Formed in 2023, Swansea’s gritty Baby Schillaci recall the likes of Mclusky, At The Drive-In and Fugazi. Throwing shade at TED talkers and empty anti-establishment standpoints, their frantic postpunk sound can be heard on debut album The Soundtrack, which singer/guitarist Tom Richards told Emma Way about.
How would you describe your relationship with dissonance and more abrasive, less ‘pleasing’ types of sound?
Tom Richards: The album’s mantra was to immerse the listener in an anxiety-ridden fever dream. The type of experience that no one wants or needs. Which is quite pointless really! We tried to commit to the themes on the album, which lent itself to a detached and dissonant sound.
You are so much more than just shouty energy alone, the context of your songs go much deeper into politics, fake news and toxic online personalities. Why did you feel a need to bring this extra weight to these songs?
Tom Richards: I think once you touch on certain subject matters, there is an obligation to give it the care and attention it deserves. Nothing fucks me off more than hearing “fuck the Tories” in between every song. It’s as empty and pointless as a car sticker. You don’t speak for me or to me. The job is to challenge the listener. I don’t think we can be accused of phoning it in or playing it safe.
What’s your experience of being a band in the Swansea live music scene? Have there been any particular venues, organisations or people who have stood out to you/impacted you positively?
Tom Richards: There’s been a shift in the Swansea music scene in recent years. From our experiences, there are people who have been a big part of helping shape this shift – Jordan McGuire [the Bunkhouse] and Scott Mackay [Elysium Gallery] from a venue standpoint, and promoters like Lavender Sweep and R*E*P*E*A*T.
What can listeners expect from your debut album The Soundtrack?
Tom Richards: The original concept was a score to a fictional B-movie, and we liked the idea of operating within a similar theme. It’s a disorientating journey through the joys of modern life. We wanted a sit-down album from start to finish with a beginning, middle and end – it’s our bludgeoning manifesto and we are proud of it.
Kumite is one of my favourite songs on the album – can you talk a little about how that song came to be?
Tom Richards: It’s a bit of a cynical brainfart in all directions. I definitely remember thinking Kumite was the best song title ever. Kumite provides the battleground for all encounters, be it psychological or something tangible.
How have you expanded your sound to fit across a 10-song full-length record?
Tom Richards: We were very aware of falling into that pitfall of a good live song, and then how it sounds on record. Too often, a song on record misses the mark. We are lucky that we’re new to the game, so the recording process became an opportunity to shape us.
What kind of personal experiences formed the lyrical content for The Anti Suncream League? Could this be a possible anti-conspiracy theorist anthem?
Tom Richards: We’ll take that! It evolved from its original idea, which was an Anarchist Cookbook response to the Baz Luhrmann song [1997 hit single Everybody’s Free]. A de-motivational song. I was having a shit day and wanted to spit some bile at some idiots. Lost in a daze of motivational memes and TED talkers, all of them making me feel guilty for not earning or improving. An anthem for wankers.
Coming out of writing this record, what did you learn and what are you taking forward for future bodies of work?
Tom Richards: I learnt that the only thing that matters is the work. You can control that variable. Whether it gets heard by 10 people, that doesn’t matter. I have never been more excited by what can be accomplished when the four of us are together. As for the future, we’re looking to record an anti-capitalism Christmas song.
Baby Schillaci’s The Soundtrack is released on Wed 2 Oct.
Info: babyschillaci.com
words EMMA WAY
