(((O))) Interview: Irk (+ Exclusive Album Premiere)

The Seeing House, the second album from Leeds experimental noise rock band Irk is a kaleidoscopic collision of sounds, and one that sees the band building on their debut Recipes From The Bible with brilliantly forward thinking and caustic results. To celebrate the release of The Seeing House, Gavin Brown caught up with all three members of Irk, vocalist J.S. Gordon, bassist Ed Snell and drummer Matthew Deamer to get an insight into the album and the band.

In addition to talking with the band, Echoes and Dust are proud to present an exclusive album premiere of The Seeing House, which you can listen to in full below, and be blown away by the sound of Irk.

E&D: Your new album The Seeing House is out very soon. How excited are you to be back with this record and could you tell us a bit about it and it’s sound?

Ed: This one has been in the works for several years so I’m excited for it to see the light of day. It’s a darker and more experimental album than our first, and it’s an evolution of our sound that’s come from a DIY approach to previous recordings. This time we brought in our friend Andy Edwards to support us on recording and mixing duties. Andy is a calm voice of reason when we’re having a meltdown over the best tempo for a song.

J.S.: It has definitely felt like a more defined project from start to finish, a more complete piece of art. It’s thematically pretty closely linked to the first record but I think pushes out into some stranger climes.

E&D: What would you say are the biggest influences on this record?

Matthew: Aside from the key influences which make up our musical DNA, for me there were definitely some specific pieces of music which influenced certain tracks on the record. Acres Of Skin by Zs, Polymorphia by Penderecki and Cenotaph by This Heat are all incredible for different reasons. They all made their mark for sure.

Ed: For my bass parts, the bigger influences this time round are Brown Album by Primus, Aenima by Tool, Immutable by Meshuggah and Plague Soundscapes by The Locust. There’s a breadth of rhythms and dynamics across those albums that I really dig.

E&D: Can you tell us a bit about the creation and recording of The Seeing House?

Matthew: The Seeing House was written over many, many rehearsals. Ed and I start by jamming quite intuitively, without overthinking stuff, and we record everything we do. We listen back to every rehearsal and pick the best little ideas, and then next time we’ll jam around those, trying to tease out more good stuff until we have a decent menu of options to build a song from. After much pissing about, we’ll send a demo to Jack for him to contribute to. Ed and I are chronic tinkerers so it makes sense to bring Jack into the process a bit later when the track is fairly honed and unlikely to change too much! This album definitely didn’t emerge quite as naturally as the first. The ‘difficult second album’ thing is of course a massive cliche but there is genuinely something about a first record where you are able to do whatever feels intuitive, and it just works. The second time round if you do what is intuitive, you end up repeating yourself. So you have to subvert your intuitions and try new things, which is harder!

Recording wise we do everything ourselves at my studio, which gives us the luxury of being able to explore different approaches and ideas. There’s a lot dialling in and layering up different bass tones. I even spent a whole day recording random bits of metal for one of the tracks. I definitely think deadlines and time constraints are useful, but for us having the time to get things the way we want is important.

E&D: What subjects do you deal with on this album?

J.S.: Oh all the fun stuff, the prison industrial complex, class struggle, intersectionality, it’s impossible for a lot of what is happening in the world not to seep into every little cell of the songs. Some of the lyrics I feel are particularly prescient too, like the line, “The police are a terrorist organisation” in ‘Toothache in Prison’, was a personal observation of how I thought the British police forces meets the Government’s definition of terrorism, but in light of recent events, has taken on much more stark relevance. I also recently read two different things, the first was about how the idea of ill health being a brief and temporary situation is a super modern and first world way of seeing things, and for the vast majority of human history, ill health would be as common a default situation as being fit. The second thing was about how much of the world population now has only ever experienced peacetime, and therefore has a sense that it’s the default mode of things, when actually, in terms of the amount of time spent living through some kind of war or major upheaval, it’s not to be taken for granted and will not last forever. There’s an obvious link between those two ideas which I think has a lot to do with the themes on the album.

E&D: How was the experience of having Brad Boatright mastering The Seeing House?

Matthew: He was great! He has so much experience with all flavours of heavy music that he knew exactly what we were about. A lot of the mastering engineers we looked at were clearly super skilled and had impressive credentials, but we got the sense they wouldn’t quite ‘get’ our aesthetic, and might just master us like they would a chuggy metal band – bright, blaring and scooped. We wanted something a bit more midsy and naturalistic, and Brad totally got that.

E&D: You have several guest musicians on the album, can you tell us about those and what they brought to the album?

Matthew: Jack from the brilliant band Mums brought his incredible fingers and guitar tone to the record, and he absolutely knew just what to play to elevate the track ‘My Life in Bins’. For some reason that track didn’t feel quite complete after we recorded it. Sometimes that happens – you realise that without the verve and volume of the rehearsal room you need something else to give the recording some juice. Jack covered the track in tasty fuzz and feedback, and made it the first Irk song ever with guitar! The track ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ has layers of cello courtesy of my wonderful partner Jenn and an incredible arrangement by my talented pal Jamie Chambers. I am a big fan of weird string arrangements and scratchy atonal silliness, and Jenn was incredibly patient whilst I asked her to record layers of cello screechiness over and over. That track is probably the most ambitious thing we’ve done.

