Band of the Day: Mr Shiraz

Mr Shiraz - 21 GramsSometimes a piece of PR comes in that just grabs you and makes you think “I want to check this band out”. It often helps if they come across as being something a little more that just another group rattling off tunes – a difficult thing to do when you’re promoting a musical act!

Let me introduce you to Mr Shiraz, a groove/punk combo from the glamorous streets of downtown… erm… Huddersfield. And then let me throw a paragraph from that press release at you:

Bassist Tori Shiraz is a philosophy genius and possibly the most intelligent person in the world, whereas frontman Mikey Shiraz once released a book of confessions of all the terrible things he’s done (that you can purchase here). His mother refuses to read it. Lead guitarist Tim Shiraz looks like everyone in the world, apparently. Examples are Edward Norton, the dead body from Stand By Me, Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the mum off 90’s kids’ show Dinosaurs and many more. And of course, there’s a Facebook page.

See? They’re interesting. So, what about the music, then? It’s cool. By that I mean, it’s funky, bouncy, not too heavy and very easy to listen to. Despite this, it still rocks – the harder tracks ar elike being hit by a freight train coated in marshmallow, but covered in hooks that just sink in. Which, now that I think of it is rather mental and disturbing. I hope the band approve.

Their latest EP, 21 Grams, is due out on December 7th and the title track is available to listen to below. There are six tracks and there’s definitely a cinematic theme to the track titles. They include “Bill & Ted” and “Cusack” as well as the title song.

Singer Mikey explains:

In many ways the record is a concept. It’s about the fragility and fleetingness of youth and innocence; how what you are exposed to in those formative years work as a blueprint and a foundation of the person you eventually become. For us, it was 80/90’s films. It’s a way by relating a situation to a moment in your life like a bookmark where you can easily go back and use said subject as a reference to something that affected you. It also works as somewhat of a safety blanket, being able to use this to give the situation (be it love, loss, something amazing or distressing) a somewhat tongue in cheek feel. I don’t know. Everyone has a different blueprint this just happens to be mine.

Mr Shiraz have toured with and played alongside a bunch of bands you’ll have heard of – Suburban Legends, Eureka Machines, Snuff and Bam Margera’s Fuckface Impossible. Hopefully this means we’ll get a chance to catch them again soon, touring in support of the forthcoming release.

Mr Shiraz: facebook | twitter | instagram | soundcloud | bandcamp

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Aero
Aero
December 1, 2015 5:40 PM

When somebody heard I took Mr Shiraz to most of their gigs in my gig-van he asked me how many times I’d seen them. I’d lost count so I just instinctively gave him the most truthful answer that I sprang tom mind and said “not enough!”. The 5 are a group of fun and beauty on and off stage. Going to gigs with them IS the best job in the world. Next one: Manchester next Saturday :)

trackback
December 6, 2015 6:48 PM

[…] mad bunch were up as Band of the Day last week and I managed to get a last-minute preview of their EP 21 Grams before its release tomorrow (7th […]

trackback
December 10, 2015 6:44 PM

[…] new EP out earlier this week (grab it on Bandcamp), here are a few words with frontman Mike of recent Band of the Day, Mr Shiraz. He seems to have taken the questions in the manner we could expect from this rather madcap […]