FEATURE: Spotlight: Porij — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Porij

___________

ONE of the most promising bands…

of the moment come in the form of Manchester’s Porij. There are a few features that I want to bring in - so that we can be introduced to the band. Their six-track mixtape (as opposed to an E.P.), Breakfast – it had to called that, right?! -, was released last year. It was a collection of awesome songs from a group that are turning heads right now. I think that, despite a rather terrible 2020 and 2021 (so far), the group have done well to get their music out there and grow their fanbase. They are going to be keen to get out there and gig more later in the year. The first article, an interview that NME conducted last year, introduces us to Porij. The group - Eggy (vocals and keys), Tommy (vocals and guitar), Jammo (bass) and Tom (drums) – have been friends for a while now:

“When you form a band, the first live show is normally the last stage of the process. After initial rehearsals you might start to write some of your own songs, and once those have been perfected and you’ve spent hours coming up with a name, you’ll take the tentative steps to performing in front of an audience. But Porij (pronounced like the breakfast oats), did everything backwards.

After living in the same block of halls at uni in Manchester, the foursome – who are all studying popular music at The Royal Northern College of Music – became pals. Although they’d messed around recording bits and pieces, they hadn’t properly considered becoming a band until a friend was forced to pull out of a live show in Leeds.

“It was literally going through Tommy’s computer [listening to recordings] being like ‘yeah we’ll play that… we’ll just need to make it five minutes longer!’” drummer Tom laughs. Thankfully, the gig went well, despite missing bassist James, who wasn’t actually in the same country when it happened, and thus, Porij (the Ready Brek-themed name has “no meaning” and was picked at random) was formed.

As for their other influences, the band sing the praises of Swedish electro-poppers Little Dragon and jazzy left-field multi-instrumentalist Louis Cole, before dissolving into a heated discussion about UK garage don MJ Cole’s back catalogue – which results in the band booing Tom when he says some of it “isn’t good”.

Whilst there are not many (if any) reviews for Breakfast, there are some interviews where we discover more about Porij’s tastes and what they have planned for the future. In October last year, Rebecca Mason spoke with Porij. They discussed their then-latest single, Dirty Love - in addition to how their songs come together:

“Talk us through your new single ‘Dirty Love’, where did it come from and what does it mean to you as a band?

Eggy: I had to write a song for a deadline at uni and somehow this came out. I was pretty stressed at the time so I wanted to distract from my real life. This led to me imagining this weird toxic cult reigned by a freaky Queen. She rules over her people by weaponising her love. I wanted to write something captivating but unsettling and I think Dirty Love is the epitome of that sensation.

Band: It’s probably the fattest, filthiest version of our sound yet. We like it.

How do the majority of your songs come together? Are your influences often similar or are they constantly changing?

It’s changing all the time. We all produce, so we make beats, bring them into rehearsals and try and play them live. It’s super fun, but every single song seems to be a completely different process so we can’t really tell you.

We all listen to different stuff, but here’s what we’re collectively into at the moment: Kano (Hoodies All Summer is incredible), Disclosure (new tune with Slowthai slaps), and Little Dragon (always).

Is there anything you’ve learned about yourselves through making music?

We’re all massively insecure but sometimes when we make music we forget that we are.

What is something you wish you’d known when you first got into the music industry?

Don’t do pay to play gigs. You can record in your bedroom and get it played on the radio. Don’t master your own music.

What’s it like being involved in the Manchester scene at the moment? Any favourite upcoming artists we should be listening to?

Manchester’s sick. There’s such a huge history of dance music here, so it feels amazing to be able to be a part of it.

There are too many good upcoming bands to pick so we’re gonna take one each:

Jamo: See Thru Hands. Massive through rig.

Tom: KSR’s voice gets me every time.

Tommy: Codex. They slap, the most lush electronic music I’ve seen live!

Eggy: Paige Kennedy. If you’re looking for engaging songwriting than look no further. Can usually be found in a studio or on the hockey pitch”.

