Goth Fight Cage Release “Untaxed Vehicle” EP

Goth Fight Cage is the solo project from Mark Holloway of Belfast’s heavy weight fuzz champions, Fagash McCann. As Goth Fight Cage, Mark takes a decidedly more indie rock approach to his song writing. Over the course of four successful singles, debut ‘Optimism’, last year’s follow ups ‘I’m Going Out’ and ‘Tired’ and ‘I’m Not In Love With You’, released earlier this year, Mark has already established a sound that allows him to move between spikey guitar indie and intimate acoustic guitar tracks with ease.

The singles were enough to catch the sharpened ears of BBC Introducing, Hot Press, RTE2XM, Chordblossom, IMRO, Genuine Irish, Ragged Cast, Rock N Load, Daily Earworm and Uber Rock. Following on from the success of singles ‘Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ and ‘I’m Not In Love With You’, Mark is now ready to release his largest body of work to date the ‘UNTAXED VEHICLE EP’. Mark is solely responsible the performing and recording of the music as well as art, saying that his sound comes from the nature of the home recordings, in finding ways to make things work, and getting the most out of what is on hand at the time.

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but sometimes 20 wrongs do. This makes the project an intensely personal one for Mark, regardless of any outside endorsement the success for him is found in the creating and releasing. With the songs taken from a specific period of Goth Fight Cage’s life, the EP acts as an insight for the listener and a mirror for Mark as he lets us in on his life. All while invoking the effortless cool and spikey indie guitar of the Strokes and the slacker-phistication of Mac Demarco found in his DIY approach.

‘Tired’ opens the EP and acts as the perfect entry point to Goth Fight Cage as it bears all the hall marks of a classic GFC track; spikey guitars, driving drums and ear worm pop melody vocals. Written for the simple reason of Goth Fight Cage wanting to play something simple and fast. After programming the drum machine, he threw some down some chords, looped a lead guitar part and the song was born. Sitting in front of a mic Mark hit play and the first lines that came out were “Why am I so tired? Why am I so tired all the time?”. Having initially thought the track was about sleep deprivation, the lyrics came spilling out of Goth Fight Cage as an answer to the question and in doing so it soon became clear that the song was much more to do about yearning and attempting to figure out a direction to life.

Second single ‘I’m Not in Love with You’ takes the BPM of ‘Tired’ and ramps it up again. Opening at a blistering BPM, Mark attacks his Dan Electro as though it has wronged him in some past life. The song was birthed from hammering this one chord into oblivion until the lead line came floating into existence. After a short drum break the song resumes at the same blistering pace, even the drum machine is being tested to keep up. The bright guitars and overdriven bass, that recall NY’s indie royalty The Strokes, are a bed for earworm melancholy melodies.

While lyrically the song doesn’t shy away from addressing the subject matter head on, no flowery language or metaphor as the confessional ‘I’m not in love with you’ is put front and centre. As Goth Fight Cage sings ‘Let’s have a drink or and try to pretend it doesn’t matter’, it’s clear that this unrequited love is too complicated to simply walk away from. No need for verse chorus verse here as the song unfolds over the course of the one-sided conversation, acting entirely as its own hook and chorus.

‘Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ comes swaggering out of the speakers from the outset, like it’s kicked open a saloon door, causing everyone to stop, spin and stare. Mark is a self-proclaimed QOTSA nerd, so it should come as no surprise that the sparkling desert stomp guitar sound comes courtesy of Josh Homme’s signature Peavey Decade. Leaning heavily on the Decade, Mark was able to pull a range of tones from the amp, the cleaner rhythm guitar sound that drives the track along with the nastier lead tones.

This along with ‘another rust bucket Peavey’ provide the sonic palette for the song. The omnipresent hand of Homme is felt throughout. The track snakes through sections, verses bleed into choruses as drums provide additional thump to hammer things home, as the song progresses Mark slices into the structure, dispensing with verses, adding the guitar motif as a hook, and playing us out on a solo. It’s sharp song writing, that keeps things interesting throughout. Lyrically the song was born out of a line scribbled in the back of a half-forgotten notebook ‘My girlfriend’s girlfriend is simply like a mother to me’.

Mark says ‘lyrically the song tells this outlandish, charming scumbag sort of tale, about fancying your girlfriend’s best mate. And she’s got a fella too, who I’m slagging off a bit, but she’s sound because she’s got your back when your own girl is giving you a hard time.’

Penultimate track ‘Why Can’t You Be Nice To Me’ was the final track written but became the lynchpin that tied the EP together. Conceived as what must surely be the world’s only DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority) diss track which stemmed from a line Mark had scrawled years ago that he never let go of, “no tax, no test, no worries”. Mark’s forked tongue spits venom about not wanting to pay fines, learning to weld just to pass their MOT test and his love of shitty old cars.

The unmistakeable tone of the Peavey Decade along with a growling overdriven bass provides the musical bed for Goth Fight Cage to vent his spleen. The song moves along like a 60’s rock and pop song, with some New York cool added for good measure. Mark is careful to mention that he is an upright, law abiding citizen who would NEVER dream of operating a motor vehicle with a valid test certificate and fully taxed vehicle, but hypothetically….

Final track ‘Yours’ moves into more sincere territory. Coming together incredibly quickly, it only took ten minutes from inception to completion. Often these songs that feel like they’re being ‘given’ prove to be the most honest and insightful, ‘Yours’ is no exception. Here Mark takes stock of his current situation, of the unending march of time that only seems to speed up exponentially, of the hollow nature of hook up culture and the very human need for a real connection. Being this open and vulnerable can bring it’s own anxieties but it provides the EP’s most honest moment allowing the listener to connect, empathise and sympathise.

Mark leans into what is now a signature sound (at least for this EP), as semi clean chords provide a melody as well as a percussive drive that drums only serve to underpin, simple guitar line reinforce the melody which doubles down the hook. The bass keeps the track anchored and provides the counterpoint to Mark’s vocals, while allowing the guitars to chop and spiral around each other. When it came time to do the artwork, following the writing of DVLA diss track ‘Why Can’t You Be Nice To Me’ there seemed only one choice…

‘UNTAXED VEHICLE EP’ finds Goth Fight Cage solidify sounds explored on previous releases and in doing so presents the project with a signature sound. The core of which is Mark’s insistent telecaster through his beloved Peavey Decade that nails a sound many spend thousands on trying to replicate. The monicker of Goth Fight Cage juxtaposes itself against the music, an explosive release of pent-up energy fuelled by self-doubt, frustrations with the surrounding world and inner reflections that yearn for something that always seems just out of reach.