Clearly fans of carbs, Porridge Radio’s latest EP Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers is a bright and blustery collection of tunes that covers all the struggles – life, love and boredom. Describing themselves as ‘five idiot savants’ their scrapbook approach to writing, performing and recording sees an eclectic blend of influences touched by crazy imaginations and curious fingers.
It all began with some solo demos recorded in her Dana Margolin’s bedroom, before evolving into a five piece band, and Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers takes some remnants of those sessions and sees them ramped up by the buoyant group. They’re a quirky and creative bunch, coming to the project with varying amounts of experience and expertise, but always enthusiasm. Stink Pup (Sam) has been playing drums since the age of ten, whereas Madilda only began her musical career a couple of years ago when handed a bass guitar. Dan, who also calls himself, Snake Leather plays second guitar, and Gorgus started out as a fan with a memory for lyrics, and now accompanies on vocals.
It’s a pointed set of tunes, but not polished. The combination of honest lyrics with a lo-fi musical edge indicates the desire for a touch of authenticity. Ten tracks of grubby fun that effervesce with humour even as they are entangled with subjects of ceaseless drudgery. This is the world of scuffed trainers and burned dinners.
In Danish Pastry they address the dichotomy between the shoulds and the realities, when grey mornings hit you fast than gratitude, as Margolin sings that ‘the first thing I can do / when I wake up in the morning on any given day is say hello / I am alive / but I do not do this / I stumble out of bed confused and upset / that the world exists / and so do I.’ Sorry is a lo-fi piece of pop about finding yourself in a pickle with the awareness that there are hundreds of ways of ‘dealing with this shit / but I think I’ve only got the energy to cry.’ Lemonade simmers with less sweetness than the title might suggest, whilst the quieter Eugh soon turns up the volume as Dana shouts ‘Don’t be a jerk!’ repeatedly.
Released last year on Memorials of Distinction, the album is now out on red vinyl, with the celebrations happening on Sunday 19th March at London’s Shacklewell Arms.
And So She Thinks 