The Offtopics - "Back on the Zine" EP

by The Offtopics

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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
The Offtopics eight-track self-titled EP, the culmination of their Back On The Zine project, was a massive undertaking the Melbourne soul band. Not just in the fact that the bring the EP to fruition, the eight-piece funk group released three acclaimed singles, complete with comic-style covers in the lead-up, but mainly for the 18-month period it took to record the 12-inch. That experience in the studio – marred in part by a departing band member and a restructure of plans, a stint of ill-health – has helped carve out the final sound for the EP, punchy upbeat, funky, soulful and the ultimate party, pretty much everything that the Offtopics stand for in their live show.
It is fitting then that The Offtopics went into the studio with the aim of recording the songs and arrangements as close to their live shows as possible. Lead singer and funk dynamo Polash Larsen says they just wanted to create the entire release ‘live’. “The idea was that the rhythm section, comprising of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards would lay down a bed over which we could put our horn parts, special solos and vocals,” he says. “This could be sweetened with some percussion and handclaps if we felt like it. This is usually my rough and ready approach.”
Things didn’t quite pan out that way – losing their guitarist mid-recording meant a lot of the recording wasn’t done in the order initially planned. Polash instead took the pragmatic approach of keeping the project on track and decided they would record all the guitar parts within the next two weeks, and took on all the guitar duties, ensuring the recording sessions went ahead and the sound the band wanted was achieved.
Leading into their studio time to lay down the eight tracks for the EP, The Offtopics needed to whittle down the tracks they wanted to record for the EP, which in itself was another process. “I think a band’s first recording has to be a kind of statement that encapsulates the musical identity of the group,” says Polash. “By the time we were set to record there were 20 songs (mostly original) that had been played live by the group at one point or another. The EP wasn’t really written for, as the process was more reductive in that it was about letting the most appropriate songs choose themselves. I’ve never had the luxury of writing a bunch of songs specifically for recording so usually it’s about culling. This is one part of the process I tend to struggle with so I open it up to discussion. Everyone in the band has been or still is currently, the leader of their own group so their opinions on what’s a ‘good’ song counts for a lot. This culling process is usually informed by recording a very rough run through of everything that’s on the table. We then go away and listen to it before working towards a consensus.”
When it came to deciding where to record, Nick Herrera at The Grove came highly recommended. The band had already recorded some demos in a lounge-room mobile studio set-up, but didn’t want to pursue this avenue for the final tracks. Nick was no stranger to recording with big bands, and came with a reputation of having worked with brass bands, something that was appealing to Polash. He engineered Hiatus Kaiyote’s 2016 Grammy-nominated single Breathing Underwater. “Nick could record at both the band hall where we rehearsed and at his studio The Grove,” he says. “In the end I opted for working at The Grove as Nick explained that he could work more efficiently there and he had access to more equipment. He was also willing to work in a piecemeal way over an extended period fitting the sessions around everyone’s commitments – which was just as well!”
The EP was mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering, and all comic artwork was created by Melanie Miles at Hybrid Expression. The vinyl for the singles and the EP was pressed at Zenith Records. For Polash, the finished product is more than what he hoped for and a release that he and the band are proud of. Due to the effort that went into the EP, the band wanted it to be more than a one-off release – they wanted it to be something truly special. “It’s a far more polished sounding product that what I originally had planned,” he says. “I had always aspired to make a vinyl pressing but I hadn’t really thought too deeply about the implications of that or what would be involved musically – Nick’s sonic knowledge was really crucial here. CDs are becoming less important in inner-city markets. While a single song on mp3 doesn’t seem all that special to me, a proper seven-inch vinyl with an A-side and a B-side with kooky cover art does. A vinyl 12-inch for me evokes all the positive nostalgia that I get when I remember ‘discovering’ my parents’ record collection. Eight songs presented an opportunity to be repackaged as two-plus-two-plus-two and then six-plus-two equal eight. Working further along I imagined what these releases might look like all together. Around the corner from my house was a small comics studio and I hatched a plan to devise artwork that would create a narrative going from cover to cover to be resolved on the final release. The fold-out poster helps the covers hang together but also reflects the local focus of the project. The songs were written, rehearsed, recorded, mixed, mastered and the covers designed on locations somewhere on or just off the edge of that map.”

