MEATRAFFLE

DAMIAN ROBINSON TALKS TO MEATRAFFLE’S ZSA ZSA SAPIEN ABOUT LEGACY, LOVE AND CREATING A STIR

What musicians chose as a central narrative in their music can, obviously, hold significant importance. A recent survey into the core reasons musical artists chose particular subjects to write about suggested that delayed gratification values such as legacy, rather than immediate chart placings or money, were a much heavier motivating factor. Whilst nothing ever lasts forever, it seems like the majority of artists are keen to leave something behind. Something important. Something to be remembered for.

If legacy and cultural impact drives a musician’s output more than chart positions, then one of the hottest underground bands around are Meatraffle; a South London collective who put politics and ideas about collectivism as their central ideology. Previous banger Brother not only created a sound piecing together savage guitar rock, funky basslines and Blockhead-style vocals, it also sought to talk about the type of love never sung about – platonic love.

“The mainstream tends to talk about love being between two people in a sexual relationship,” offers Meatraffle’s singer Zsa Zsa Sapien, “yet it doesn’t really talk about the love between two friends or two relatives, the type of love that is grounded in something that you might have in common with someone. These are the types of love, and the types of relationships, we need to talk about more in society; I’d be nothing without my friends and my band mates and the people who support me when I need help.”

Looking to impact others as well as leave a legacy, Meatraffle have also grown quite the reputation as a ‘must-see’ live band, full of wild guitar-driven moments and spontaneity. “It’s funny that we’ve developed this live reputation because if anything we’re not staged or overly rehearsed in any way,” continues Zsa Zsa. “I suppose, talking about this out loud, what that does give the band is a slight sense of danger and an ability to go off on tangents, whether that’s extending a song slightly or taking the mick out of ourselves. We tend to react to a crowd and change our styles on the night.”

Gearing up for more releases in 2020, Zsa Zsa maintains that Meatraffle are a band trying to lift us all up, rather than just themselves. When talking about recent single Brother, Zsa Zsa leaves us with the thought about what he believes music can offer us in uncertain times. “Brother helped us to say the things most of us want to say but often are too nervous to say them. I hope our future material can make similar points.”

They may not be a household name yet, but give this band time; they’re playing the long game.

Meatraffle’s album, Bastard Music, is available now www.meatraffle1917.bandcamp.com