Following years of live shows in venues across Manchester and, eventually, the length and breadth of the UK, Martial Arts have released their debut EP, From The Burnoff. An enthralling collection of songs that captures the raucous intensity of their live shows, frontman Jim Marson talks us through each track:
The Seeds was written in a freezing storage room in Ardwick during a prolonged dispute with the landlord of our old lockup (which we were sold but never actually existed) I think we managed to channel our bitterness towards him into the track. It came out of the studio vastly different to the original version which was the only moment during recording that split the room. Its about growing up around all the tools but realising they’re often out of reach.
Before The Fire, This melody was whistled into my phone by the Mersey in South Manchester about 2 years ago, It didn’t feel like It fit the band at the time but its a song we’ve sort of grown into in terms of direction  abit of a rant on our own struggles feeling like you’ve been miss sold a dream , the living wage is a struggle and uncomfortable and that other people who feel this way should recognise it’s not their fault, Ultimately recognising we’re lucky regardless.
Too Much Fun Generally speaking – I think the title defines the subject of the track I love the saying ‘too much fun’ because it implies an awareness that it’s excessive. We’re suggesting the reason we can have too much fun in western culture is at the detriment of global south or so called ‘developing countries’.
The New House has been in our live set since the first gig and has gone through countless iterations with this being its final form, It feels like a young band finding their feet.
Pitstop feels very coming of age. Learning to self regulate through the inevitable knocks we all experience now and then, all while attempting to stay optimistic.
Listen to From The Burnoff on all streaming platforms now. Listen here.
