TEMPING BOWLING
Niall The Urchin are a new duo hailing from Hammersmith in the wilds of West London.
Consisting of Niall and his mysterious, bandmate MTB, rather putting me in mind of a modern day Jay and Silent Bob outfit! Although better looking, more talented and less drug abuse (I hope lol)!
I’m advised that the duo formed after Niall spotted a bass guitar in the window of his local Cash Converters and starting making loops to accompany his spiky and street smart poetry. The duo’s rough and ready, minimalist sound grew from there, inspired by everyone from Joy Division and Suicide to Two Lone Swordsmen and The Streets. Niall also points out the huge influence of hip-hop on their set-up, especially the early output of Odd Future and The Wu-Tang Clan.
The fantastically titled ‘Temping Bowling’ is the duo’s official first debut single, after they announced their existence to the world last month with the brutal offering of ‘Bleak Street’ which we here at The Songbird had the pleasure of running the video exclusive for.
‘Temping Bowling’ was recorded by the band and mixed by Señor Al Funklinos (King Krule, Baba Ali, Ghostpoet), and Niall says that the emphasis of the single is that it is an “angry sideswipe at the pettiness, mundanity and ultimate futility of work under the twin shadows of Covid and Brexit.”
He further goes on to explain;
“‘Temping Bowling’ was written about the monotony of a previous job, I think a lot of the time people think hard work and rewards go hand in hand, but quite often that’s not the case. I was playing in bands, working from nine to six and had a pretty dismal boss. I started as a temp and, before I knew it, I’d been there for over a year. Ultimately most employers look at their staff as expendable and that was evident to me when Covid hit.”
“I wrote this song to poke fun at the hierarchical systems people try to exist within. In a job full of daft training sessions, false promises and countless egos it’s hard not to go full Bukowski, ‘Post Office’-style.”
A sentiment I’m sure we can all share!! I know I’ve been there and I’m sure you have to, which makes this track so relatable to us all on some level. It’s an uprising or say “yeah f*ck you, actually I’ve had enough of this bullsh*t”!
As well as more obvious touchstones as John Cooper Clarke and Half Man Half Biscuit’s Nigel Blackwell, Niall cites Charles Bukowski as a major influence on both his poetry and his perspective.
“I like his humour and his blunt approach to the monotony of everyday life. I think he takes situations like dead-end jobs and really draws out humour and also the sheer pointlessness of it.”
In taking aim at the humdrum, Niall The Urchin have produced something really special – a ‘perfect strike’ with their debut single if you will!
Listen to ‘Temping Bowling for yourself here now.
You can next catch Niall The Urchin perform live on April 9 at Trinity Bar in London.
FOLLOW THE NIALL THE URCHIN
Words by SALLY NEWMAN
Photo credits Cindy Sasha
The songbird 