“Complexity is all we know,” jokes Shades vocalist Ziggy Paul when speaking to Joseph Dowey about the track titles on their ‘Lose Your Chains’ EP. Despite specifically referencing the Harry Potter nod on the otherwise macabre ‘You Can Keep Your Immortality, Herpo’ and French anarchist Clement Duval on ‘Duvaliant Thor’, complexity runs throughout the music created by the Newcastle post-hardcore five-piece.
Citing influences as broad as La Dispute and Elbow, whilst professing his debt to soul and Motown, Paul goes some way to describe the lyrically intense alternative rock emanating from their instruments. The unmistakable similarities to Reuben are ever-present, but the affinity to both poetry and post-hardcore outfits such as The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die has a defining effect on the sound.
“I think it’s my crush on poetry and literature in general that fuels the spoken word outbursts,” Paul offers as an explanation. “Like, I’d definitely say the craftsmanship of people like Bukowski and even Wilde has a hand in my work.”
On this three track EP, Shades use these lyrics to tackle serious issues. Despite the superficial reference to Harry Potter, the opening track speaks of depression and suicide. ‘Duvaliant Thor’ discusses class division in Britain, “and the working class who should be rallying against the tax frauds and corporate elitist wankers being split by the media via what are basically neo fascist groups,” Paul explains. The complexity spills into the lyrical content, as well as their hard-hitting sound. With the final track offering a light at the end of the dark tunnel formed by the previous two songs, ultimately ‘Lose Your Chains’ is about just that; self-affirmation.
Shades will be releasing ‘Lose Your Chains’ on iTunes and BandCamp on the 21st March 2015. They will be playing a launch show at The Head Of Steam in Newcastle on the 28th, before heading to Stockton Calling on the 4th April.
For more on Shades head to their official Facebook page.