THE WORMHOLES - NEW
‘New’ is the last track on the ‘Chopper’ Ep from 1995. The EP was their second release on the Roadrunner UK label. By the time that it was released the A&R guy who had signed them on the strength of ‘Chicks Dig Scars’ had suddenly left his job at Roadrunner - leaving The Wormholes and Pet Lamb (another Irish band of the time who were also signed to Roadrunner) in the lurch somewhat. Roadrunner was a metal label and after Miles (the A&R man) left, there wasn’t anyone at the label who really liked or understood what the Wormholes were up to. A real pity. Miles had signed The Verve in a previous job and would go on to sign the Beta Band in his new job. His leaving felt very much like a betrayal.
The Wormholes went on a full on writing streak after signing with Roadrunner and in a couple of nights at 147 recorded an amazing set of songs that really could have been another album - or the basis of one. ‘New’ was always one of my favourite tracks they did. It starts off pretty conventionally but the extended coda was one of the first times they really successfully improvised while recording.
Marc Carolan recorded it of course. It’s on here because Dead Elvis basically did all of the work preparing for the release. I did the photos and artwork and also did the video for the lead track on the EP - ‘Leave The Blanket In’. More about that tune later.
