monday's arms
harrisons

Monday’s Arms is the latest single from Sheffield rockers Harrisons, and it’s further proof that this is a band to watch for 2007. Eschewing the upstart leanings of previous releases Blue Note and Wishing Well, this latest single finds Harrisons in full-on, floor-filling disco mode, but in a down-to-earth, working class hero kind of way. We ain’t talking Scissor Sisters here.

Lead track Monday’s Arms deals with that Monday morning feeling and the overwhelming drudgery of working life. It’s something these lads know plenty about – until recently, they laboured as builders by day. Built on a solid disco groove, it brings ‘90s baggy bang up to date, with a chant-along chorus to boot.'It’s about being stuck in a rut looking for something to do,’ says singer Jubby. ‘And when you try and do something different there are always a few arseholes taking the piss out of you for trying.’

Flipside Loxley Bottoms, on the other hand, has an altogether darker tinge. ‘It’s about the murder of a young girl who was found dead in the woods near Sheffield,’ says Jubby. ‘It’s a song that questions religion, the death sentence and the reason why someone would do such a horrible thing. Other than that it’s just a nice little song.’ Built on angular disco and Joy Division guitars, it’s an old-style murder ballad updated for the current generation. ‘So hard to believe no-one heard the screams,’ it says hauntingly. Nick Cave would be proud, and incidentally co-incides with their only cover version being played in their current live set being The Bad Seeds’ Red Right Hand.

The single is the first fruit of the band’s sessions with producer Hugh Jones (Shack, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes). Hugh has been enlisted to record the group’s much-anticipated debut album, and on the strength of this taster, it’ll be worth waiting for.

‘Everything's going really well - it sounds banging,’ reports Jubby from the studio. ‘Hugh is an experienced producer and has recorded some of our favourite albums. He's made it really easy for us and it's all been very relaxed. We've all gone Sergeant Pepper-style, growing beards and tashes.’

The album will cap off another great year for the four-piece. In their brief time together, they’ve made a splash at the South By Southwest festival in Texas, weathered the storm of the ‘New Yorkshire’ scene, played to packed houses across the UK with Be Your Own Pet and on their own, and recreated the football scene from Kes for a pop video. In other words, they’re doing a pretty good job of escaping Monday’s Arms for now.