Tag Archives: Ben Corry

THE BATTERY FARM: Flies.

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I’ve been listening to The Battery Farm’s debut record for well over a month. I had something written, but I kept going back to it. Over and over. Then I decided to delete it and start again. Everything I wrote was done in haste and a record like Flies deserves so much more.

The record has been years in the making. It is a labour of love. It is blood, sweat, tears and fears. It’s brutal and gentle. It is vital. It’s the heartbeat of society. It’s one of the most important records of the year. Bands like this are rare and when you find them, my god you love them. Everything they release will always leave you in awe. You’ll feel every emotion possible when you listen to this record. There is hope on this record and there’s also despair. There’s fear and uncertainty but there’s also fight and determination.

From the title track/intro through to In The Belly Of The Beast and right into Everything Will Be Okay. The whole record is just a firepit of hard work and passion. There are zero compromises on this record; it’ll make you feel less alone. It’ll make you take every ugly feeling you own and make into something worth feeling and carrying around. That weight on your back will feel lighter once you’ve played this record. It truly hits you on the opener FLIES. The way in which Ben’s vocals sound possessed is just out of this world. That fury and passion is throughout the whole record from all of them.

The more I play this record, the more I’m in awe of the band. There is no bad song on this record but I wouldn’t go looking for that anyway. Every single song has the potential to be screamed loud in stadiums but screaming the songs back in small sweaty venues holds the same amount of power- if not more! It’s a proper Northern record. A band from anywhere else could not make a record like this- this record is Manchester and it makes me proud to call this city home. Wooden Spoon Number is euphoric. I mean the whole record is, but this one stands out at the moment for me.

Everything Will Be Okay will rip you apart. I struggle to listen to this one just because of how close to the bone it is. It’s so beautiful and vulnerable. If you’ve made it this far in the record without crying- this will be the one that breaks you. I’ve had to stop writing a few times to pull myself together listening to this, but it’s fine to not have it all together isn’t it. Why does it matter if you do or don’t? It’s such a reassuring song and the way you feel like the band are singing this to you and only you is so powerful. I wonder if they know how influential they are? Honestly, this is the kind of record I hope some lost kid in school finds and finds the band that speak to them, and they find their way. Maybe they’ll be a writer, maybe they’ll form a band- but this band will be the root of their influence. You can’t listen to this record and not be moved to do something. Anything.

The second half of the record (Poet Boy onwards) is loud. Unapologetically loud. The whole record is but it goes up a level on the second half. You can’t help but be stopped in your tracks like, “okay this is serious now. Really serious.” Honestly, they just know how to make songs that steal a part of your soul and become like the blood in your veins. I’m basically giving you all the descriptions of how important the band are and how their words are just so vital. I can’t think of another band who are creating music like this.

DisdainGain is a proper teeth kicker. Don’t play this if you’re scared of every losing your hearing. Bloody hell! The way this goes right into it is just insane. INSANE. It’s one of my favourites. I change my mind with every listen but this one is constant. I love the rage in the song. The rage in every element of the song- not just the vocals. Everything feels like a protest on this song and it’s unreal. I adore it. I love the unfiltered rage on this song. If any song sums up what the band are about- it might just be this one. I Am A Man shows vulnerability and stigma around men talking about their mental health. No one should ever (regardless of gender) feel like they can’t talk about how they feel. But unfortunately, it happens. I hope someone hears this and it gives them what they need to find the strength to just speak out and speak up about what’s going on.

Flies is a poetic Punk record from the gutter and poured into the universe for everyone to listen to. Everyone to pay attention to. To feel something, to stand for something and to not give up. This band are what we need. They just have something that stops you in your tracks, and before you know it- you’ve become obsessed. Nothing wrong with that.

I feel like there is more I could write about this record, but the main point is- this record is a lifeline. It’s urgent. It’s important. It’s what is needed right now. It’s what we’ve always needed. It goes beyond being a debut record. Way, way beyond.

