Girl and Girl on Black Country, New Road's 'Ants From Up There'

Music Feeds’ Love Letter To A Record series asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share stories about how the music they love has influenced their lives. Here, Queensland indie-rock outfit Girl and Girl confess their love for Black Country, New Road’s second album, Ants From Up There (2022).

Anyone who’s seen Girl and Girl perform live at one of their many pub and club gigs around Brisbane and the Gold Coast in recent times will know that the cross-generational foursome like to enjoy themselves. But on the band’s new single, ‘Divorce 2’, vocalist and songwriter Kai James explores the emotions he felt upon finding out his parents were getting a divorce.

Girl and Girl’s love letter to ‘Ants From Up There’

Black Country, New Road’s sophomore album, Ants From Up There, released February this year, is quite possibly the best record released. Ever.

It’s only really in the last year or two that I started listening to albums in full. Before then, in true 21st-century short attention span style, I’d listen to one or two tracks, usually the singles, and never revisit the whole body of work. The works of Arcade Fire taught me the merit of sitting through entire albums and how tracks can make more sense in particular orders accompanied by other songs.

Since then, I have developed obsessions with several albums, listening to them on repeat for weeks at a time. Some of this year’s discoveries include Good Morning’s Barnyard, Big Thief’s Masterpiece, Donny Love’s Meeting of the Dons and of course, Ants From Up There.

For me, one of the big draw cards of this album is the theatricality of some of the tracks. I was raised on musicals. Singin’ in the Rain is one of my favourite films. I spent the bulk of my teen years studying acting, ballet, tap, et cetera. I was really drawn to the stage in those ways. I think that has shaped a lot of my music taste today.

For example, LCD Soundsystem, one of my all time favourite acts, I find so over-dramatic, sort of sarcastic and performative – and I bloody love it. I try to write a lot of my lyrics in that vein. Ants From Up There isn’t all theatrics – a lot of it I actually find quite depressing – but the odd track, like ‘The Place Where He Inserted the Blade’ or ‘Chaos Space Marine,’ sets this indie-rock-musical tone so well and I cannot get enough of it. My god.

The musicality of the record is as intimidating as it is inspiring. A lot of my music comes from a background of “play what sounds right.” It’s very loosely based in music theory, whereas, from what I understand, a lot of the folk in BCNR have musical education. It’s such a fantastic collection of instruments and knowledge that culminates in such a unique sound. In the early days of hearing the record, I really struggled to write any of my own material. I felt myself become really judgmental of my own stuff and overwhelmed by theirs.

The lyricism is another stand out component. For example, the intro to ‘Good Will Hunting’:

You walk up on the raised edge

Hands out for balance

Slipping, you almost grab mine, but you find your feet

And I never wanted so much someone to fall

Shortly before the release of the album, Isaac Wood, the group’s lead singer, announced he would be leaving the band due to mental health issues. A YouTuber by the name of Professor Skye’s Record Review had a really nice take on Isaac’s departure, basically saying that while Isaac is an incredible artist, he’s glad that he had the courage and power of self-reflection to identify these issues and make a change before something awful could happen. A nice way of reflecting on a sad moment for the band.

It’s not the end for BCNR though, which is punk. Apparently they work 100% collaboratively and say the sound will continue, as it’s not entirely dependent on one member. I am awfully excited to hear what comes next. Lastly, watch the film clip for ‘Concorde’. Tell me if it’s sadder then the clip for our latest single ‘Divorce 2’. I think they have us beat.