EP: The Meteor
Release Date: 21st May 2021
Genre: Modern Rock
For fans of: The Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers, Bleachers
Track List:
1) The Meteor
2) No Guilt, All Pleasure
3) Adeline
4) The Meteor - Edit
The Meteor is the debut EP from Chester based band Minor Key Comedy. The band have been together since they were teens are is made up of members Lyle McLoughlin, Kier Westerside-Downes, Fraser Lester and Callum Macmillan.
The EP explodes to life within seconds and leaves you hooked. Clever tricks with guitar loops and other instrumentation means that the songs transport you to another world. For a first release, MKC have come out with all guns blazing. The EP shows the band at their best with punchy, dance-a-long tracks as well as showing a softer side with the beautiful track Adeline. We can't wait to hear what they do next!
We had a chat to the band below about their music and how their new EP came to be..
1. Tell us a bit about your musical journey so far.
Lyle: We started in high school as a covers band in 2013. We were a five piece with three electric guitars and no Cal. We had some original stuff which was as good as it could be considering we were around 13 or 14 at the time. I did some solo stuff for a little while. Did like loads of acoustic gigs and then hated it because I don’t like being by myself on the drive home from a gig – it's just depressing.
Fraser: Then about two years ago we became the house band at Alexander’s and did Monday nights which were like the band nights. That’s where Cal got involved so it was like a catalyst for it all.
2. Given the current situation, how does it feel to be creating and releasing new music?
Kier: I mean it would be easier if it wasn’t like it is now, but you’ve just gotta do what you can, I guess. If anything, it probably prompted us to be more creative because we’ve never had so much free time on our hands.
Fraser: Considering we’ve got no funds and pretty much everything we’ve done apart from the drums has been recorded and mixed out of Lyle’s spare room – I'd say we’ve done pretty well so far.
3. How would you say The Meteor fits into your music and releases as a whole, and the musical destination that you’re heading in?
Kier: It’s definitely a stepping stone because it’s the first song we wrote together.
Lyle: It’s gotta be my favourite - to play live and that. It’s just a no holds barred kind of song.
4. What is the inspiration behind The Meteor?
Callum MacMillan: The realisation that I want the world to end.
Lyle: Lyrically, I don’t have a clue what The Meteor is about. I wanted to write something that didn’t have any emotional meaning. Sonically though, I wanted people to feel like they were in a rainforest to begin with by creating these bird sounds using feedback looping, and then in the bridge it builds up to a meteor striking a shuttle in space. Trippy stuff.
5. What is your process when it comes to writing songs?
Kier: Normally, one of us will bring an idea to the band, so a riff or a chord progression, and then we’ll jam on it and Lyle will go away and write the top line and lyrics. Or sometimes, Lyle will have the bones of a song and then we all contribute and flesh out our own parts for it.
Lyle: Yeah it all tends to come together at rehearsal but I wouldn’t say there’s one set way of writing songs for us, it’s just sort of...play the way you feel, for lack of better words.
Callum: We just wing it!
6. How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard your music before?
Lyle: We just make music that we like to listen to – that's literally it. Gritty garage rock ‘n’ roll.
Callum: Non-sensical earworms.
7. Where would your dream venue be to play a gig?
Callum: Sydney Opera House.
Fraser: Space.
Kier: On a meteor.
Lyle: I wanna play on a burning Meteor, hurtling towards Rhyll.
8. Who are the artists you can never tire of listening to?
Fraser: Mine’s definitely Supersonic.
Callum: Luke Gardener.
Callum: Linkin Park.
Lyle: Oh! ABBA. The pinnacle of pop music, everyone loves ABBA.
Keir: Same.
9. What’s the best live gig you’ve been to?
Lyle: Either Kendrick Lamar at Sziget, which isn’t even my go to music but his band are incredible and every song was amazing. Or Swim Deep live at the Ritz in Manchester because it was my first gig and it was like the room was shimmering.
Fraser: For me, it’s a tie between the first TRNSMT festival because I was right at the front for Catfish and the Bottlemen and the time me and Kier went to see Mini Mansions in Liverpool.
Kier: Yeah that Mini Mansions gig was sick because we got to meet them as well!
Callum: Tough one because I’ve literally been to thousands and loads mean so much to me for different reasons. But maybe when I went to see my mates' band for the first time because you get a special feeling when your mates are on stage.
10. What is next for Minor Key Comedy?
Callum: A major key change.
Kier: Lots of gigs, ideally.
Fraser: Yeah get some gigs behind us after we’ve released this demo, follow it up with another release and then hopefully get enough money to go get some of our stuff professionally recorded and mixed.
Lyle: I mean I’m still just concentrating on what we’re doing now.
Callum: I just wanna hit things with sticks.
Lyle: We’ll just wing it. Like we always have.
Thanks to the guys at Minor Key Comedy for chatting to us about their debut EP The Meteor which is released on all major streaming platforms on Friday 21st May.
Stay tuned for our next '10 Questions With..' guest coming soon!
If you have an upcoming release you would like us to feature, get in touch via musicpr@satellitemusicandevents.co.uk