THE BATTERY FARM: A Working Class Lad.

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I have made my love for one of the finest bands from Manchester known many times. But this time, The Battery Farm have completely and utterly outdone themselves. Everything they have done to date has been nothing short of vital, ferocious, and delivered with this passion that you wish most bands would. A Working Class Lad towers above everything they have done to date. This is the kind of song that makes you want to pin down tory scum and blast this song in their ears. Imagine if they would listen. Imagine…. But until then, we have got bands like The Battery Farm who are beautifully expressing how difficult life is and how shit it’s going to get until people listen to us. There’s beauty in it all, and that is what they express so wonderfully.

The hook where Ben screams his lungs out is such a pivotal moment in the song, and every time he unleashes that distinctive bellow of his, you cannot help but scream back and let his voice absolutely destroy your eardrums in the most perfect way. It is one of the best songs he’s written so far. The man is a poet. A proper storyteller. This is song for those who understand how tough everything is right now and how the majority of us are struggling. The comradery in this song makes me so proud to call Manchester my home.

The bassline on this, mixed with THAT drumming is out of this world. The guitar is electrifying, and it adds extra bite to the vocals, and drills home the importance of the lyrics. Bands like The Battery Farm are rare, and that’s why it is SO important that we treasure them. They tell our stories; they release our furies. They’ve got courage, heart, and passion. They’ve got the wisdom that you wish you had, but in time, you’ll get there. If you’re looking for a real Punk anthem- this is it. This is totally it. It’s the song that you play when the world gets a little too much, and as soon as this kicks in- you’re reminded that someone out there fucking understands. This band are way ahead of their time. Or maybe we are all behind and need to catch up. Whichever way you look at it, this band are the future.

What I adore about the band is how they can take painful daily life topics and make them beautiful. They make everything relatable, and you know they mean every single word that comes out of their mouths. Their words are so important, and I don’t say this lightly. There is so much power in this song and it is really is the best thing they’ve done to date. Their debut record Flies is out in November, and I cannot wait to hear it. Going by the previous 8 singles they’ve released and now this single- I think it is pretty safe to say that it is going to be one of the most thrilling records of the year. Nothing will touch it. Nothing will come close to the sheer importance of it.

There is so much heart in this song, and the way every ounce of this anthem hits your mind, body and soul leaves you wanting more. You cannot help but play this on repeat. You cannot help but scream along. Thank god we have bands like The Battery Farm around. They unleash every feeling surrounding identity and the shame we sometimes feel. Sometimes that shame is thrown onto us from others, so we turn that shame into something that means something- Art. That’s what The Battery Farm have done here, and will always do. It’s in their blood. We need them.

They’re playing the Dublin Castle in London on the 2nd September and will then be back home to tear the roof off Gullivers on the 10th September. Go see them. Buy the record in November and let this band get out everything you feel you cannot.

You can check out their upcoming gigs here: https://www.facebook.com/thebatteryfarm/events

THE BATTERY FARM.

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TBF

 

Manchester, Manchester. The greatest city in the world. A city that feels like home; it’s just the best. There are so many bands to have come from this beautiful city that I get to call home, and there a wealth of new bands emerging that, in time, will be regarded as highly as those before them.

 A band that most certainly demand your attention are The Battery Farm. They have a new single out in a couple of weeks, and this single’s subject matter is mental health. It is about lead singer, Ben’s struggle with his own mental health issues and this stigma that surrounds masculinity and speaking up about mental health. More than ever, we are embracing opening up- bands like IDLES are so encouraging with regards to speaking up. Then again, what kind of dickhead would want someone to shut up about it? Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, but that doesn’t mean that we stop talking or stop checking up on friends. We all have our own struggles; I’m open about mine but of course, hypocritically, I wish I wasn’t. I’m doing my best to write more about music, so I don’t have to “deal” with the two deaths I experienced so close to each other. One I can handle, but losing my Gran? I’ll never get a grip on that. Anyway, personal rant aside- let’s talk about music.

