Generally, we’re not all that phased by new music that comes out in December – another enforced-festive-fun cash grab by an artist we’ve never cared for? Yeah, more than happy to swerve that.
However, this December, a single was released that we jumped at the chance to ram straight down our ears. On repeat. And it doesn’t even mention tinsel, snow or the big man himself once.
Instead, it turns its attention to ‘Ayahuasca nuts in Mammut kecks’ & ‘Inspirational quote-loving ninjas in Valentino trabs.’
Of course, we’re talking about the new single between our favourite Scouse spoken word performer & certified Lacoste fanatic, Roy aka PJ Smith & God Colony, titled ‘Loss Is Not Infinite’
The trio have teamed up to produce a single that they’re trying to take to No.1 this Christmas, with all proceeds going to Damien John Kelly House, a live-in centre in Liverpool for men recovering from addiction.
The single covers some pressing, absurd & definite humorous themes, with Roy’s instantly recognisable North Liverpool accent ringing out, only ever interrupted by smooth sax and one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard this year.
In order to find out more about the song of the month, and probably the year, we chatted with Roy about its inspiration, Mr Blobby-infused music video, conspiracy theorists, and whether he’d rather be right, or happy…
Hi Roy / PJ, Where are you? What have you been up to? How’re you doing? Basically, are you alright to introduce yourself?
Hello mate. Currently at home frantically searching for my passport.
Due to fly out for a bit of winter sun tomorrow. It’s looking increasingly likely I won’t be going. Just finishing my monthly column for Cold War Steve’s newsletter subscribers. I go to a shared reading group tonight, so that gets me out of the house and able to absorb some literature whilst thinking about what jacket pocket my passport could be in.
Sounds like a minor disaster, how long have you been performing spoken word for?
Since 2016 and the advent of La Violette Società – the night I run every two months.
I was able to put myself on the bill and slowly gather a little following. I only started to take it seriously in 2019 though, then released a collection of short stories on Rough Trade Books. It’s called Algorithm Party. There’s been a film made of it, so we’re due to visit a few independent film festivals around Europe next year.
Nearly a seasoned professional now though, is writing something that you’ve always been passionate about? Were you big into English at school?
Not really. I’ve always been into films, music and books. Being a writer seemed to happen by accident though
I don’t read anywhere near as much as I’d like to. I used to, when I had fuck all else to do. I didn’t mind school but lost interest when I discovered drugs and music. Loved losing myself in other people’s creativity. I hung around with talented people. Their attitude rubbed off on me, in a ‘just have a go’ kind of way.
I was always frightened of being shite at something or getting ridiculed. Now I just have a go and accept that it might be shite, or I might get ridiculed, but I also have this unwavering feeling that I’ll get good at it. I do it because I like how it makes me feel.
All the other add-ons are great though – supporting Steve Mason and Paul Heaton. Reading at festivals. Meeting and working with some boss people. Getting commissioned to write a script for a sitcom. Not going to argue with any of that.
Do you get your inspiration for writing from one place more than another? It seems growing up in the North, particularly Merseyside has a bearing on what you write.
My surroundings influence the details of my writing. As they would if I grew up in Leeds, Bristol, Newcastle or Aberdeen. The subjects I write about – loss, identity, ego, fear etc – aren’t exclusive to here. I just happen to write about people who are from here.
Right, let’s talk about the new song – Loss is not Infinite. I’ve read that you adapted the lyrics originally from one of your short stories, what was the inspiration for the short story, and what made you choose the lyrics from that one in particular to adapt into a song?
Tom from God Colony got in touch to say he liked Loss Is Not Infinite, which was a short excerpt from Algorithm Party, that started life as a tweet. He asked about me recording some vocals. Loads of people enquire but hardly anything ever comes of it.
Tom was persistent though, so I knew he meant business. I’m glad he got on my case.
Where did the name of the song come from?
It’s about the state of non-existence. That bit in the middle of shaking off an old identity but not yet having formed a new, better one. It’s terrifying but it’s only temporary.
It’s a hopeful song, telling you that you won’t feel lost forever if you just keep doing the right thing. Basically, if you don’t make your new life better than your old one, you’ll always go back to your old one. The paradox is that the more shortcuts you try to take, the longer the feeling of loss lasts.
There are no short cuts.
There’s a hefty focus on conspiracies in the lyrics, do you think people are more sceptical than ever of what they’re being told?
I think they are, yes. Rightly so. Some of their anger was misdirected though. Classic divide and conquer. That well-known meme about the big CEO having more than their fair share of cookies, and the person who’s confused, angry disconnected being told that someone on benefits is robbing all their cookies.
It’s not really about conspiracies, it’s about how vulnerable people are when they feel lost. They’re on a knife edge. People want quick fixes and instant answers. Misinformation thrives. It appeals to those seeking instant answers. Being in a state of non-existence is a good thing. It doesn’t feel like it at the time, but it is.
Provided you see it out. Sadly, most don’t. They jump on the latest subject that’s being amplified in order to get people angry with each other.
Do you think people in Liverpool are sceptical of things more so than people from the rest of the country?
I don’t think so. People here probably shout about it a bit more. Scouwzers gonna scouwze.
Haha, when I first listened to the song it instantly reminded me of when someone in Mossley Hill tried to set one of those new 5G towers on fire, do you know of any other mad stories that were influenced by conspiracy theories?
I saw a similar video to that, he was going on about flat earth though. Getting aggressive with people just trying to go about their day. I knew of him. A drug dealer who’d made his fortune distributing heroin and cocaine. Never had a full-time job. Never had to stick to a timetable or shift pattern.
