Feature: Launch Control Decodes “Pax Britannica”
What was the creative process like for this particular song?
This one has been a really great collaborative process for us. I originally wrote the lyrics and the basic structure of the song, and I home recorded a demo that we could track to. We worked from that in the studio, with our guitarist Alex J on production duties, for Seb to record his drums, which I think he’s absolutely killed here, adding so much personality. I laid down the bass, and then Alex really got stuck in to the guitars. That’s when the song really started to come alive – when he took it from being a simple power chord fest of a song, into something much more textured and interesting.
We actually recorded the majority of vocals in my work boardroom, both to keep costs down but also to give us the time and space to try things out and get performances we were happy with. Finally, we came down to backing vocals, which I home-recorded, and if by any chance my neighbours are reading this – I’m sorry.
Alex put everything together mix and production wise, before it was mastered by punk rock legend Dave Chang (Stompin’ Ground, 4ft Fingers, Capdown)
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for “Pax Britannica?”
For me, watching Seb record drums is always a highlight. He is so consistently good that we have the luxury of being able to enjoy it, and pitch in ideas, get him to try different things, etc. Also, as I mentioned above, I’ve loved how collaborative the process has been between me and Alex, bouncing the song back and forwards and seeing it all come together has been really rewarding.
How does “Pax Britannica” fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?
Honestly, I think this track is the one that best encapsulates our vision. It has a lot of ideas, it’s very wordy, there’s a strong theme and it feels energetic and powerful. If someone asked me what Launch Control sounds like, I’d want to show them this track.
We have so much new music coming! “Pax Britannica” is the second single from our forthcoming album ‘The Omnipotent Wage’, which will be released later this year. We released our first single a couple of months ago called Hedge Fundamentalism which is also streaming everywhere.
What do you believe sets your live performances apart from other bands?
I don’t really like competitive phrases like ‘sets us apart’, we have an incredible growing punk scene in our town and we are lucky enough to get to play with some awesome bands. All we do is make sure every set we play is filled with energy and authenticity, whether we’re playing to ten people or a sold-out room.
Do you aim to convey any specific themes or messages through your music?
Absolutely, yes. As a punk band that is at our core. Themes on our new album range from the single discussed here, which is a swipe at colonialist attitudes in the UK, to songs looking at greed, bigotry, disillusionment, anti-science rhetoric, etc – with the common theme being the way in which all of these things are used to weaponised people against each other.
