Music
Interview with The Sick Unicorn
Ãdám Völgyesi, Barbara Kovács
Reading Time: 8 min.
I HOPE I´LL LIVE TO SEE A WORLDWIDE REVOLUTION
Founded just a few years ago, The Sick Unicorn plays dirty rock 'n' roll tunes which make for the perfect soundtrack to shoveling coal and wallowing in the pig pen. The four-piece's first album, entitled Unleashed, was released this spring on Hunnia Records, followed by an animated music video for the song Psycho Pussycat in August. Two members of the band, frontman Shuey and guitar shredder Big Rob told us all about these releases, playing gigs, Guns n' Roses, unicorns of the world, the future, society, and the huge and tiny things in life.
Your first full-length arrived in April 2020, but it's been a good while that you've been around in the scene, playing shows and writing songs. Tell us about yourselves and the band's birth.
Shuey: 3/4ths of the band met in a metal band called Krinkle. After a few years of chanelling our anger and frustration through that aggressive music, one day we woke up and realized we're doing just fine. Smoothed out, we began to grin and feel good. We took a short break and basically what we needed was happier music. We asked Dannykid to be our bass player because he seemed like a really cool dude with a fucking awesome haircut. Turns out he's a retarded psychopathic weirdo with the voice of a man whose balls never fully dropped. So he fits right in.
How long did it take to finish the material heard on Unleashed? Did you have any special work method?
Big Rob: 212 days and 17 hours, as far as I remember, but it's a topic of constant debate in the band. Afghan, for one, doesn't take the last 5 hours into account, which is when we wrote the lyrics. I don't think our work method is special in any way. Someone brings in an idea, the rest of us rape it until it doesn't even resemble its original form, then the song's finished. Whoever brought the idea is usually a bit sad at first, then comes around to admit it's better for everyone to have it this way.
Listening to the music gives me the impression that no matter how grotesque, ironic and humorous the lyrics are, your music and your attitude is always very serious indeed. Is this duality something intentional or did it just turn out this way over time?
Shuey: Thanks for paying attention to the lyrics. That makes two of us on this small planet who know what the songs are about (laughs). The lyrics reflect my thoughtfulness, except for the love song known as Psycho Pussycat which blossomed in Danny. My duality towards the world, my biting sense of humour, sarcasm, scorn, wishing for balance and diversity - these are all characteristic of me. I didn't put these through deliberately and I couldn't hide them either. I'm just a sufferer of writing my own lyrics (laughs). But essentially I'm an optimist, I'm a very hopeful guy, with a vulnerable heart.
While there are some specific influences to your melodies, I'm curious as to what do you usually listen to at home.
Big Rob: For me it's everyone from Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli to Meshuggah. I guess you're thinking of Guns n' Roses. I'll admit they're definitely a favorite for three out of the four of us, but we don't strive to make music like that. I think we're way past the point of analyzing what fits into a song and what doesn't, what fits into one style or another, or worrying about what people will compare us to. We don't care, we just play from the heart and this is the result. If someone likes it, that's cool. If they don't, that's cool too.
While we're at it, your press release says you're the Guns n' Roses of the new generation. Where does this healthy confidence come from? Is it like Attila József's Ars Poetica which said, 'Weigh yourself with the universe'?
Shuey: When we moved on from meticulous math metal, we wanted to write songs in a more natural, more intuitive, and easier way. So basically this is the style that we ended up with. While we didn't write our press release (laughs), I'm not ashamed if Guns n' Roses is mentioned when describing our music. Needless to say I'm well aware of what our accomplishments measure to versus theirs. If someone wants a general idea of what we sound like without actually listening to the music, Guns n' Roses is still a better point of reference than, say, Phil Collins.
Nonetheless your live shows are just as intense as the shows Guns did in their prime. What feedback have you gotten so far from the audience regarding your gigs and the record itself?