The music scene has always been vibrant in Manchester. At the moment, there are some seriously good acts coming from there. If you have not checked out Porij, then make sure that you do as soon as possible. They are making some seriously good music!

PHOTO CREDIT: Oliver Pringle

Before moving on, there are a couple of other interviews that I want to draw in. Earlier this year, DORK looked back on the year and asked Porij how – for a hungry and talented young band – it has been not hitting the road:

“2020’s been a bit much, hasn’t it, are you guys all okay? What have you been up to this year?

We’re getting by alright! Chaotic good energy. It has all been a bit much, although Biden won, so that’s a relief. All our gigs got cancelled, so we’ve been focussing on writing and recording instead.

Must be weird trying to get a new band going while unable to play gigs, is that impacting you much? Are you able to get shows “in the diary”?

It’s sad not being able to perform together because it had become a big part of what we do and we miss interacting with everyone that came to our shows. We had to find different ways to do that the past six months by getting progressively sillier on social media. We’ve been offered a few gigs recently, but it’s all so up in the air at the moment that we don’t know what’s going to happen.

Is there a particular vibe you like to go for with your music? Any lyrical themes you’re particularly drawn to?

Anything and everything is allowed. We like to be open. Just as ‘Dirty Love’ was complete fantasy, songs like ‘Closer’ are completely personal.

What do you lot do for fun when you’re not doing band business?

Eggy likes supermarkets, in particular the mystery aisles in Lidl and/or Aldi. Tommy likes making drum’n’bass loud. Tom bought a skateboard a couple months ago and can take a hefty slam. Jammo eats”.

The final interview comes from DIY. Some of the biggest tastemakers in the country have been saluting and highlighting one of Manchester’s finest. They highlighted the single, Nobody Scared (the interview was published in May this year):

“Following the release of last year’s ‘Breakfast’ mixtape, the group returned with plucky and poignant new alt-pop single ‘Nobody Scared’ last month. Speaking about the track, vocalist Eggy explains, “I wrote the lyrics for ‘Nobody Scared’ after watching a documentary on Netflix about the Yorkshire Ripper. It focused on the Reclaim the Night marches and it made me remember the feeling of fear when I used to walk home alone at night. The song is about recognising those feelings but addressing the fact that women and girls shouldn’t have to live their lives afraid. The line ‘nobody scared’ is meant to be empowering and embody the Reclaim the Night Movement. It’s crazy that people force the narrative that women aren’t being careful when in reality they shouldn’t be in danger just because of their gender and no matter how many precautions they take it doesn’t seem to matter. Gender-based violence affects women from all countries, backgrounds and social statuses. The fact that 97% of women say they had been sexually harassed is astounding but sadly not a surprising statistic to those who have been through it.

“We originally wrote this song back in December and it felt like an important topic then but it feels even more important now. When I was watching the documentary, the original Reclaim the Night march first happened in 1977 but the fact that we’re still having to protest over the same issues of femicide is shocking, especially as the advice is still the same. We shouldn’t have to take preventative measures in order to be safe, why is no-one tackling the issue instead of blaming the victims? Women shouldn’t have to stay out of public spaces after dark and have a curfew inflicted upon them. Hopefully this song can help empower the women that deserve so much more.”

Are there any other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

Jamo: Petsematary, completely different from us but slaps on a gig.
Tommy: Coco Bryce. No two breaks will ever be the same.
Eggy: Paige Kennedy - wild'n'wonderful. Hold on to your hats.
Tom: I am in love with Enny's music at the minute, she's a sick storyteller.

Who would be your dream collaborator?

porij x Hot Wheels 🔥

Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to this year?

A big rig in a field please. And gigs! And more new tunes! And some new suits...

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

The world is ending but we're having a great time x”.

Let’s finish up here. If you require further information about Porij, then do some digging and check out their amazing music. I feel that they will make up for lost time regarding gigs. Check out their social media pages to see where you can catch them live. They are an incredible force that are going to be around for years. Original, instantly appealing and memorable, the band deserve as many followers as possible. I shall leave it there. Go and investigate…