Unbalanced Grass

Unbalanced Grass

It’s the spring of 2007, and the band formerly known as “Unbalanced Grass” has been hibernating.

Not exactly dead – well, not yet. Since the release of Bigger Than Judas, certain things just got in Unbalanced Grass’ way – most largely and obviously, that beast known as university, but also other creative projects as well as just plain old laziness. Couple that with the fact that the in-potentia members of UG were uncertain, as well as spread out over a large area, and you get everything that could possibly hamper a band (well, except the debt; at least there wasn’t any debt… well, not much, anyway). Laura had left the band (mostly because she was in Africa), Matt and Sam had sort-of joined, and all the members of UG met at Pooka’s birthday party in April 2006.

But it was a far cry from an active band. Pooka had released an album called Sappharis Remastered in February 2006 (that’s three UG releases in 3 years), but this was – as the title suggests – a rehashed version of the tracks on Sappharis Moonstone, and only contained two new tracks (and even they weren’t new). What they wanted was a load of new stuff…

And so, for a while, UG went their separate ways. Pooka became Pookie K. Malefact became Adam Three Trillion. Music sprouted and grew; none of it was branded “Unbalanced Grass”. None of it even sounded like Unbalanced Grass. And even though there was a backing vocal session in a caravan somewhere near Blackpool in the Autumn of 2006, not much was being done. Half-finished tracks lay neglected and almost forgotten on Pooka’s hard drive, and for a few months, nothing. It really looked like Unbalanced Grass had run its course.

But good ideas never die, and neither did this one.

Spring of 2007, and Pooka, who has just finished an album named Fall Down, Spring Back, has realised that he’s still got a rock band. Apart from himself and Morti, he isn’t even sure who’s in it any more, but one thing is certain – there are songs. And so, with the skills he’s attempted to gain behind him, he sets to work on digitally mixing together a new album, using all the bits from the past he can find. It isn’t easy, and on all but one track he finds himself re-recording new lead vocal, which the instruments and background vocals have to support.

Due to complications, he can’t make a full album – but some tracks are certain, including the first full-band version of LSD (something he’s wanted to achieve since he was 15), and Morti’s jazzy cover of an unfinished James track named Hedex, and through sheer bloody-minded determination to continue (as well as a healthy dollop of stupidity), the album formerly known as We Must Rebuild became We Must Rebuild: an EP by Unbalanced Grass. Four tracks, and maybe a secret one (if you’re very, very good), stuffed haphazardly onto a CD and shoved into a case.

It doesn’t sound very impressive, and it isn’t. But it just goes to show… something.

Maybe.

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