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Full Digital Discography

8

releases

Get all 8 The Offtopics releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Polash From The Garden, The Offtopics Live At Studio 5, The Offtopics - "Back on the Zine" EP, A Man Needs Cooling, Funky Grandma, Red Eye Jane, Sunrise in Richmond, and Sunrise in Richmond 7" Vinyl. , and , .

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1.	Plans 03:08	lyrics	buy track
PLANS Verse 1 Em9 Dm9 Going down the GB talking bullshit in the Em9 Dm9 corner with the regulars Em9 Dm9 That’s ok ‘cos that’s the way we’re gonna Em9 Dm9 Get out all that tension from the week. Chorus Cmaj7 Dmaj7 And I’m hearing lots of plans Fmaj7 Gmaj7 Baby but, uh, no real man’s Fmaj7 Gonna sit back. Expect some pat on the back Gmaj7 Bb Am7 – riff into next verse For an idea without action Verse 2 Plans in motion A thought ain’t worth nothing Unless you do something – for someone Might be anyone Might be me – could even be you. Chorus Verse 3 Concealed emotion. Hey old laddie boy Struggling to do most everything Nestled up against the edge of coolness Trying to avoid that nothingness He’s displaying some signs of dependence Chorus Guitar solo over Am7 and conclude with solo over chorus.
2.	A Man Needs Cooling (Girl) 04:36	lyrics	buy track
A Man Needs Cooling (Girl) (Slow sexy spoken intro) Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 repeat Hey girl. It’s time to be honest. It’s too late for anything else. The way you’ve walked over to me… I can believe That you like what you see. And it’s not that I feel blase But I have a very VERY pressing matter to take away. Hey HEY Verse section Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 F Gm7 Bb Girl… I’ve been looking at you from across the room Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 F Gm7 Bb From the corner of my eye so I wouldn’t look crude Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 F Gm7 Bb But when you looked at me I got a little bit nervous. Ebmaj7 Bbmaj7 Girl… When a man likes what he sees his temperature climbs a hundred degrees F Gm7 Bb Ebmaj7 He needs coolin Girl… I was breaking out in a sweat I just had to get my throat wet I needed water to quench the fires you lit in me. I am burning. Girl… When you looked away I got me a two gallon jar and I drank it all down. And I believe it got steamy Oh So Steamy Girl…. Now you’re approaching me as I’m turning to flee. There’s a man I have to see about a dog In the men’s room. (Pre-chorus) Ebmaj7 Girl… There’s a question in your eye. What’s up with this guy? Bbmaj7 (last chord comp x 5) What is he doing? Chorus No chord Eb Bb I’m trying to be cool while my bladder is full Bb Eb Bb I’m jiggling my thighs while meeting your eyes Bb Eb F It’s a hop to the left a slide to the right Ab Bb Like I’m dancing I’m dancing I’m dancing Alright! Bridge Ab Bb Mmmmm…. This queue ain’t getting no shorter. Ab Bb Oooohhh….. Why did I drink so much water? Ab Bb Ahhhhhh…. I got to keep it nice. Ab Bb Ooooohhh… I got to hold it tight! (or you’ll leave) Chorus x 2 as outro to end. I’m trying to be cool While my bladder is full I’m jiggling my thighs While meeting your eyes It’s a hop to the left A slide to the right Like I’m dancing I’m dancing I’m dancing Alright! I’m trying to be cool While my bladder is full I’m jiggling my thighs While meeting your eyes It’s a hop to the left A slide to the right Like I’m dancing I’m dancing I’m dancing Alright!
