Tall Stories return with their third single Nosebleeds, following their incendiary debut Lost In Translation, and their sophomore release Concrete Heads (both 2019), both of which received airplay on BBC Introducing West Midlands.
The single marks a leap forwards for the band, as they carve out their own niche within post-punk. Their sound has been compared to IDLES, Fontaines D.C. and Shame, but the band pride themselves on standing apart from the crowd. The lyrics are a blistering indictment of the scene itself, and the way we consume music in 2020. Frontman Louis Griffin delivers a monologue covering everything from Chekhov’s Gun to mutually assured destruction, all in less than three minutes.
“Nosebleeds comes from a place of paranoia and cynicism. In the process of writing the track I found that I’d grown tired of the endless cycle of action and reaction that defines post-punk as a genre – no sooner is a statement made, than it is dissected, put back together and spit back out. I had a profound sense of unease with this state of affairs, and the nosebleed was the perfect visual metaphor for this. I’m fascinated by the Cold War and the post-Nuclear political landscape, and a nosebleed is a tell-tale symptom of radiation poisoning; all is not well, and here is a vivid, uncomfortable symbol of that. It was perfect.”
Tall Stories are based in Birmingham, and fast made a name for themselves in the burgeoning local scene. The band underwent an evolution during 2019; first came the call to support local indie royalty Swim Deep at one of their three comeback shows at The Sunflower Lounge in June 2019 – no small feat, as Tall Stories were handpicked to play, beating out tense competition within the city. The band were immediately booked again, this time for a headline set, but before this could take place, they were catapulted into the spotlight. They won Truck Festival’s competition to play; first by public vote, and then selected by the festival itself to open the So Young Market Stage – alongside acts such as The Murder Capital and Sports Team. Following a breakneck summer, the band entered a writing period, during which they recorded Concrete Heads, and had a line-up change, welcoming a fourth member James Marson on lead guitar. 2020 saw the band forced to reschedule live dates and instead commence writing on their debut EP. However, the band are never inactive, and the Black Lives Matter protests drew them out of isolation, with Louis performing an acoustic set live on Instagram to raise funds for the Stephen Lawrence Trust. Tall Stories are now ready to resume playing live, whenever that’s possible, with live bookings being made for the end of 2020 and early 2021.
lyrics
In the right light, on the right day
Maybe I'll be vulnerable, and mean what I say
Maybe I'll let them talk me back down
God knows it's crooked, the game in this town
All of those girls with their cute little jackets
And vacant looks, and concern for the planet
And passion for bands that they'll never see
Pumping out content for no-one to read
Nosebleeds (make your family proud)
No sleep (keep on smiling now)
Nosebleeds (never question it)
No sleep (oh, it’s self-evident)
Pounding the concrete for years upon years
But it never gives, it’s just all in your fears
There's nothing to play for, and nobody's won
The sky’s always falling, our job’s never done
I print out the words, I read them aloud
For a second I’m better, for a second I’m proud
A gun in act 1, always fired by act 3
You don’t need to believe it, just hear it from me
Nosebleeds (make your family proud)
No sleep (keep on smiling now)
Nosebleeds (never question it)
No sleep (oh, it’s self-evident)
Nosebleeds (make your family proud)
No sleep (keep on smiling now)
Nosebleeds (never question it)
No sleep (oh, it’s self-evident)
Nosebleeds (nosebleeds)
No sleep (no sleep)
Nosebleeds (nosebleeds)
No sleep (no sleep)
credits
released August 16, 2020
TALL STORIES are Louis Griffin, Fran Hall, Jim Marson, and Ollie Hill
Louis Griffin (Vocals, Guitar)
Fran Hall (Backing Vocals, Drums)
Ollie Hall (Backing Vocals, Bass)
Jim Marson (Backing Vocals, Guitar)
Tall Stories return with their third single Nosebleeds, following their incendiary debut Lost In Translation, and their
sophomore release Concrete Heads (both 2019), both of which received airplay on BBC Introducing West Midlands.
The single marks a leap forwards for the band, as they carve out their own niche within post-punk. Nosebleeds received critical acclaim, and was playlisted on BBC WM....more
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