Next Wave #796: SuperGlu

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If you were to head to a park somewhere in the smallest town in England, you’d find the Welcome Home field, which has now found new significance as the namesake of Manningtree’s own SuperGlu’s latest release.

‘Welcome Home’ captures their infectious and energetic brand of punky pop, which is this time injected into swirling lovesick lyrics; “the verses of the song are about that psychedelic summer crush feeling that you get when you meet someone you like”. “The Welcome Home field is also where you can pick magic mushrooms when they are in season, hence the marbles spinning in my mind,” the band tell Clash, citing the inspiration behind the song’s wildly colourful and sickly-sweet metaphors of “cherry cola”, “butter bean surprise” and “kaleidoscope perfection”, as intoxicating as the feeling described.

Romantic relationships aren’t the only ones that are significant to SuperGlu; Ben, Alex, Krista and Ben are as tight knit as it gets. This close (and in Ben and Alex’s Brown case, literally brotherly) relationship is a product of their time spent together as a band, the result of “sitting in the car and driving all around the UK for hours on end, un-picking each other’s minds… a really bad sense of collective humour and smells.”

Once the band are out of the car, they’re itching to play a ridiculously enthusiastic live show, bursting with wailing guitars and yells of group vocals. “It's literally just who we are and comes naturally. You’re only up there for a limited time and with that you can do what you like, but it’s over in a flash. So, you can either reel the songs off like a machine gun or turn on your feedback pedal and lob your guitar in the air for 15 minutes. Each time is different; much to the same as every passing minute, it’s fleeting, precious and should be treated as such. Go out and enjoy it, fuck about but do it seriously and rock on.”

With this attitude and a collection of playful anthemic bangers to match it, it seems that SuperGlu are far more concerned about having a good time than dwelling over being a ‘cool rock band’. “That’s more than fair to say,” they agree. “It somehow works, four different people making different compromises. Ben Ward would rather everyone wore circa 2006 sixth form indie outfits; whereas Ben Brown refuses to lose weight and to take off his stinking lederhosen and cowboy boots… somewhere in the middle of these compromises you’ll find what we are. But we are actually really cool, honestly.”

Despite the fun-driven exterior, songs such as ‘Simmer Down’ and ‘Overjoyed’ are lyrically more sensitive, testament to the fact that SuperGlu have their finger on the pulse of what makes them the band they are: “If we are doing it ‘differently’ then we didn’t really know we were – if we did, we would probably be a lot more successful,” they joke. However, this is where they sell themselves short, these four have a totally unique energy and spirit that is only just beginning to propel them forward on their riotous path of fun.

WHAT: A sucker-punch of infectious punk-fuelled pop anthems
WHERE: Manningtree

GET 3 SONGS: 'Dreams', 'Welcome Home', 'Simmer Down'

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Words: Katie Pilbeam

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