Tiberius – Exclusive track by track feature

Irresistible Scottish prog crew, Tiberius, are ready to drop their magnificent new album, Singing For Company, on Friday 21st March. With the rising quintet growing by the day, we caught up with the band and asked them to exclusively give us a track by track breakdown of the album:

New Revelation: this song is written from the perspective of billionaires and is a satire of the kind of thought process someone like that would have to have in order to be able to live with themselves (which is to think they’re God’s gift to earth and that others should worship them). It is thus a blatant caricature; an exaggeration which is intentional in that it seeks to demonstrate just how much venom the author has for these people. It is, in that sense, dehumanising, precisely because to act as they do is to act inhuman. To put it gently, there is no love lost here.

Soul Saviour: This song is about white saviourism and the potential harm that it brings. As with many songs on this album, the song is tongue in cheek and sarcastic in its treatment of ‘sole’ saviours who are ultimately, it is argued, only really concerned with their image and their own self worth. The lyrics were inspired by Renée Bach who went to Uganda and administered medical treatment without medical training in a fake medical clinic. She is alleged to be responsible for the death of hundreds of children. The themes of this song (social media, self-image rather than any real altruism) tie in with the broader themes of the album.

Tip of the Spear: This song deals specifically with media propaganda, inspired by right wing pundits like Alex Jones, who rely on people surrendering their critical thinking and preying on them for profit. There are ‘dog whistle’ references, such as to the Proud Boys, intended to ridicule the cover nature of these associations and their politics. To that end, the song mocks the apparent plight of these people and laments the fact that such views seem to have a place in mainstream discourse. This song features a common theme featured throughout the album: the use of concepts like song and melody as a proxy device to talk about other concepts, such as life and happiness.

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Mosaic: This song juxtaposes (social) vulnerability with the bold confidence with which many (the author included) say that ultra rich persons are social pariahs. This song is in some ways a counterpart to New Revelation, in that it touches on the same topic area, but involves different themes, and narratively is told from the author’s own perspective. It links ideas of individuals having their own idiosyncrasies with the idea that we (general population) have nothing in common with the uber wealthy, here depicted as willing to kill you if the price (incentivisation) is right. The end of the song introduces themes of helplessness and self-blame towards the issue – if only the author had done more to campaign against the current political ideology (of capitalism)… but would it ultimately make a difference?

Singing for Company: This song uses the concepts of song and music to discuss language and communication in day-to-day interactions. In an increasingly globalised world, we are required to show greater patience and understanding of other languages and cultures. Inevitably, there is confusion and miscommunication. This song explores the frustration that comes along with that, along with the (sometimes naive) hopefulness that some meaning will eventually be imparted. The religious styled lyrics point towards cultural differences but also seek to establish a peace offering: they plead with the listener to relax and realise that they are talking with a friend, rather than a foe.

Juggernaut: This song discusses globalisation and migration and asks the question of Western listeners: would you really give it up to pull up the rest of the world? Discussing the historical elements leading to the current geopolitical climate, the song introduces the idea that we’re lucky to be born where we are, and it’s rich of us to try and keep others out when the UK on a global stage has helped create a massive gap between first and third world countries. To that end, opposition to the status quo is literally going against your own interests “why would you throw it all away?” The song asks us, author included, to really check and understand their privilege.

The Iliad Flow: This song utilises a common trope, general consumer frustration with digital streaming services, to make a broader statement about our seeming inability to escape from these huge media conglomerates who are so greedy (read: ‘profit focused’) that they’ll do anything to squeeze as much money as possible out of their customers. The issue is somewhat satirised, with the author claiming that they would leave ‘but it just might kill me’, and this particular issue is intended to represent a mere microcosm of the broader problem that is late stage capitalism naturally leads to profit margins being the only concern for companies that, given their size, should be held accountable in terms of social responsibility.

Touch the Past: This is a song about hardship, but not the author’s hardship. This song is a ballad for marginalised persons, who inevitably always have to bear the weight of the world on their shoulders. Religious symbolism is invoked when thinking about these burdens and constraints, and that same symbolism is offered to such groups as a way of burning the whole world down in their vengeance. The song discusses the pain of persons who feel like they are misunderstood, often by the people they think are or thought were closest to them. Again, in a nod to religious symbolism, the song offers a prayer, but one that is demanding and fed up, and rightly so. We are tired of being told history by the victors of plunder and non-defensive wars, but are we able to overcome our differences and band together to overthrow preconceived but damaging norms? The author hopes we can bear the burden of the world together.

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Header image by Calum McMillan

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