Full Fat have released their new album ‘Live in Leith’.
Speaking of their album, they said: “We think one of the most important music (and the arts in general) can do is help us communicate with one another. Often it helps most when communicating and sharing stories, ideas, feelings and life experience. Things that are often very hard to communicate effectively. In its best form, music takes an experience or emotion and conveys it in such a way that it can be understood by anyone, whether that’s emotionally, spiritually or physically. In this way we can better empathise with each other as human beings and individuals. It is this feeling of shared experience, core memories and connection that we chase with every song we write as a band.
“The album ‘Live in Leith’ is our wee collection of stories we have curated, from our own experiences and the experiences of others we have encountered. These stories are aimed at helping to reconcile with life and its dark realities, with focus on depression, suicide and abuse. These songs do this by exploring the joy, beauty and love that can be found amongst other human beings and within ourselves.”
To celebrate their album release, Full Fat shared with us 5 tracks that influenced ‘Live In Leith’.
Theo Katzman – Plain Jane Heroin
This is a beautifully written song, simple in structure and harmony but really making use of the slow build, exploring the dynamic range of the instruments and this skill of the musicians recording it. Such a perfect example of a heartbreak song, using the metaphor of addiction to exactly convey the feeling of hurt and not being able to do without this other person who is gone. Songs like this inspire tracks like ‘Young Pretender’, our 3rd single from the album. They give me as a songwriter hope that there is still a place for a song which gives the listener quiet and space, songs that are not afraid of the silence.
Bill Withers – Just The Two Of Us
Bill Withers is one of my favourite songwriters of all time and the earnest lyrics and soulful vibe of ‘Just the Two Of Us’ directly inspired the track “Atmosphere” on the album. Just a cool chord progression that you can have fun with and a vocal line which lends itself to both simplicity and exploration. Such a great wee phrase to build a song around too, “Just the two of us, we can make it if we try”, so earnest and full of hope.
Bridget Kearney – Love Doctor
Bridget Kearney is both an excellent songwriter and musician and has a career and portfolio which greatly I envy. ‘Love Doctor’ is guitar riff driven with simple yet effective production and sparing but superb use of harmonies and extra instrumentation. Love a slow build song and the vivid vocal imagery. A memorable earworm chorus too.
Gary Clark Junior – When My Train Pulls In (Live)
It was a close call between this and ‘La Grange’ by ZZ Top, or indeed any live track by Rory Gallagher as all 3 acts are huge influences on both the songwriting and the performing style of Full Fat. But, I’ve been listening to a lot of Gary Clark Junior lately so he gets the win. An excellent example of a very high quality live recorded track, performed excellently, capturing the showmanship and energy of the performance at which it was taken. This kind of recording style, when it is done well, is so damn nice to listen to, and this is part of what inspired us to record Live in Leith, live.
Maroon 5 – Harder to Breathe
Maroon 5 used to write such great songs! Harder to breathe is exactly the kind of hard hitting blend of funk riff and guitar driving rock that we aspire to in our songs like “Purple Honey”. To me if feels like an inherently sexy and attractive song, about what might not be a great relationship. But then I think to myself, “we’ve all been there” and that’s why it’s a great song.
Listen to Young Pretender’s musical influences below:
Stream Young Pretenders ‘Live in Leith’ via Spotify: