Colin's Car.

Now for Colin's Car, which is, by far, the single most stupid, outlandish, indulgent, niche, derivative, inaccessible, and ridiculous song I'll ever do. But people LOVE it?!?

It's an obvious homage to The Beach Boys, one of my favourite groups ever, but I got so carried away with it that I think even Brian at his SMiLIEST would've said "stop". There's SIX key changes in the first minute alone!

A lyric about surfing would've been too obvious. In the early days they did just as many songs about hot rods, but nobody highlights that do they? But how can I relate enough to write about it? Well... my friend Colin owns a car and is a tech whiz, how's that for a combo!

Colin used to ban me from the internet in school for playing Flash games, but we bonded over Bowie and now we're dear friends and regularly share stages together, whether with The Spiders or throwing McFly songs he might know at my acoustic do.

Anyways the stupidest lyric in the world flowed out. I shared early demos with friends to make them laugh but they seemed to REALLY like it. Treating this stupid joke like serious art. A die-hard Beach Boys aficionado even said it was authentic Mike Love!!

It just needed a final movement, which arrived in August 2023, and tracking it was the hardest session EVER - the most difficultly intricate vocal arrangement I've ever recorded, with a lyric I couldn't stop laughing at. But then people told me it's one of the most beautiful things they've ever heard?!

Colin's Car was complete. I played it to Colin in his car expecting him to be in tears of laughter, but he was just in tears?!

Before the album was even out, it was the talk of the town. I don't know how it circulated but I was at Albany Park Co-Op and the lady behind the till went, "Two words. Colin's Car." I hadn't even told her I'm a musician!

First movement recorded March to June 2020 (vocals Apr 2021-Mar 2023), second movement recorded Nov 2019 (vocals March 2023), and final movement Aug 2023. All instruments and vocals by me. If anyone covers it note for note I will buy you champagne in a pub.

By the way a few people have asked, the real thing was a modern Ford Focus. I took some artistic license. But it did have air-con x