The Battery Farm consist of two brothers and two pals (the brothers are pals too obviously!) These 4 lads are making the kind of noisy Punk that makes you want to do something positive as well as trashing your room. They are a band to be hugely proud of, and not just because they are talking about things we tend to shy away from. They’ve been getting a fair bit of exposure, and I’ll post tour dates at the end. But what we need to discuss is their style and how they are such a bold, and vital band.

 

 

 Their debut single, 97/91 came out a couple of months ago. It’s got that beautiful heavy sound that is in bands like IDLES, The Murder Capital and Fontaines D.C. They aren’t afraid to have this openness and darkness in their sound, and I love it. I absolutely love this song. I love how you can feel every ounce of passion in Ben’s voice, and how the band just play with this infectious fury that just spurs you on. You cannot help but feel every single word- some people sing from their heart, some sing from their gut. Ben definitely sings from his gut, and that’s where this urgency is coming from. There is so much weight to their sound, and I love the dark tones and how they really are a fearless band. Their songs could easily be in some creepy Thriller film, or it could come to you in your dreams. It is frantic in the best way possible. I’d say I cannot praise this band enough, but I probably can. And will.

 Their songs are perfect for venues like our beloved Soup Kitchen, The Castle etc. but they could so very easily be blasted out in stadiums with every single person screaming along. Imagine that? Imagine everyone yelling the words to 97/91. It is such a powerful song, and although I know I should be going back to their new one, I Am A Man; this song has a ferocious grip on my ears. In fact, both songs do. So, let’s move on.

I Am A Man is a totally different sound to 97/91, and it works so well. Their new single as mentioned, is about Ben’s own struggles. It is so easy to relate to these lyrics; “I wanna talk but I don’t know how” is such a simple line, but it holds so much. It’s the way it is chanted by the band, and how it just completely sums up the whole stigma around mental health. Many do want to talk, and they have no idea where to start or even where to go. With just 2 songs, The Battery Farm have made a vital impact- and with I Am A Man the beautiful Mancunian snarl just nails it. The sheer honesty and openness in this aren’t fragile at all- it is brave. I’m aware that calling someone brave can sometimes be condescending but it is said here with the utmost respect. They just make you connect with them in ways bands that have been around for decades haven’t done yet. The words are sheer poetry, and they are merged with the most brutal drums, bass and guitar imaginable. It works so well and you cannot help but smack repeat on it. The lyrics become a mantra- we need more bands like this.

 

 

 

 

The Battery Farm have described their sound as, “frantic, visceral and violent.” It’s a pretty spot on description- but don’t let the violent part put you off. In this instance, that violent sound comes from daily frustrations and just wanting to change something, anything. It’s the vital force of their sound that makes you feel like you are pushing yourself through a wall of people to be heard. It’s a struggle, but you’ll get there.

 As someone who is obsessed with lyrics, I really love how The Battery Farm are so open to sharing their thoughts and what they see. They are showing us their world, their reality and the thing is- it’s like a lot of ours. Their songs are relatable, and if the lyrics make you feel uncomfortable- then they are doing it right, they are getting through. Their passion and dedication is something to truly admire, and with just 2 songs they have left me in awe. I really cannot praise them highly enough. Not just for touching on delicate subjects, but for being unafraid in doing so and for creating such a beautiful, and heavy sound. Hopefully they will be a band that, in the future, others are citing as them as their influence. 

 Here are some of their upcoming shows:

8th November 2019 – The Peer Hat, Manchester for Abattoir Blues Records

21st November 2019 – Werkhaus, London

1st December 2019 – Fab Café (acoustic)

7th December 2019 – Eagle Inn, Salford

28th December 2019 – Sound, Liverpool

22nd February 2020 – The Peer Hat, Manchester for Deco Records

18th April 2020 – Ulltra Festival, Hull

I Am A Man is released on 24th October.

*Photo by Gemma Corry