System Corporation

The new single was inspired by poor voter turnouts at elections around the globe. “This touches on how political leaders try to sway you one way or another.  But the idea that Apathy Is Easy stems from the growing number of people who don’t vote, as they don’t feel they can make a difference, or none of the leaders speak to them or for them, or they just don’t understand politics and so do not participate,” says Scott Newth.  

“The chorus “Apathy is easy, Our numbers are growing, All we have to do is sit and wait” sums up the futility of the situation.  That the apathetic have the numbers to make a change, but just don’t due to their own apathy. It’s a catch 22.” 

Influenced by Sonic Youth, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Ty Segall, The Stone Roses, and New Zealand’s The Subliminals, they also take particular inspiration from music that is “beautifully calculated”, as well as music that is, on the contrary, “beautifully uncontrolled”. 

While most of the band’s production work happens in Hamilton, they hail from Thames (Phil), Hamilton (Andrew, Scott and Kent) and Wellington (Ben).  

“The original idea was inspired from a complete obsession with the band Pond from Perth. The way they can start a song somewhere;  start a groove or a melody, and have it turn you around; twist your neck muscles toward the speakers where the sound is coming from and then finish it up somewhere completely unexpected, taking you along for a ride,” recalls Phil Somervell.

“I started writing and recording a lot of music with the idea  that there could be songs within songs, that you’d have to listen a bit to get to the good stuff, or that maybe different ideas could merge together and be seamless with each other no matter what or how weird the transition.”

The new single is accompanied by a radio edit and the Apathetic Remix by Southern Tribe, the solo project of Andrew Newth dedicated to sonic explorations of atmospheric downbeat and ambient territory.

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