London’s indie newcomers, Flat Party, have burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut EP, a masterful mix of jagged art-rock with melodic sixties pop. Overall, it’s a testament to their many influences, ranging from The Beatles to MGMT.
Formed in 2019 at Bath Spa University by Jack and Rory, Flat Party quickly evolved from a creative partnership into a fiery six-piece. The boys have kindly broken down each song from the new record…
I’m Bored, Give Me Love
Jack: “The inspiration for ‘I’m Bored’ came about when we were all still at university, and I was down in Brighton visiting friends (possibly for pride). Around this time, I was dealing with my first breakup and drinking a lot and I fancied a bartender at one of the pubs we were at. I was also completely clueless as to what to do with this feeling, so I just kept getting more drunk and that was basically my night.
“Musically the song came about very quickly, I must’ve written it in about twenty-minutes or so, which is probably the reason it turned out pretty loose and scrappy. It’s really not that deep, it’s just a horny song for horny people.”
Not Changing
Jack: “Lyrically it is an evaluation of a relationship through the lens of existentialism. I read somewhere that John Lennon used to refer to existentialists as “exis” so I added that into the chorus. The line in the middle-eight was initially written as a placeholder, but we found it really funny, so we decided to leave it in. I think it lifts the mood a bit considering the rest of the song.”
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Glances In The Dark
Rory: “‘Glances In The Dark’ began as an old demo from ages ago that I stumbled upon earlier this year. It originally sounded too much like a Sonic Youth B-side – faster, heavier and less nuanced than it is now. During a creative lull, I decided to revisit it, drawing a lot of inspiration from Alex G. However, as we started playing it live, ‘Glances’ took on a sound that’s now distinctly ours.”
Jack: “It’s a song about betrayal and lovelessness. The imagery throughout the lyrics was heavily inspired by the work of [Hong Kong film director and screenwriter] Wong Kar-wai.”
Aching For Living
Jack: “This song was written immediately after I finished university when I had to move back to my hometown because I couldn’t afford to go anywhere else. The inspiration for the title came after I had spoken to my Dad about feeling very stagnant and he said it was because I was “existing, not living”.
“I was trying to read James Joyce at the time (hence the reference) and was really just quite depressed which must have informed the bleak humour of the lyrics. Musically, I was listening to a lot of Pavement at the time, so I was trying to replicate that style of guitar music. The original demo was pretty rudimentary, it didn’t really become anything of worth until we worked on it in the studio.”
Hindsight
Jack: “The lyrics for this came just after the first lockdown, which inspired the anger behind the end passage. There’s a lot to unpack with the rest of the song, but its ultimately about frustration, especially at the attitudes that are commonly directed to our generation about the state of the world and how “ungrateful” we are.”
Rory: “Musically, it was a song that seemingly materialised out of nowhere. Once the chords were recorded, the rest just flowed effortlessly – which doesn’t happen too often. I shared it with Jack, who then helped craft the big grandiose ending.”
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