FFO: Tight Collar – Plasticine Castle

Photo by Nate McFall

Newcastle post‑punk outfit TIGHT COLLAR hot us up with their second single Plasticine Castle. An experimental, hard‑hitting burst “designed to mirror a restless, disordered state of mind,” the track opens with an alarming guitar line, pulsating bass and sharp drum snaps, building a tense, energetic backdrop for its staccato vocal delivery. The chorus drops into a melodic chance with news‑bulletin‑paced vocals, then kicks off again with renewed intensity. It’s an engaging and pleasantly unsettling listen.

Here, the band try and give us a flavour of the track using three other tracks…

Shame – Born in Luton

This track sucks you in as soon as the riff hits in the opening moments. We aimed to have a similar effect within Plasticine Castle, with the dissonant guitar sound reverberating through the first seconds of the track. Born in Luton also talks about a house that is “titanium sealed”, but instead of trying to protect themselves within the building, as in Plasticine Castle, they are trying to break in. It’s interesting how they use a similar metaphor to portray an idealised “safe place”, while approaching it from a completely different angle.

I also love the anger and emotion running through this track, culminating in a dramatic breakdown midway through, only for the tension to be shattered unexpectedly by the aggressive riff coming back in. That balance of tension and release is something we strive to replicate in TIGHT COLLAR, and it’s why I always find myself returning to this track

Squid – Narrator

This song follows the descent of an individual with a distorted view of the world around him, using that perspective to cope with a harsh reality. That kind of anxious monologue sits right at the heart of the TIGHT COLLAR. In particular, the ending of Narrator — constantly building and building in tension — captures the sort of mesmerising dramatic sound we look to achieve ourselves.

I’ve managed to catch squid live quite a few times, and they always seem to bring something new to this track, whether emotionally, instrumentally, or both. Bringing new flavours to songs in a live setting is also a really important part of the TIGHT COLLAR identity, and we’ve definitely taken inspiration from them in that sense

No Teeth – I Am Not An Officer

I wouldn’t say this single has a lot of direct similarities with our track, but I remember catching No Teeth for the first time in Newcastle and, when this tune came on, it really gave me the drive to put myself out there and form my own chaotic band. The way they intertwine chaos and darkness with absurdist humour is something I love about the band, and something we try to emulate ourselves from a different angle. It’s a true testament to the local scene and why getting out there and catching local bands whenever you can is so important.