News Hookworms: ‘The Ageing Dinosaur Is In The Hospice’

As far as debut albums go, Hookworms forthcoming record ‘Pearl Mystic’ is a deservedly highly anticipated one. As a band that has spent several years developing their craft on the road and in the studio - with a debut, self-titled EP released back in 2011 - they’ve paid their dues and doesn’t it show. For a record filed into the psychedelic pigeon-hole, it comes marbled with heart; a deft stream of yearning runs right through its centre providing a fresh sounding take on the spaced-out and often drug addled noise of the genre. Self-recorded and mixed by MJ in his studio in Leeds, it’s a major triumph when you consider how much it took to produce a record of such stature.

With this anticipation in mind, we caught up with the band’s MB & MJ to find out a little more. We asked them about their fixation with initials and their views on the ‘ageing dinosaur’ that is the music industry.



So, who are Hookworms? Introduce yourselves please?
MB: Bass
RH: Muse
MJ: Organ & Vocals
JN: Drums
CR: Spiritual Advisor
SS: Guitar
JW: Guitar

Why have you decided to use your initials, rather than your full names within the context of the band?
MB: I can’t speak for the others, but I don’t want my full name plastered all over the internet chatting shit in interviews like this, especially when my job involves working with schools and children. I wish we hadn’t started doing it now though; it’s all we seem to get asked about. They’re not pseudonyms, they’re safety blankets.

Where did you all meet and decide to form a band?
MB: We were all friends and had played in various bands together in the past. We had some spare time and an empty basement so we decided to have some fun. We played together for at least a year in this form before anyone even heard a note of music by us, then we decided we should probably do a show.

I’ve heard Hookworms sound described in many different ways; psych, krautrock, prog or noise rock. How would you describe your sound and what sound did you aim to achieve with your debut album ‘Pearl Mystic’?
MB: Our friend Jack from the band Mazes described parts of the new record as “drone-soul”, which I like as much as you can like a throwaway term. Again, I can’t speak for the others but I don’t listen to any prog whatsoever, and the psych I tend to listen to is of the Seeds/Electric Prunes/Elevators/Nuggets garage variety rather than all of the more recent space rock bands that we get compared to. Something to do with repetition is fine with me. We didn’t really have an aim when we started writing the songs that ended up on the album, other than we wanted them to sit well together, with plenty of ebb and flow to the overall dynamic of the record.

The album touches on themes of relationship breakdowns and depression, which is an altogether more human approach than I’d expect from a record pigeon-holed as psychedelic. Was a fresh approach to this type of music something you intentionally focussed on delivering?
MB: MJ writes all of the lyrics, so I might be wrong here, but I can’t imagine it was an intentional “fresh approach” whatsoever. It just so happened that he was going through a relationship breakup whilst we were in the middle of writing the album. You write about what’s going on around you, and I think it’s as black and white as that.
MJ: Yeah, I was just having a really bad time. Everything’s kinda alright now though so the next record is gonna be an 80’s pop covers EP. Seriously! I have no aspirations towards success with the music we make. It’s a hobby and a cathartic release and will never be anything more. You’ve seen Nathan Barley, right? Why on earth would I choose to spend my life surrounded by people like that?

Do you think releasing ‘Pearl Mystic’ through a small independent label presents challenges that you might not have found on a larger label?
MB: Yeah, we’re all pretty bitter that Matt Gringo didn’t hook us up with a massive advance to blow on Yves Saint Laurent clothes and limousines.
MJ: The only thing it seems to be challenging is short sighted people’s perceptions of what is possible in the ‘record industry’. This isn’t a money making enterprise. The ageing dinosaur is in the hospice.

With an exceptional debut album just about to land and a fierce live show reputation, what are Hookworms ambitions for the future, if any?
MB: See how long we can carry on writing songs together that we like before we inevitably start to hate being in each other’s company.
MJ: Try as many different falafel shops around the world.

Hookworms debut album ‘Pearl Mystic’ is out 4th of March on Gringo Records.

Hookworms play the following shows:
MARCH
30 - Sheffield, Queen’s Social Club - Detestival w/Bo Ningen & Wet Nuns
31 - Milton Keynes, The Watershed w/Kogumaza

APRIL
01 - Brighton, Green Door Store w/Cold Pumas, Sealings & Cape Clear
02 - Cardiff, Undertone w/Joanna Gruesome
03 - London, Birthdays w/TRAAMS & Cape Clear
04 - Liverpool, Blade Factory at Camp & Furnace
05 - Manchester, Soup Kitchen w/Base Ventura