Big Rob: I'm equally happy with mocking comments and trash talk as I am with positve feedback. I think if someone wastes time and energy on writing comments or arguing with us, either online or in person, that means we triggered an intense emotional response in them, which is good. If I don't care about something because it's boring or crap, I just keep scrolling and 5 minutes later I don't even remember. So I find it immensely entertaining when someone is willing to get so pissed off in their bedroom at 10pm on a Thursday that they feel obligated to tell us we suck.
Incidentally, the large majority of the feedback is positive. If we manage to get someone see us live or listen to our album, usually they leave as happy customers. When we play live, we give it 110%. The biggest obstacle - not just for us but for every band in the staggering white noise of the internet - is convincing people to give the music a chance.
In August, you released a nice little animated music video for Psyhco Pussycat, one of the songs off Unleashed. Who did the video? What was the concept and what is the message of the song?
Shuey: Right now on Earth, distances do not exist. So what happened was this: a Hungarian boy came up with the storyboard, a fiverr hero from Venezuela did the drawing, then an itti bitty guy from Miskolc did all the animation and subtitles. The video illustrates the impact that dangerously, almost disgustingly sexy girls have on boys. A guy simply cannot feel comfortable in such a relationship. Sooner or later he's gonna break out. And, well, relationships don't always end well (smiles). To me, the video's main point is that after a blonde chick, you should try out a redhead too.
As a bonus, there is a Hungarian version of Psycho Pussycat on the record, entitled Hentes Hajadon (Butcher Maiden). It's worth discussing whether you can really get through to Hungarian listeners with lyrics in English. What's your take on this? Is Hentes Hajadon just a one-off thing or do you want to do more songs in Hungarian in the future?
Big Rob: I don't think it depends on the listeners, since bands that sing only in English also have many fans in our country. I'd say the fans of English speaking bands actually far outnumber the fans of Hungarian speaking bands. So I think that's bullshit.
Actually many Hungarian mainstream radio stations refuse to play bands that don't sing in Hungarian because of all the "support Hungarian music" blah blah bullshit. Internationally pretty much no one will care about a band that sings in a language you don't understand and that sometimes sound downright weird to you. On the other hand, if promoting Hungarian music really was the aim, there are bands that play excellent music in English that - given the necessary domestic support from the right place - could be much more successful abroad and actually raise awareness about Hungarian Music.
As for Hentes Hajadon, we did a Hungarian version just so that if any mainstream radio station in the country should decide to play us, we'll have a song to give them. I don't think there will be another one.
The circus-theme of the video for Psycho Pussycat is linked to your logo, and so even to your name. How did the name The Sick Unicorn come and what does it symbolise to you?
Shuey: It springs from the unicorn-mania that we see around us. Nowadays everywhere you go, you see unicorns. On the street, in the school, on the subway, in the shopping center, in the music shop. But these aren't those happy, rainbow-pooping unicorns anymore, but smoking, energy drink- consumer, inexpressive, alcoholist, aimless, disenchanted unicorns. We are not where we are meant to be, that's what we all presume. I hope i will live to experience a world-revolution yet.
Soon you will have two concerts in Budapest: one in Analog Music Hall and another one in Dürer Kert. What should we know about these gigs, are you preparing something special?
Big Rob: We try to make every concert special. Spontaneity is the point. We never write any playlists before the shows, so we don't even know, what and when we're gonna play that night. Approximately one or two songs have their own fixed place because of technical reasons. I can promise to throw very energic gigs, with everything which you need for a raw, sweaty rock n' roll party. All the more, because since march these will be our first gigs on bigger stages.
It's hard in these times anything to plan, but what are your plans after these concerts? More gigs, songwriting, rock n' roll?
Suey: We are already working on new songs. The new method will differ from the previous one in that we test the songs one by one on the shows and we only keep the ones that work live. While writing the first album you have less opportunity to try the songs live. My favourite song from the album Unleashed is practically unusable live (haha). We may be more melodramatic on the next album. We will place more value on the grooves, we want to try a more nude, minimal direction. We will see how the rock can take it. If it won't like it, we will beat its head into the concrete tabletennis- tables. Rock is best when it hurts and cuts through the bones. You can't do it chiseled. You have to kick ass. We are going to do that.
