visit the seaside town surrounding the area I’m from in the south coast of England, an area that is inherently very Tory/conservative and voted to leave. This was one of the many to follow scary moves towards fascism. This ongoing idea that you believe there is progress but your idea of progress, community, acceptance, difference is not other people’s idea of progress and ultimately it is regression to darker years.

The song refers to the scary reality that many people feel to tighten border control and hostile fear of others. “Archaic seaside voting for the oppressor, you’ll never get the upper hand. Take my hand and understand.” The idea of bringing people in and not making them feel like no one cares about them. But also being angry that they aren’t able to accept anything but fascism.

The area I’m from is on the south coast of England, an area that is inherently very Tory/conservative. Glasgow is more left/socialist leaning. Fight around left and right and have recently been very inspired by Naomi Klein’s Doppelganer book talking about political diagonalism and how the jump from the left to the right is all warped.

I was thinking about how in austerity there can become this scarcity politics where marginalized groups also turn against one another. When they in fact have more in common under the same oppressive government than they realize. 

“Sure Look”

Eo: A love letter to yourself to take care of yourself but also a hopefully moment of calm. I believe the words came into my mind inspired by my current partner’s use of the phrase. It’s kind of untangling and calm. Again my ex playing on it marks a progression of time and the song has a nice groove and repetition.

“Together We Roll”

Andrew: “Together We Roll” is about feeling relieved that the band is always able to survive our various upheavals, there’s a family-like dynamic that helps us survive anything!

Eo: It’s more Doig’s song. I love playing it live. It has a B-52s-inspired key chord repeated and a kinda cool driving through the desert feel in my head. 

“SUV”

Eo: Another more silly song on the album. With my lover between me talking about bourgeoisie, polyamory and SUVs. “I live in a big house, insanity.” The idea of owning your house seems impossible to me and playful ethics around love, consumerism, values. Again people seem left leaning and layers can be peeled back behind that comfort being at what cost.  It’s kind of got a fantasy semi-erotic daydream vibe.

I’m not pro SUVs at all. There are loads in my neighborhood and they scare me!

“Your Good Self”

Eo: Again, self preservation but not in an individualist way. Mentions various emotions combined beauty/pain, laughter/decay. Someone said to me in passing “for your good self” and it just stuck.

“Cut”

Eo: Welfare cuts and heartbreak throughout Winter. The line “When you cut we bleed” is the slogan to the inspiring group Sisters Uncut, a British feminist direct action group that is opposed to cuts to UK government services for domestic violence victims. Recorded at a time when I was reflecting on the ongoing rage of Gender based violence for women and trans/nb folk.

The song is one of the slower songs on the album and has a bit of a medieval vibe. The chord progression is simple but it gets in as a deep cut. Rob’s tin whistle and accordion playing really make the song to me and chime his folk heritage which he and his family share. Such a lovely thing to be such a holistic musician, in the same way that Chris is playing guitar now.

“Side Effects”

Eo: Also around cuts. I work for a charity here in Glasgow, see people really struggling and are not given any dignity. From the right to work as someone who is an asylum seeker status etc. But also ideas around being ‘fit to work’ and everything linking to labor and capitalism production. Then also other kind of links to medication: the bridge features the warnings inside of a medication package that I found in our old practice space. Dosage/side effects ect. But then it kind of linked though blanketed medication as a use of not being overwhelmed or daring to feeling anything in late capitalism.

“Phone”

Eo: Kind of channeling Robyn with separating the words phonetically on her Honey album. Having my ex and former long term partner of 9 years play on the track with the two instruments singled out at the end like call and response felt important and like a phone call. Or like a reprise. Used to hear Ray play fiddle in the flat all the time so was a nice echo of that instrument presence and absence. Also has a bit of a chamber orchestra and the recent trend of putting more generic pop music to soloed out strings.

“YT Tutorial”

Eo: It is a silly track on the album. I find it a bit cringy but then that’s sometimes good to feel that with songs and it’s fun and fast to play and makes me laugh with the middle 8. I believe I was thinking about youtube tutorials and open source acquiring of skills online but also how many of the tutorials are by young teenagers. Bake, fake, fix, wax, max. Talking about millions and followers, kind of a saturation point with where we’re at with the extremity of poverty and millions. Think it was written at the time when I saw Elon Musk’s Starlink in my friend’s allotment and I had just had a week of witnessing very vulnerable people at work with the cost of living crisis. These kinds of extremities.

“Mellow Baby”

Andrew: “Mellow Baby” is about Chris’s little son Casper playing about in his living room and the positive but chaotic energy of that.

“Crush”

Eo: “Crush” is that feeling when you fancy someone and you don’t know what to do about it. Breakup renaissance when you are re-assessing who you are and what your values are. Crossroads.