3.	Red Eye Jane 03:12	lyrics	buy track
RED EYE JANE - Bb RIFF db-f-ab-bb-db bb ab db-f-ab-bb-bb Bb Dan had a girlfriend Lived up by Lygon Half Dutch and half Maltese So damn fine she nearly drove him to his knees. Bb Red Eye-oh. He’s got the Eye-oh. Db Eb Bb Eye-oh Eye-oh Singin’ Red Red Red Eye-oh. Now how can I explain? We gotta give this girl a name. She liked a toke and a little smoke So we’ll call her Red Eye Jane. Red Eye-oh. He’s got the Eye-oh. Eye-oh Eye-oh Singin’ Red Red Red Eye-oh. Dan would try to please her, This six foot tall Malteser With olive skin, she’s built for sin Silky thighs he want to get buried in. Red Eye-oh. He’s got the Eye-oh. Eye-oh Eye-oh Singin’ Red Red Red Eye-oh. Red Eye liked to tan She always called on Dan To set in motion the rubbing of lotion He’s such a helpful man Red Eye-oh. He’s got the Eye-oh. Eye-oh Eye-oh Singin’ Red Red Red Eye-oh. BRIDGE While Jane is getting oiled up Dan’s blood is getting boiled up He gets a tent in his stubbies He’s packing a chubby Things are getting hot Got no time to check if the oil is extra virgin or not Probably not. RIFF He tries to embrace She flew up past his face From her Carlton flat she hit the mat She went splat on the street below Red Eye-oh. He’s got the Eye-oh. Eye-oh Eye-oh Singin’ Red Red Red Eye-oh. Red Red Red Eye-oh. Red Red Red Eye-oh.
4.	Fire in My Flue 05:01	lyrics	buy track
FIRE IN MY FLUE Reggae sort of Ross Hannaford feel Intro: Single note a c Dm Am G Bbmaj7 Cmaj7 x 2 Verse 1 Dm Am G Bbmaj7 Cmaj7 I didn't know why I'd break down and cry in the middle of conversation. Dm Am G Bbmaj7 Cmaj7 You wouldn't say its true but now we blue in negotiation. Dm Am G Bbmaj7 Cmaj7 I didn't want it like this. Is this the kiss of separation? Dm Am G Bbmaj7 Cmaj7 You want it too, fire in my flue, raging conflagration. Chorus F Gm You'll go down that road F I'm on my own. Gm And you'll grow F I'll stay the same Gm And you'll change F Don't go away Gm It's not so strange Don't wanna stay the... Verse 2 Same day after day, the ebb and the sway of visitation. Don't, or maybe won't give up my own anticipation. Of blame, it's still the same bitterness of flame for dissipation. You'll want it too, fire in my flue, raging conflagration. Chorus F Gm Am Gm Bb C descending bass run. F Gm You'll go down that road F I'm on my own. Gm And you'll grow F I'll stay the same Gm And you'll change Am Don't go away Gm It's not so strange. Am But the fire it burns Gm It warms you through Am And it hurts Bb C c bb a g Dm As good things do. You'll see the truth of the fire in your flue. Guitar solo over verse structure Chorus and end You'll go down that road I'm on my own. And you'll grow I'll stay the same And you'll change Don't go away It's not so strange. But the fire it burns It warms you through And it hurts As good things do You'll see the truth of the fire in your flue.
5.	Funky Grandma 03:59	lyrics	buy track
