“They’re probably going to be shocked,” smiled Citizen guitarist Nick Hamm. “If the final time they listened to Citizen was 2013, after which they take heed to Calling the Dogs.”
The Toledo, Ohio-based rockers final launched an album in 2021 – Life In Your Glass World – and it had its critics, at first. It was completely different, highly effective, and a shock to the system, when in comparison with the band’s earlier work.
Compared to their upcoming album, Calling the Dogs, that was nothing. But Nick and singer Mat Kerekes know that. And they made it abundantly clear whereas chatting with me on Zoom earlier this month.
“Calling the Dogs reveals itself to you the more you listen,” Nick continued. “I think Calling the Dogs, lyrically, is beyond that. I think it’s more introspective than any Citizen album. And you might not think that if you think about it as an album of bangers or punk-rock songs. I still think that there is an emotional core that is very potent.”
Having an emotional nucleus is what Citizen are so well-known for (and why they have been a mainstay within the various scene for over ten years, now). Their groundbreaking debut document, Youth, simply celebrated its ten-year anniversary and is a centrepiece within the style’s countless playlists. But, as fantastic as this little question is for the band, it does make issues just a little tougher for them.
Nick and Mat attempt to not let that stress creep into their writing course of, although.
Nick stated: “I quite literally think about if a certain song is going to especially connect or be a hit or whatever – but I wouldn’t say we ever write with that in mind. In fact, I think sometimes we write despite what our fans might be interested in naturally.”
Wait, so Citizen actively write music their followers may not even like? “I don’t know,” Nick went on. “I guess that is part of the challenge too – how do we provoke [the fans] in some way? How do we challenge, how do you leapfrog what you’ve done in the past? And I think that that might be frustrating for some fans, but I think it’s really rewarding for other fans who have come to expect the unexpected.”
Regardless of how daring Nick and Mat really feel their music may be, their lyrics are nonetheless as highly effective as ever. Options, the penultimate music on Calling the Dogs, is a strong and sombre exploration of inferiority and expectations.
Mat pens a lot of the lyrics, and though his artwork paints an image of a downtrodden, sad lad, he insisted that is not his day-to-day persona.
Headtrip, the album’s opener, is an ideal instance of this, Mat defined. “I think it’s kind of cheeky and goofy in a way, and I think the lyrics to that song kind of reflect my personality more than any lyrics than I’ve ever written before. Because I’m not the most serious person, and I’m not sitting around upset all the time. I’m also not very angry all the time! And I think the lyrics to Headtrip really have a lighthearted – serious – but lighthearted, making fun of the problems you’re having, kind of vibe.”
Still, a whole lot of palpable aggression and fury stays in Calling the Dogs – however like Nick stated – it reveals itself to you over time, relatively than bashing you over the pinnacle with it.
These songs nonetheless come from Mat’s anger, and – though he wrote these songs nicely over a 12 months in the past – he is about to begin enjoying them each single night time on tour. As a outcome, he could discover himself screaming down the microphone to somebody who has since apologised and made up with him after an argument. “No,” he confirmed, resolute. “I don’t resolve problems. I just hold on to them forever. It will always ring true.” Breaking into laughter, he added: “It makes you stronger!”
Citizen has extra anger to share with their followers within the close to future. “We’re always moving,” Nick stated, subtly teasing the band’s subsequent album. “And I think, even though to the public eye it’s like this album is new, to us it’s been around for so long. So we’re definitely still moving and writing and, I don’t know…” he shrugged. “That’s the Citizen way. We never slow down.”
Content Source: www.specific.co.uk
