Irked have emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in the UK DIY punk scene, forged from years of friendship, shared stages and overlapping projects across the North East. With members previously involved in acts such as Tough Tits and Frankie & The Heartstrings, the band bring together a wealth of experience, humour and attitude into a tightly wound, high-energy sound. Scott Hays caught up with the band to discuss their DIY approach and their new album.
You’ve all been pillars of the UK DIY scene in various projects. How did bringing those very different musical “DNA” strands together result in the specific, snarling sound of Irked?
We’ve all been playing in bands and putting on gigs as individuals, and sometimes together, for years and know the craic. But more than that, we’ve been pals for over a decade, so we know each other’s craic. We know and respect each other, have similar views, interests and irks. Maybe that comes across in our sound.
Your music is often described as having a dose of Northern humour. How important is it for you to maintain that wit while tackling heavy political and social themes?
Hells’ lyrics do often talk about social politics, frustrations in the world and daily life, but are also very personal. I’m always impressed by how honest yet relatable they are. We want to write music that’s fun, but hopefully has substance and is real. The reality is life is daft, work is daft, politics is daft, and being in a band is daft too.
Your music feels incredibly urgent and high-velocity. Does the songwriting process usually start with that frantic energy in the room? Or are the songs written in a more sedate setting?
Songs tend to come together pretty quickly, which I suppose adds to the urgency. A couple were written around the time of our first EP, but weren’t quite ready for recording. The rest were written during the Glasshouse Summer Residency, where we basically locked ourselves in a room for a week and threw out as many ideas as possible to see what stuck. Usually me (Mike) or Hub will come in with an idea, maybe a riff or sometimes a full arrangement, which we then bash around together. While we’re playing, Hells is scribbling down lyrics, and by the end of practice, we’ve pretty much got a song. We then play them live as much as possible, where they take on a life of their own.
And finally, what was your intent and ethos behind the writing of your debut album ‘The Grievance’? If you were going to describe the album to someone, what three words would you use?
The intent is to play the music we love with the people we love and share it with whoever’s daft enough to listen. In three words: Snotty, noisy, punk.
You can listen to ‘The Grievance’ on all major streaming platforms later this month.