FUNKY GRANDMA VERSE 1 Bm7 A7 D7 F9 E9 Somebody funked my grandma Bm7 A7 E9 ( f - e - d - a ) She’s got a platform zimmer frame. Bm7 A7 D7 F9 E9 Somebody funked my grandma. Bm7 A7 E9 ( f - e - d - a ) Her boiled fruitcake just ain’t the same. Bm7 A7 D7 F9 E9 Somebody funked my grandma. Bm7 A7 E9 ( f - e - d - a ) She’s wearing a raspberry beret. Bm7 A7 D7 F9 E9 Somebody funked my grandma. Bm7 A7 E9 ( f - e - d - a ) Might be cocaine in her crème brulee. CHORUS D9 a b Who brought the funk to the party? D9 E9 Does everybody get a slice? D9 a b Who brought the funk to this party? ( f e d f e d a b Mm-mm! This funk sure is nice! VERSE 2 Somebody funked the postman Big lapels on his high vis vest. Somebody funked the postman. His moped’s the best. Somebody funked the sadhu He dances funk style just for fun. Somebody funked the sadhu Even his lingam is on the one. Now listen. BRIDGE G F#m Bm D I don’t need a little dose ‘cos my body makes it inside. G F#m Bm D All this funk is welling up. Get ready for the ride. G F#m Bm D They couldn’t kill this party even if they tried. G F#m7 E9 Whoever said it’s bad for you I can tell you that they lied. INSTRUMENTAL OVER VERSE VERSE 4 Somebody funked the op-shop Little old ladies getting down Somebody funked the op-shop Funky grandma goes in to town Somebody funked the op-shop They got LPs by the JBs Somebody funked the op-shop They don’t serve cake – they got rice and peas. CHORUS Who brought the funk to the party? Does everybody get a slice? Who brought the funk to this party? The funk gives a kick of spice. Who brought the funk to the party? I brought the funk to the party now I’m takin’ it. Goodbye.
6.	Sunrise in Richmond 04:43	lyrics	buy track
SUNRISE IN RICHMOND Intro: Gm7 C9 x4 Verse 1 Didn’t get back home ‘till 4am in the morning. Eyes aren’t heavy and no one seems to be yawning. Pops tells us Frankie thinks he’s a muffin. A sevlev donut and we all lick out the stuffin. Chorus Sunrise in Richmond x 4 Verse 2 230 Swan – the good times are piling. Love doctor’s new friends – in they’re filing. Danny stammers ‘cos he’s smiling Girls are impressed with the wall unit styling We made it ourselves – and Chorus Sunrise in Richmond x 4 Bridge Ebmaj7 Bbm7 Fm7 Even though there’s heaps and heaps of sugar plum dumplings around Ebmaj7 Bbm7 Abm7 Gm7 Not a peep from the geek as he finds something’s gonna – beauty’s gunna bring him down. Solos over chorus repeat to end.
7.	Big Booty Woman 04:30	lyrics	buy track
BIG BOOTY WOMAN Johnny Guitar Watson style silly funk (Words and music: Larsen) Drums on tight high hat for intro. Spoken: There’s a lot of pretty ladies here tonight. And I do like the pretty ladies. But there’s someone out there Who has the prerequisite quality It’s going to send me… And her… To heaven. Tonight! Riff E D B D C A Chorus You got that big booty woman You know you want a man like me To stroke your ---- heavenly body Your booty set me free You got that big booty woman You know you want a man like me To stroke your ---- heavenly body Your booty set me free Verse 1 A C D D D D# E Ever since the age of five E E F D Talk of booty made me come alive D D D# E By the time of nine or ten E E F D Booty was my truest friend I was held back at school Too much the booty fool Obsessed with Booty my whole life But now I’ve found my booty wife Chorus Verse 2 My baby quivers like a soft-boiled egg Heaven starts just above the leg She got it on top and down below Always gets my buttfreak poetry flow She’s more than just a sweet behind Yeah, most of all I dig her mind Floating above that derriere Her wit sparkles just like Perrier Chorus 3 To Set me free outro… Temptation take flight. Vampire booty crawling from the crypt tonight. You look super girl in those tights Are you gunna be my kryptonite – Tonight!

