Meet The 113: the band where punk meets poetry
If you like your post punk music with a side of poetry, then the ranty lyrics, distorted guitar, and high sound levels of The 113 (one-thirteen) will have your back.
The northern english band is lead by Jack, who is their lead guitarist as well as the primary songwriter for the band. It was Jack who had the idea to start The 113, and all he needed were some more musicians to back him up. So he called up Picton and Louie, who had been in a band he had previously, to be his drummer and rhythm guitarist. All he needed was a bassist. After deciding that the barman at his local pub, Josh, “had the look” he picked him up as well. Once he had all the moving parts, Jack began writing songs for the band.
(left to right) Picton, louie, jack, and josh - image by alessandra berry for noize magazine
Their writing and recording process might look different to what you would expect when you hear their music. Jack records everything in his own bedroom.
“i've got a little bedroom studio. And I'll come up with a demo, just the bare bones of a track. I'll record everything and take it into the studio or rehearsal room and we work on it there. Everyone plays and messes with the framework a little bit and adds their own things and I take it back and record their ideas in,”
Jack described. Although Jack gets the process started, all members of the band still contribute to the songs. “He’ll bring (his ideas) into the rehearsal room and that’s when we can add our own personalities to it,” added Picton.
When it comes to the creative aspect of their writing – as is the case for all of the best bands– the members of the 113 all have very different musical influences. The one genre of music that brings them all together, of course, is punk (especially UK punk). However, another genre that influences their music is Hip-Hop. Jack is personally inspired by Hip-Hop and incorporates it’s basic lyrical structure into otherwise strictly punk-sounding songs, giving their music a bit of an edge. Similar to Hip-Hop music, Jack speaks of personal and real issues in the lyrics of his songs.
The 113 perform at the brudenell - image by Naomi whitehead
“It’s stuff that exists in my head and it’s just putting a soundtrack to it. Everything I've written is from a place of truth and it might be exaggerated or made a bit more fictional but everything comes from an experience I've had or a thought I've had,”
Jack explained. Lyrics are definitely the most important part of the songwriting process for the 113, and the instrumentals are meant to perfectly accompany the words. “The music works its way around what he’s saying and adds emphasis to it,” said Josh.
The band, having been together for quite some time now, has definitely solidified their style, but they still continue to evolve. When asked about the evolution of their style, Picton stated,
“I feel like if anything we’ve just built on the style that we already had. We’re getting more confident in it. We’ve become a lot noisier.”
the 113 perform at supersonic - image by manon Pothin
Something else that always evolves for the 113 is their stage presence, as they have become more comfortable around their audiences and confident in their songs. “I have a lot more fun on stage from joining this band now. The things we play aren’t crazy complicated to play so you can put a bit more energy into just having fun and making a bit of energy which is good,” Louie said about what’s changed for him since joining the band.
Overall, the 113 is a band you’ll definitely want to watch, especially if you’re a fan of punk and alternative rock. Their mix of meaningful lyrics and intense melodies attract listeners from all over the world and always get crowds moving (even if they don’t understand english!). Be sure to listen to their new EP To Combat Regret, wherever you stream your music.
