Fierce Shook are the latest to take on our Guestlist series and chat about the 10 songs that shaped them and their music. Fierce Shook are a 4 piece punk/surf/metal/whateverelse band from a town called Tullamore in Ireland. They are Rob Moore, Tom McLoughlin, Austin Holmes and Owen Holmes. They released their debut EP in March 2021. Below, the lads chat about the songs that inspired them to make the music they do! Be sure to check it out, as well as their latest single 'Daniel'.
Nomeansno - 'It’s Catching Up'
Rob: “My brother texted me during the week to tell me how there’s a radio ad for an Irish newspaper which starts with the line “Have you heard the news?” He said it takes him every fibre of his restraint to not shout back “THE DEAD WALK!!” I completely understood. It says a lot about the impact this song made on us that it stills has that effect on us almost 30 years after first hearing it.
On a side note, I was lucky enough to see Nomeansno a couple of times over the years. The one thing that always struck me about them was how ordinary they seemed for people that were making such fantastic music. They looked like 3 dads rocking out for the weekend. Seeing that made it seem like making music was possible for anyone.”
Blood and Thunder - 'Mastodon'
Rob: “Before the pandemic hit, it was pretty much a yearly tradition for the 4 of us to go see Mastodon. We knew things were getting bad when they shut the schools and we weren’t able to go see our families but the seriousness of the situation really hit home when Sunstroke was cancelled and we realised we weren’t going to see Mastodon that year. Blood and Thunder was the first tune I heard by them and I still love it as much now as when I first heard it.”
Q8S - 'Boxes'
Rob: “Boxes were a 2 piece band from Tullamore, our home town, comprising Gavin Cowley and Mark Hayes. The music could probably be best described as post hardcore, very heavily influenced by bands like Nomeansno and Ruins. Gavin grew up down the road from myself and would have played in punk bands with my brother as a teenager. The really inspiring thing with Boxes was hearing a band that came from my home town playing something that sounded so original, different and, most importantly, good. Gavin has since gone on to form Glimmermen who you should also go check out.”
Jeff Rosenstock - 'The Trash, The Trash, The Trash'
Rob: “I would have first heard about Jeff Rosenstock after he brought out his Worry album a couple of years ago and from there would have gotten into his back catalogue. When the pandemic hit, we weren’t able to meet up and practice and I really missed that. I remember listening to this song not too long after the lockdown started and realising that he recorded the whole thing by himself. That kind of inspired me to just start recording my own stuff and get working on material until I could get the chance to work with real people again. Which was pretty much how our first ep came about. So, it’s all Jeff Rosenstock’s fault.”
Kerbdog - 'Mexican Wave'
Tom: "The only three certainties in life are death, taxes and Kerbdog" Mark Twain..jeez Twain really knew his shit! Kerbdog have been a staple for us (much like spuds or rice) since the nineties, In my opinion 'On the Turn' is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, and they're Irish lads!! The first time I heard this tune was on the Juke box down at that ubiquitous local pub that would serve anyone who could see over the bar! And it blew my underage mind!! This band and this album have been constants in our lives pretty much since we started getting together to jam and has been unquestionably influential!"
Smash Mouth - 'Disconnect the Dots'
Tom: "Again, this band have been a staple of ours for something like 25 years (Jesus!!) What do people think when they think of Smash Mouth? Shrek right!!? Yep, All-star is a deadly tune, I think they are also known for a raft of cover versions, but if you have not already done so; give Fush-Yu-Mang or Astro Lounge a spin, the band blends rock, punk, surf, ska, reggae, pop, lounge (among other genre's) in such a succinct original way!! It's hugely inspiring stuff!!"
Tomahawk - 'Bird Song'
Tom: "Faith No More, Helmet, The Jesus Lizard and Melvins........nuff said!! Mike Patton is an evil genius...I dunno, he could be a total sweetheart, but he scares the shit out of me, ya know...in a good way!! Tomahawk make ridiculously good music, which is no surprise really when you look at who is in the friggin band. I particularly love how Patton pushes the boundaries with his vocals, constantly thinking outside the box when it comes to what a vocalist can do..the man put a mic in a respirator mask for God's sake!! The soundscape intro to this tune is something else!!. And when the bass and drums kick in its mind blowing!! We are fans!"
Unsane - 'Release'
Owen: “I get the impression Unsane were formed after one of the members walked passed someone kango hammering on a building site and thought "hey, that's a great idea for a song!". Release really captures their raw, aggressive, unmelodic song writing style. They sent me on a journey to the sludgier side of life and it influenced a lot of the songs I've wrote. To sum it up: Song go brrr.”
NOFX - 'Kids of the K-Hole'
Owen: “So long and thanks for all the fish is one of my favourite albums. In 33 minutes Nofx blast through 16 songs without a second of filler. They like to play themselves off as a joke band but when they tackle serious songs like this they're the best in the business.”
Converge - 'Dark Horse'
Rob & Oz: “When you first hear Converge, it sounds like a discordant, terrifying racket. If you listen for longer and get the chance to see them live, you start to realise that it’s a really well put together discordant, terrifying racket. Converge are always pushing the boundaries of what can be done musically and they’ve released some amazing stuff over the years. The drumming and guitar playing on this tune are absolutely fantastic and need to be heard”.