about

The Offtopics eight-track self-titled EP, the culmination of their Back On The Zine project, was a massive undertaking for the Melbourne soul band. Not just in the fact that they brought the EP to fruition, the eight-piece funk group released three acclaimed singles, complete with comic-style covers in the lead-up, but mainly for the 18-month period it took to record the 12-inch. That experience in the studio – marred in part by a departing band member and a restructure of plans, a stint of ill-health – has helped carve out the final sound for the EP, punchy upbeat, funky, soulful and the ultimate party, pretty much everything that the Offtopics stand for in their live show.

It is fitting then that The Offtopics went into the studio with the aim of recording the songs and arrangements as close to their live shows as possible. Lead singer and funk dynamo Polash Larsen says they just wanted to create the entire release ‘live’. “The idea was that the rhythm section, comprising of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards would lay down a bed over which we could put our horn parts, special solos and vocals,” he says. “This could be sweetened with some percussion and handclaps if we felt like it. This is usually my rough and ready approach.”

Things didn’t quite pan out that way – losing their guitarist mid-recording meant a lot of the recording wasn’t done in the order initially planned. Polash instead took the pragmatic approach of keeping the project on track and decided they would record all the guitar parts within the next two weeks, and took on all the guitar duties, ensuring the recording sessions went ahead and the sound the band wanted was achieved.
Leading into their studio time to lay down the eight tracks for the EP, The Offtopics needed to whittle down the tracks they wanted to record for the EP, which in itself was another process. “I think a band’s first recording has to be a kind of statement that encapsulates the musical identity of the group,” says Polash. “By the time we were set to record there were 20 songs (mostly original) that had been played live by the group at one point or another. The EP wasn’t really written for, as the process was more reductive in that it was about letting the most appropriate songs choose themselves. I’ve never had the luxury of writing a bunch of songs specifically for recording so usually it’s about culling. This is one part of the process I tend to struggle with so I open it up to discussion. Everyone in the band has been or still is currently, the leader of their own group so their opinions on what’s a ‘good’ song counts for a lot. This culling process is usually informed by recording a very rough run through of everything that’s on the table. We then go away and listen to it before working towards a consensus.”

When it came to deciding where to record, Nick Herrera at The Grove came highly recommended. The band had already recorded some demos in a lounge-room mobile studio set-up, but didn’t want to pursue this avenue for the final tracks. Nick was no stranger to recording with big bands, and came with a reputation of having worked with brass bands, something that was appealing to Polash. He engineered Hiatus Kaiyote’s 2016 Grammy-nominated single Breathing Underwater. “Nick could record at both the band hall where we rehearsed and at his studio The Grove,” he says. “In the end I opted for working at The Grove as Nick explained that he could work more efficiently there and he had access to more equipment. He was also willing to work in a piecemeal way over an extended period fitting the sessions around everyone’s commitments – which was just as well!”

The EP was mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering, and all comic artwork was created by Melanie Miles at Hybrid Expression. The vinyl for the singles and the EP was pressed at Zenith Records. For Polash, the finished product is more than what he hoped for and a release that he and the band are proud of. Due to the effort that went into the EP, the band wanted it to be more than a one-off release – they wanted it to be something truly special. “It’s a far more polished sounding product that what I originally had planned,” he says. “I had always aspired to make a vinyl pressing but I hadn’t really thought too deeply about the implications of that or what would be involved musically – Nick’s sonic knowledge was really crucial here. CDs are becoming less important in inner-city markets. While a single song on mp3 doesn’t seem all that special to me, a proper seven-inch vinyl with an A-side and a B-side with kooky cover art does. A vinyl 12-inch for me evokes all the positive nostalgia that I get when I remember ‘discovering’ my parents’ record collection. Eight songs presented an opportunity to be repackaged as two-plus-two-plus-two and then six-plus-two equal eight. Working further along I imagined what these releases might look like all together. Around the corner from my house was a small comics studio and I hatched a plan to devise artwork that would create a narrative going from cover to cover to be resolved on the final release. The fold-out poster helps the covers hang together but also reflects the local focus of the project. The songs were written, rehearsed, recorded, mixed, mastered and the covers designed on locations somewhere on or just off the edge of that map.”

credits

released November 2, 2018

Polash Larsen: Guitars, Lead vocals
Mark Bretherton: Keyboards, Backing vocals
Linc Yow Yeh: Drums, Backing Vocals
Tim Webb: Bass, Percussion
Omid Shayan: Saxophones
Howard Norsetter: Trumpet

Mixed and engineered by Nick Hererra at The Grove Studios, Coburg
Mastered by Joe Carra of Crystal Mastering, Thornbury
Cover art by Melanie Miles of Hybrid Design, Northcote
Pressed by Zenith Records, East Brunswick

license

about

The Offtopics Melbourne, Australia

From Bourbon Street in New Orleans to Memphis and Jamaica via the bars of Brunswick, The Offtopics deliver infectious songs that will make you tap your feet and bring a smile to your face. Fronted by funk dynamo Polash Larsen, these are some of Melbourne’s most talented musicians working their basses off to show you a good time. ... more