Southampton's MeddleSum released their debut album 'Default Position' in May 2018.
“We like meddling in a range of styles and feel reluctant to place ourselves within any particular genre. Our aim is to have a back catalogue as eclectic as possible. A body of music capable of utterly baffling even the most militant of Music Librarians”.
The first album lands somewhere between Hard Rock, Progressive Metal and Prog Rock, matching guitarist Dan Housego's early interests in music.
"When I was fourteen, I had house parties almost every weekend. Schoolmates would come over to chill, watch movies, and play some Xbox. One of them absolutely hated video games though, so he'd bring his CD's over to entertain himself. One day he played some Metallica and I was completely transfixed by the sounds emitting from my speakers.
Shortly after, I had an ear operation, and the doctor said I shouldn't consider being a rock star. Naturally, I did what any teenager does when he's told what not to do. I had my dad's battered guitar down from the attic the moment the bandages were off.
Later in life, when I was at a vegan convention up in London, I met SlaW and recognised a similarly rebellious nature, albeit one with a bit more panache. I’d been throwing bacon at the attendees for about twenty minutes, when SlaW turned up with a suitcase full of thickly sliced meats. Under his tutelage, I discovered that the sounds of juicy pork chops hitting vegans in the face is far more satisfying than those of singular rashers of bacon. I also found out he had a home studio, so I invited myself over to make some music”.
SlaW makes up the rest of this mischievous duo. “I don’t know how he found out my address, and I refused to let him in to begin with. I had a dozen or so prostitutes in the cellar, and I was waiting for the snow to clear so I could bury them a bit easier. I told him to come back a week after it melted but I’d barely packed away my shovel before he was banging on the door again”.
MeddleSum decided to make music that keeps listeners on their toes. “We want to ask the questions we shouldn't ask. Make listeners think about subjects they don't want to think about. The home studio has everything we need to be entirely self-sufficient, and being completely independent allows us to write whatever we feel like”.
The album opens with ‘Easy Meat’, a track about Child Prostitution Rings and the methods they use to ensnare young boys and girls. Written from the perspective of pimps and rapists, it depicts how they create close links with the police and establishment to avoid punishment. MeddleSum hopes this extremely catchy, upbeat song becomes popular amongst the world’s 11 year-olds. This would help them understand and avoid the horrendous tactics used to enslave them, whilst giving some light-hearted entertainment at the same time.
Keeping in line with meat-themed track titles, ‘Sausages’ lightens the tone even further. It contemplates the 21st century’s most important questions about loving marriages. Which foods work best when secretly trying to administer antibiotics to your wife? Is a long-term affair with one woman more rewarding than multiple one-night stands? Should a serial cheater really have less access to their children than their monogamous counterparts? MeddleSum hopes everyone but their wives hear this extremely catchy, upbeat song.
‘Hand in Hand’ keeps the good feels coming. Opening with first-hand accounts of being brutally murdered by raving psychopaths, this extremely catchy, upbeat track aims to help listeners find a calm, meditative mind-set whilst their governments continue to ethically obtain resources equal to economic requirements.
We think ‘Gold!’ will be the feel good hit of the summer. This extremely catchy, upbeat track is about making mega-bucks in a decent, honest, family business.
Unlike the rest of the tracks on ‘Default Position’, album closer “The Rescue” is precisely sixteen minutes and thirty-one seconds long. This Wild West epic tells the tale of Wallace H. Randolph, a preacher chasing after Indians who’ve kidnapped his family. This extremely catchy, upbeat track is an extremely catchy, upbeat track, oozing positive vibes and catchiness.
Right now, MeddleSum are mixing their next album, “From Faith…”
“I’m an even better guitarist now than I was a year ago, because I’ve been practicing, which makes you better at things” says Dan, stating the bloody obvious. “And my Nan tells me I’m about as good as Dimebag Darrell, Randy Rhodes, and Jeff Hanneman combined. Although, she can’t stand rock music, so it’s difficult to tell if that’s a compliment or an insult”.
"Dan had some teething issues at the start” says SlaW. “He rang me once, asking how to fine-tune a guitar with a Floyd-Rose bridge. I told him to use his head, so he head-butted it until he knocked himself out. But he's improved massively over the course of this project. He’s learnt to play two strings at a time, and has even started using both hands on rare instances. I feel this can only add to the upbeat, feel-good nature of future releases".
More than just guitar incompetence plagued MeddleSum’s studio time. “Laying down SlaW’s vocals was one of the hardest parts of the recording process” says Dan. “He can’t read, but refuses to admit it. He’d enter the vocal booth with a lyric sheet, and then blame my handwriting when he couldn’t remember the next verse, even though I’d given him a printed word document”.
“He’s lying” interjects SlaW. “I am more than capable of reading”.
“No you’re not”.
“Yes I am”.
“What’s it say on my shirt then?”
“Twat"
“See! He can’t read a damn thing!”
After a violent brawl ensues, the duo leave through separate doors, both forewarning the other of a brutal and bloody vengeance. “…From Faith” will be released May 2019.
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