Music and Words

Creative collaborations at its finest comes from a musician and an illustrator, who happen to share a love of darkness and despair.

Blending the words and wisdom of visual artist David Shrigley who is no stranger to Cent, having contributed to our ‘Sense of Purpose’ issue. And the authentic musicianship of songwriter and Arab Strap co-founder Malcolm Middleton, the pair’s absurd humorous and stark delivery is perfectly captured on ‘Music And Words’ – a special collaboration album including darkness, pathos, despair; and all the other existential things.

Featuring the vocals and mimicry talent of comic actor Gavin Mitchell, the transatlantic tones of Californian friend Scott Vermeire, actor Bridget McCann and David Shrigley himself, the album was born in lieu of payment after Shrigley created artwork for Middleton’s ‘A Brighter Beat’ album “I loved all the music Malcolm made,” says Shrigley. “We have similar sensibilities; we’re both into darkness, pathos, despair; existential things. It was just what I wanted, even though I didn’t really know what I wanted.”

‘Story Time’ is the first track we hear off of the new album and boasts humor as black as the lines of Shrigley’s drawings. “It’s the song that started it all,” Middleton recalls. “Funny, disturbing, and then a bit more disturbing. It’s a beautiful song, not just a cheap shock,” he says, affirming the album’s subjective nature. But gathering source material for the pair’s mordant style isn’t something to have happened overnight as Malcolm wrote the first pieces of music back in 2007 so all in all the album has taken roughly 7 years to make.

Malcolm Middleton will host ‘Twice! Two Nights At Tuts’ this December, which is pretty self explanatory – two gigs at Kings Tuts in Glasgow with Saturday 13th December a full band show and Sunday 14th an acoustic one.

Also this winter will see the umpteenth book by David Shrigley. ‘Weak Messages Create Bad Situations’ is a sort of manifesto about graphic art amongst other things. It is a big heavy book and can be used to press flowers or kill insects.

There will be a limited vinyl run of 1000 12”s, each with individual artwork by David Shrigley.