The Tidal Wave of Indifference

Gerry Loves Records are one of the finest, most innovative independent labels operating in Scotland today.

There you go, no fluffy opening, no flim or flam just plain fact. The tiny Edinburgh outfit has been releasing beautifully packaged vinyl from the likes of Conquering Animal Sound and Trapped in Kansas since April of this year.

December marks their most ambitious project yet, a 12″ with tunes by the Japanese War Effort who I already liked, Miaoux Miaoux who sound promising and Fox Gut Daata, who I have to say I’m less convinced by.

Also on there are Wounded Knee, a name I certainly knew, but who’s music I didn’t.

I now know that Wounded Knee is Drew Wright, a musician and experimental vocalist based in Leith. There’s echoes of minimalist techno and folk through his material that I’ve since investigated, and it all sounds pretty unique.

His contribution to the Gerry Loves opus  is Tomlinson’s Rant, concerning Ian Tomlinson, the 47-year-old newspaper seller who lost his life during last year’s G20 protests in London.

Now, while I clearly have my own views on the world at large, what I write on this site needs to remain firmly apolitical for reasons that I shan’t dwell on. But whatever you think, his story is worth looking up if you’re not familiar with it.

The song itself is an unsettling sea shanty told from the perspective of Tomlinson himself. I asked Drew about his inspiration for the song, working with Gerry Loves and some of my usual facetious nonsense.

So Who the hell are You?

I am Wounded Knee, or Drew Wright, an experimental singer and vocalist from Leith, Edinburgh.

Please describe your sound in ten words or less.

Janus music.  Dubh Wop.  Portable port a beul.

Your song is about the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests. What in particular inspired you about that incident?

The shock of it all, watching an innocent guy get a doing from a policeman in full balaclava and no numbers on his uniform.  The anger and frustration at a system washing its hands of any responsibility.  And thinking of what his family must be going through.  The song is sung from Ian Tomlinson’s perspective, trapped in a limbo; but his family will be the ones living in limbo.  The musical inspiration comes in particular from things like the Pogues’ “Birmingham Six”, Dead Kennedys, Public Enemy and KRS1.  Politically aware and engaged music that I grew up listening to.
It might sound like a naïve gesture to sing about using democracy and writing to your MP but I think we have to be more active in using what is at our disposal to raise questions and engage more directly with this political system we do have, flawed as it may be.  Otherwise it’s point and click protest, sign a Facebook petition and that’s your conscience saved for another day.

How did you get involved with the guys at Gerry Loves?

They asked me to do a support slot for the Conquering Animal Sound/Debutant split 7″ launch and it has progressed from there.  I’ve been really impressed with how quickly the new record has come together and that’s credit to Andy and Paddy’s efforts.  Cheers lads!

They’re not the only Scottish DIY indie label that’s sprung up lately – do you think that’s the future for music publishing?

It’s great to see new labels and promoters getting going and long may it continue.  It’s good to see vinyl and cassettes are still going strong.  It’s maybe a post-digital reaction.  Hard drives and iPods stuffed with all the music in your collection; the aural equivalent of your eyes bigger than your stomach.  When you play a record or a tape you have to invest in that decision a bit more.  The idea of “sides” of music is worth preserving.

Wounded Knee. Fan of ethnic cleansing of indigenous Peoples?

I took the name because I played five a side football down at Porty Pitz (grotty collection of football pitches, not far from Tidal Wave Towers) and every week I would skin the same knee, it would scab up and be almost healed and then the next week skinned again.  But aye, I know more now about the massacre at Wounded Knee. I have the book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.  Grim.

Finally, with yourself and Withered Hand what’s with musicians named after minor ailments. If I named my long-awaited musical project* Gammy Leg would you have any objections?

As long as we can release a split single together.

Head over to Gerry Loves Records to buy your copy.

*May not exist, ever.