He just didn’t like being told what to do and decided to take a stand. Quite an odd stand to take, like. Surrounded by sycophants. Never been told No. That’s it basically “I won’t be told what to do. I never have. I never will”.
What was the inspiration for the music video/album art having Mr Blobby in it?
Blobby is the perfect symbol, really. He had it all thirty years ago. Prime time telly. A Christmas number one. Household name. Then what? Disappeared. Erased from history.
That’s the real conspiracy. We found him. He’s back, off the gear, with a gastric band fitted, a hair transplant and a set of new gnashers. He’s trying to find out who he really is. He’s lost…but Loss Is Not Infinite. It could go either way for him.
I never thought of it like that. Alright, if you don’t mind, I’d like to present to you some of my favourite lyrics, and then if you could just provide a bit of background – inspiration/meaning/what was going through your head when you wrote them, that would be great.
Okay mate.
“Ayahuasca nuts in Mammut kecks“
Some lad I knew just seemed to go mad overnight.
It started off quite sane. “The capitalist machine is going to grind us all into the ground if we don’t stand up to it” that kind of stuff.
Now it’s progressed into “Air fryers are listening to us”. I don’t know enough about ayahuasca, but I know he was never the same since taking it. I imagine it’s not meant to be taken with shit loads of charlie, so he’s probably defeated the object there. The lad loved a pair of Mammut kecks though, so fair play to him.
“An angry man on a march for peace“
We all need anger. It’s an energy. Careful it doesn’t cross over into rage though.
I just noticed a huge contradiction of being all LOVE & PEACE and a bit mystical, then seeming to be permanently fuming with things like seatbelts, toothpaste, water etc.
Knew a few people where you’d have to actively steer the conversation away from anything remotely controversial in case they kicked off. These were previously laid-back cats. I’d fall into having mundane conversations like “I like your plates, sound them” to be met with “Yeah, we won’t be able to use plates for much longer if things carry on the way they are”. For fucks sake.
“Have you got kids? You don’t know what you’re fucking talking about then“
A classic of the genre. Had it said to me many times. No idea what it means in relation to our song. I just wanted to know what it felt like to say it out loud. I recommend it, to be fair. It was decent.
“Some skinhead lectures your nan about fifteen-minute cities“
It was written before the ex-Liverpool striker, Rickie Lambert, led a protest about 15-minute cities, at the town hall.
I listened to some audio footage of protesters being asked why they were against 15-minute cities. None of them gave a clear answer. They didn’t know. They just wanted to be part of something the hard lads from the gym were part of. Which I completely understand.
“A firm of Facebook mas are on their way to the scene of a crime“
The cases of Nicola Bulley and Jay Slater. Most of the time, there is no more to it than meets the eye. Sometimes there is, but most of the time there isn’t.
This amateur sleuth phenomenon, man? I blame cunts like Matt Hancock and Michelle Mone for fuelling people’s paranoia.
“A kid buys a new balaclava while his idol vanishes beyond the furthest city light. You know what you need, lad? Less Berghaus, more Bauhaus“
Someone I know went undercover at a far-right protest. He said the ‘front lines’ were just full of very unwell, vulnerable young men.
He also spotted the organisers, on their own, at the back, mingling and co-ordinating events, before disappearing when plod started arresting people. See also Steven Yaxley Lennons call to arms whilst he was in another country. Beaut.
And finally, finishing off with a lyric that is an actual question in itself:
“Would you rather be right, or happy?”
Would Roy rather be right, or happy?
Happy. Every single time.
Yeah agreed. What would you want a listener’s main takeaway from the song to be? If you wanted them to have one at all that is.
Mostly, that they like the song.
God Colony, Stealing Sheep and all the other collaborators have done a brilliant job. It’s a DIY effort. No one has earned a penny from it. We don’t have a radio plugger, but it’s been great that 6music has played it. People have messaged me to say they nearly crashed the car on the way to work when they unexpectedly heard it.
If you had to choose between wearing Mammut kecks or Valentino trabs for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Have to be Mammut kecks. You seen the kip of those Valentino trabs?
Agreed again. Would you rather be stuck in a room for 24 hours with an anti-vaccine stoner or a meditation meathead?
Both. I’d disarm them by telling them there was an invisible air fryer in the room, so we could just get on with meditating and getting stoned.
Can you tell me about the charity involvement with the song and the importance of Damien John Kelly House?
Yes. People can pay for the tune on iTunes or bandcamp. All proceeds go to DJK House.
It’s a recovery living centre for men recovering from addiction. It’s the same thing again really. Loss. People whose lives feel devoid of purpose, joy, connection, meaning and connection.
Drugs provide that on a very short-term basis, with some very long-term consequences. DJK House tries to show that it can be the other way around. Accept that there’ll be some short-term consequences. Work hard to make changes. Then there are some serious long-term gains. The main one is liking yourself, so not basing your well-being on what others think of you. Once that happens, you’d be amazed at what you can do with your life.
Sounds like a great cause. Can we expect to hear more music coming from you, or is this just a one-off?
I’ve got no plans but if Aldous Harding or Jessica Pratt feel compelled to include a north Liverpool brogue on their next album, I’m sure we could work something out.
Cheers for chatting today Roy / PJ, where can people come and listen to you in person?
At La Violette Società (at Leaf on Bold St, Liverpool) on Tuesday, January 28th.
My new collection of short stories is out in early 2025 as well, so expect to see and hear my face and ramblings out and about in the not-too-distant future.
Ta
Find Roy / PJ here.
Find God Colony here.
Listen to the song (and watch the music video) here or better yet, purchase it here.
Photos by Sam Batley.
