EP REVIEW: BARE KNUCKLE PARADE- ‘Iron Lungs’ EP (2014)

the west’s awake!!  

whiskey, beards and shouting as loudly as possible!

We are not blessed with a multitude of celtic bands over this way so when one pops up we tend to get a bit over excited and thats a understatement about how I was when I was advised to check out Bare Knuckle Parade. Hailing from the cobbled streets of Bath these five boys are a welcome addition to the roster of celt-punk bands in England. Sure Bath may make you think of Mumford And Sons but these boys are a million miles away from the safe folk pop of Eton’s favourite band. Here’s five musicians who share a love of ‘sing until your jaw is broken’ drinking songs. A rollicking and raucous EP of five tracks of just under twenty minutes of great english celtic-folk-punk.

this reviews going in a different road from usual so here’s Bare Knuckle Parade themselves to tell you about each of the songs on the EP and what inspired them.

VULTURES- This was our response to the recession in the UK and the stories that have arisen since it happened. Aside from venting our frustration, we were keen to make it relatable and anthemic, with the vultures picking the bones of society as the central metaphor. Big guitars, group vocals, Celtic banjo and accordion licks provide the backdrop to the rough and ready opening track. For us, it’s not about banging a drum or pointing fingers, just commenting on the world in a way that feels right to us.

STAR OF DUNDEE- Our opening single that was played by Dermot O’ Leary on his Radio 2 show. We’re closing our gigs with it at the moment. It came together really quickly, just a couple of guys spitballing ideas over a scotch. It’s a very simple, straight forward rocker about a man giving his all to something he loves, and not getting a great deal in return. This song was a catalyst for us, something that made us sit down and think ‘we might actually be on to something here.’

IRON LUNGS- The ballad of this particular group of songs. Like most of our stuff Iron Lungs doesn’t sit on it’s haunches, it’s still very driven. It tells the story of a man struggling for something that’s never going to happen, but he continues anyway. Inspired by a few old lute songs that we dug up, it’s sad but hopeful. It will be the lead single from the EP.

SATELLITES- The video for this was filmed over a week on Exmoor in Devon. It’s the most filmic song on the EP, with a big sweeping chorus and lots of group vocals. It was written in the same sessions as Vultures and follows the theme of corporate greed, exploring the idea of free will similar to George Orwell’s 1984. We’re very keen to talk about current issues in our songs as we feel it helps to unify us with our fans, everyone has concerns about this stuff and it doesn’t get fixed if you don’t talk about it.

GHOSTS- The closing track outlines the nostalgia of youth, and finding out what you want your life to be about. Gaslight Anthem inspired; it’s a straight forward rock ‘n’ roll track with our own celtic spin.

 here’s one for Christmas!

Contact The Band

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Buy The EP

iTunes  Amazon  CD Baby

you can get Bare Knuckle Parade’s first EP from last year ‘Songs For Me Ma’ for name your own price at the link for Bandcamp above. Needless to say its well worth any of your money. If anything its a bit more raw and ready than ‘Iron Lungs’ and all the better for it!