E&D: What does The Seeing House of the title refer to?

J.S.: It’s probably not my place to say, but I’ve really enjoyed hearing people try to formulate into words what general sense, be it visual, emotional, or other, the title leads their minds to conjure. Hopefully whatever feelings the title evokes in anyone listening, will go on to anchor and link all the songs together in some way.

E&D: As this is your second album, did you feel any pressure in following up your debut Recipes From The Bible?

Matthew: Only from ourselves! We just really wanted to expand the scope of our sound, push ourselves and hopefully top the last album, simply because that’s what keeps it all interesting. There are always times in the process when you’re second guessing yourself and unsure if you’re creating good stuff. And I personally get maniacally obsessed and hyper analytical with the small details too, especially on the production side of things, which can make the process feel quite stressful. But ultimately that sense of pressure isn’t coming from anyone outside the band.

E&D: Was it a cool experience doing the visuals for the album tracks ‘Toothache In Prison’ and ‘Idiot Plot’?

Ed: It’s been great working with our guy John Figler on the visuals. We first worked together on the video for ‘Life Changing Porno’ in 2018, and a live session via John’s Technoir crew. John has a keen eye for matching an aesthetic to our racket, and he’s incredibly patient with our nonsense. There will be more Fig-produced Irk content coming soon.

E&D: Do you feel that music videos are still an important tool for bands?

Ed: It’s another part of the creative process, and I like how a good video can capture a time and place.

J.S.: It’s also just another chance to collaborate and allow other talented artists to add more dimensions to the music. There’s a lot of songs I can’t listen to without having some kind of visual memory triggered of the music video, like they’re inexorably linked in my experience of them.

E&D: What are some of your favourite music videos ever?

Matthew: ‘Windowlicker’ by Aphex Twin. ‘How May I Help You?’ by Sikth. ‘Paranoid Android’ by Radiohead. All bizarre and unforgettable.

Ed: ‘Everlong’ by Foo Fighters and ‘Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver’ by Primus for the daftness. ‘Coffee and TV’ by Blur for a hit of nostalgia.

J.S.: There’s some obvious big hitters, Chris Cunningham’s stuff was huge for me and my friend growing up, staying up late to see the ‘Windowlicker’ and ‘Come to Daddy’ videos on TV. Michel Gondry is another legend of the game, and Spike Jonze of course. Jonathan Glazer, less prolific in output but still did some of the most memorable videos I can think of. Honourable mentions is the video for ‘Brats’ by Liars, which has some major dream physics vibes, ‘We Are Water’ by Health which is a brutal horror short that works unbelievably with the track (and is by Eric Wareheim of “Tim and Eric” fame), and pretty much everything Tommy Cash has done, all mint.

E&D: How is life on Nefarious Industries and how did you come to be on the label?

Ed: Matt reached out to a bunch of labels once we had some presentable mixes of album tracks. After a chat with Greg at Nefarious, it was clear we were all on the same page. Nefarious Industries is a good fit for Irk, I’ve seen the label described as “a label that showcases the most adventurous and least commercially viable artists that it can manage to locate”, so they’ve really lucked out with us!

E&D: What are your favourite noise rock and math rock albums of all time?

Matthew: My favourite math rock album is without a doubt Meet Me In St. Louis’ Variations On Swing. I was lucky enough to see this band a bunch of times in my teens and they made a long lasting impression on me. That album is so intricate, detailed, and just brimming with ideas that I always hear new things in it. It sounds like a band pushing themselves to the edge of their abilities, but amidst all the chaos and angularity is a vocal that ties the songs together and makes it all feel coherent. It’s just a brilliant, ambitious record.

Ed: Carboniferous by Zu, Sleeping People by Sleeping People, At Action Park by Shellac, American Don by Don Cab, Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt. Those five definitely left a mark.

J.S.: Goat by The Jesus Lizard was formative, as was Glenn Branca’s The Ascension. Refusal Fossil by Ruins and Ride the Skies by Lightning Bolt were mind openers as well. Can’t not mention Slint’s Spiderland. Mclusky with The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not on Fire, Polvo’s Today’s Active Lifestyles, Yahweh or the Highway by Arab on Radar, all absolutely crucial. More recently, Throat by Little Women, Holding Hands With Jamie by Gilla Band, and Synchromysticism by Yowie have been keeping things exciting for me.

E&D: You previously covered the song ‘Disdain’ by Unsane for a tribute album, how was that experience?  

J.S.: Yeah it was a hoot. I remember as a kid always being stoked when ‘Scrape’ came on MTV2, and they are obviously among the very best at that super visceral style of noise rock. I also enjoy how daft the whole shtick is with the gory album covers and the macabre song titles, it’s very theatrical and goofy. So when an angry Italian man offered us the chance to get on a covers record with lovely folks like KEN mode and Silent Front, we simply had to say, “Sì, per favore, ma per favore non urlare contro di noi”.