Follow The Sick Unicorn on social media:
Spotify: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-sp
YouTube: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-yt
Instagram: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-ig
Facebook: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-fb
Founded just a few years ago, The Sick Unicorn plays dirty rock 'n' roll tunes which make for the perfect soundtrack to shoveling coal and wallowing in the pig pen. The four-piece's first album, entitled Unleashed, was released this spring on Hunnia Records, followed by an animated music video for the song Psycho Pussycat in August. Two members of the band, frontman Shuey and guitar shredder Big Rob told us all about these releases, playing gigs, Guns n' Roses, unicorns of the world, the future, society, and the huge and tiny things in life.
Your first full-length arrived in April 2020, but it's been a good while that you've been around in the scene, playing shows and writing songs. Tell us about yourselves and the band's birth.
Shuey: 3/4ths of the band met in a metal band called Krinkle. After a few years of chanelling our anger and frustration through that aggressive music, one day we woke up and realized we're doing just fine. Smoothed out, we began to grin and feel good. We took a short break and basically what we needed was happier music. We asked Dannykid to be our bass player because he seemed like a really cool dude with a fucking awesome haircut. Turns out he's a retarded psychopathic weirdo with the voice of a man whose balls never fully dropped. So he fits right in.
How long did it take to finish the material heard on Unleashed? Did you have any special work method?
Big Rob: 212 days and 17 hours, as far as I remember, but it's a topic of constant debate in the band. Afghan, for one, doesn't take the last 5 hours into account, which is when we wrote the lyrics. I don't think our work method is special in any way. Someone brings in an idea, the rest of us rape it until it doesn't even resemble its original form, then the song's finished. Whoever brought the idea is usually a bit sad at first, then comes around to admit it's better for everyone to have it this way.
Listening to the music gives me the impression that no matter how grotesque, ironic and humorous the lyrics are, your music and your attitude is always very serious indeed. Is this duality something intentional or did it just turn out this way over time?
Shuey: Thanks for paying attention to the lyrics. That makes two of us on this small planet who know what the songs are about (laughs). The lyrics reflect my thoughtfulness, except for the love song known as Psycho Pussycat which blossomed in Danny. My duality towards the world, my biting sense of humour, sarcasm, scorn, wishing for balance and diversity - these are all characteristic of me. I didn't put these through deliberately and I couldn't hide them either. I'm just a sufferer of writing my own lyrics (laughs). But essentially I'm an optimist, I'm a very hopeful guy, with a vulnerable heart.
While there are some specific influences to your melodies, I'm curious as to what do you usually listen to at home.
Big Rob: For me it's everyone from Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli to Meshuggah. I guess you're thinking of Guns n' Roses. I'll admit they're definitely a favorite for three out of the four of us, but we don't strive to make music like that. I think we're way past the point of analyzing what fits into a song and what doesn't, what fits into one style or another, or worrying about what people will compare us to. We don't care, we just play from the heart and this is the result. If someone likes it, that's cool. If they don't, that's cool too.
While we're at it, your press release says you're the Guns n' Roses of the new generation. Where does this healthy confidence come from? Is it like Attila József's Ars Poetica which said, 'Weigh yourself with the universe'?
Shuey: When we moved on from meticulous math metal, we wanted to write songs in a more natural, more intuitive, and easier way. So basically this is the style that we ended up with. While we didn't write our press release (laughs), I'm not ashamed if Guns n' Roses is mentioned when describing our music. Needless to say I'm well aware of what our accomplishments measure to versus theirs. If someone wants a general idea of what we sound like without actually listening to the music, Guns n' Roses is still a better point of reference than, say, Phil Collins.
Nonetheless your live shows are just as intense as the shows Guns did in their prime. What feedback have you gotten so far from the audience regarding your gigs and the record itself?
Big Rob: I'm equally happy with mocking comments and trash talk as I am with positve feedback. I think if someone wastes time and energy on writing comments or arguing with us, either online or in person, that means we triggered an intense emotional response in them, which is good. If I don't care about something because it's boring or crap, I just keep scrolling and 5 minutes later I don't even remember. So I find it immensely entertaining when someone is willing to get so pissed off in their bedroom at 10pm on a Thursday that they feel obligated to tell us we suck.
