Description
What has UK ska darlings MEOW MEOWS been up to recently? Well, they’ve got a brand new 3 track 7” single called “FRIENDS ON BENEFITS” on JUMP UP RECORDS! Of course it’s a fantastic mix of 2 TONE ska and garage rock lead by a female vocal force, drawing comparisons to a wide range of artists like THE SKINTS, HOLLIE COOK, THE SELECTER, and DANCE HALL CRASHERS! But the origins of the title track is truly fascinating! Read on below!
In September 2014 the band was commissioned by FUEL to take part in the ‘MUSIC TO MOVE TO” project, where they wrote a new piece of music that was good for dancing to. Then professional choreographers would compose a new dance to the track! Under extreme time pressure our Brighton heroes wrote and recorded “FRIENDS ON BENEFITS” with PRINCE FATTY in under 2 week s – and we here at JUMP UP think it’s one of their best yet! As you would expect the song has an upbeat horn-driven sound with bittersweet lyrics – it riffs on the demonization of the welfare state whilst also poking a little fun here and there.
And boy were we surprised with the dance that was composed – it is very different to how people usually dance to ska music, but you could see that the choreographer Jamila Johnson-Small had thought about the themes expressed in the song. Honestly the dance is very colorful and visual – just like the band itself!! Check out the VIDEO and create some moves of your own!
But wait – there’s more! Two more new tunes await you MEOW MEOWS fans! “LONDON ROAD” is a fantastic 2-TONE gem with dark undertones, think of a cross between THE SPECIALS and HOLLIE COOK. It’s even got a fun prog/harpsichord breakdown! “TITS AND HATRED” is a frantic uptempo ska tune that definitely has roots in the Third Wave, but with a 60s keyboard flair that harkens back to the Medway garage sound (dare I say THE PRISONERS?). Enjoy! Vinyl is limited to 300 copies, get yours now!