E&D: Are Unsane a big influence on the music of Irk and what other bands have influenced you the most?

J.S.: That whole 90s noise rock explosion inevitably informs a lot of what we do, Shellac, The Jesus Lizard, Oxbow, et al. However, so much classic noise rock and adjacent music is tied to guitars, which we don’t have. I think that’s when our broader musical influences help us build the Irk framework. Obvious sonic allusions can be made to Lightning Bolt or Death From Above 1979, but we’re also channelling equal quantities of Björk, John Coltrane, Wesley Willis, and even artists like Leonora Carrington, filmmakers like Krzysztof Kieślowski, and writers like Thomas Ligotti. Even comedians like Vic and Bob have a tangible steer. TL;DR: We like System of a Down.

E&D: What other songs would you love Irk to tackle?

Ed: We’ve been threatening to do a cover of ‘Going Away to College’ by Blink 182 for ages.

E&D: Have you got live shows coming up when The Seeing House comes out?

Ed: We’re cooking up some plans. For the past few years we’ve been hiding away in our rehearsal space while focussing on this album, but we’ve been limbering up and will be back at it soon.

E&D: What have been some of the most memorable gigs that Irk have played so far?

J.S.: The album launch show for our first record was brilliant. Luckily it was all recorded and committed to the annals of history (via YouTube), which is good as I can’t remember that much of it because Buckfast. We had lovely pals supporting (Beige Palace and Britney), it was at our very own rehearsal space, Chunk, and the place was packed almost exclusively by our beloved friends. A moment of pure joy for all involved, easily my favourite show we ever played. Having said that, we played to three people in Hoorn in the Netherlands, which is more notable when you account for the fact that there were 5 people on tour with us at the time. Me and Ed played half the set from a toilet cubicle by the stage. The barman, his girlfriend, and our tour manager Stew (of Bad Owl fame) thoroughly enjoyed it.

E&D: What are the best music venues in Leeds for Irk?

J.S.: We’ll play anywhere, we will bring the party. Hire us for your birthday party, livestock auction, wellness retreat, bottomless brunch, chess conference, or gurning competition.

E&D: What are your other favourite music spots in Leeds?

J.S.: I speak for all of the grimy noise bands in the city when I say, we miss Chunk, our old rehearsal space and DIY venue, which became a ridiculously prolific hub of noise and art back in the day. Some of our pals have revived that spirit with a space called Damaged Goods. Otherwise, The Brudenell will always be among the best venues in the world. We were also super happy to see Boom reborn in a new location recently and really hope they can continue rising like that proverbial bird from them proverbial non-aqueous, non-gaseous fire residues.

E&D: Who are your favourite ever bands from Leeds?

Matthew: The names that jump to the forefront of my mind are Shatner’s Bassoon and Trio VD – both astonishing experimental skronky jazz bands that have blown my mind multiple times. Trio VD haven’t been around for a long time now but I still remember their shows. And of course Blacklisters are brilliant.

Ed: It’s difficult to narrow this down to a few bands, but I’ll give it a try… Blacklisters, Cattle and Famine. Those three probably have an unfair advantage because I’ve seen them so many times and they are/were killer live acts.

J.S.: Shatner’s Bassoon and Blacklisters are up there. I want to say Thank but not sure if I’m allowed because I was in that band for the first 3 years or so of their existence. All the amazing Chunk affiliated bands, Cattle, Famine, Bearfoot Beware, Magnapinna, Algernon Cornelius, Ona Snop, Beige Palace, Straight Girl, etc. Gotta mention Galaxians as the party soundtrack to a lot of my younger years in Leeds. Two Minute Noodles too. And Submotion Orchestra. And casting a wider net I’d add Hood. And Nightmares on Wax. I also miss Milk White White Teeth.

E&D: What else can we expect from Irk for the rest of 2025 and going into 2026? 

J.S.: Hopefully a fat stack of live shows, some very silly social media content involving cocktails, possibly Matt will try a new hairstyle at some point, and all kinds of other untold wonders. Keep up with us via Instagram for unfettered access to the sauce.

E&D: What have been your albums of the year so far?

Matthew: I listen to a lot of music, but honestly I think I’ve only listened to one album that came out this year, which is Metallic Life Review by Matmos, which is great.

J.S.: Top of the pile is the very recently released The End by Junior Brother, Roman’s last album The Great Irish Famine was outstanding and this one is just as good. End of the Middle by Richard Dawson was also a treat this year, beautifully subdued and deeply humanist collection of songs. Was very pleased to welcome back Mclusky with the world is still here and so are we which absolutely slaps. Young Knives returned with Landfill which I enjoyed. Lonnie Holley’s Tonky is great.

dS: Viagra boys by Viagra Boys is definitely up there for me, I saw them live for the first time this year and they were just as fun as I hoped they’d be. Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes dabble in a kind of jazz that I very much enjoy. The live Talking Heads album Live on Tour ‘78 that got released for Record Store Day this year is currently on repeat – I have a soft spot for those first two Talking Heads albums.

The Seeing House will be released on September 26th through Nefarious Industries and is available to pre-order through here.