Incidentally, the large majority of the feedback is positive. If we manage to get someone see us live or listen to our album, usually they leave as happy customers. When we play live, we give it 110%. The biggest obstacle - not just for us but for every band in the staggering white noise of the internet - is convincing people to give the music a chance.
In August, you released a nice little animated music video for Psyhco Pussycat, one of the songs off Unleashed. Who did the video? What was the concept and what is the message of the song?
Shuey: Right now on Earth, distances do not exist. So what happened was this: a Hungarian boy came up with the storyboard, a fiverr hero from Venezuela did the drawing, then an itti bitty guy from Miskolc did all the animation and subtitles. The video illustrates the impact that dangerously, almost disgustingly sexy girls have on boys. A guy simply cannot feel comfortable in such a relationship. Sooner or later he's gonna break out. And, well, relationships don't always end well (smiles). To me, the video's main point is that after a blonde chick, you should try out a redhead too.
As a bonus, there is a Hungarian version of Psycho Pussycat on the record, entitled Hentes Hajadon (Butcher Maiden). It's worth discussing whether you can really get through to Hungarian listeners with lyrics in English. What's your take on this? Is Hentes Hajadon just a one-off thing or do you want to do more songs in Hungarian in the future?
Big Rob: I don't think it depends on the listeners, since bands that sing only in English also have many fans in our country. I'd say the fans of English speaking bands actually far outnumber the fans of Hungarian speaking bands. So I think that's bullshit.
Actually many Hungarian mainstream radio stations refuse to play bands that don't sing in Hungarian because of all the "support Hungarian music" blah blah bullshit. Internationally pretty much no one will care about a band that sings in a language you don't understand and that sometimes sound downright weird to you. On the other hand, if promoting Hungarian music really was the aim, there are bands that play excellent music in English that - given the necessary domestic support from the right place - could be much more successful abroad and actually raise awareness about Hungarian Music.
As for Hentes Hajadon, we did a Hungarian version just so that if any mainstream radio station in the country should decide to play us, we'll have a song to give them. I don't think there will be another one.
The circus-theme of the video for Psycho Pussycat is linked to your logo, and so even to your name. How did the name The Sick Unicorn come and what does it symbolise to you?
Shuey: It springs from the unicorn-mania that we see around us. Nowadays everywhere you go, you see unicorns. On the street, in the school, on the subway, in the shopping center, in the music shop. But these aren't those happy, rainbow-pooping unicorns anymore, but smoking, energy drink- consumer, inexpressive, alcoholist, aimless, disenchanted unicorns. We are not where we are meant to be, that's what we all presume. I hope i will live to experience a world-revolution yet.
Soon you will have two concerts in Budapest: one in Analog Music Hall and another one in Dürer Kert. What should we know about these gigs, are you preparing something special?
Big Rob: We try to make every concert special. Spontaneity is the point. We never write any playlists before the shows, so we don't even know, what and when we're gonna play that night. Approximately one or two songs have their own fixed place because of technical reasons. I can promise to throw very energic gigs, with everything which you need for a raw, sweaty rock n' roll party. All the more, because since march these will be our first gigs on bigger stages.
It's hard in these times anything to plan, but what are your plans after these concerts? More gigs, songwriting, rock n' roll?
Suey: We are already working on new songs. The new method will differ from the previous one in that we test the songs one by one on the shows and we only keep the ones that work live. While writing the first album you have less opportunity to try the songs live. My favourite song from the album Unleashed is practically unusable live (haha). We may be more melodramatic on the next album. We will place more value on the grooves, we want to try a more nude, minimal direction. We will see how the rock can take it. If it won't like it, we will beat its head into the concrete tabletennis- tables. Rock is best when it hurts and cuts through the bones. You can't do it chiseled. You have to kick ass. We are going to do that.
Follow The Sick Unicorn on social media:
Spotify: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-sp
YouTube: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-yt
Instagram: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-ig
Facebook: http://bit.ly/kmm-tsu-fb
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