Thabo Mkwananzi (Vocals)
Martin Chung (Guitars)
Jack Button (Bass/Programming)
Noah Burton (Drums/Programming)
John Waugh (Saxes)
Greg Nicholas (Trumpet)
After releasing two EPs on Doorly's Pigeonhole This! label in summer 2012 the world are now waking up to Extra Curricular’s fresh new sound. The band's debut EP 'WON'T STAY DOWN' peaked at number 11 in the iTunes electronic chart and set the scene for the follow up success of 'LAST DAY'. The track received countless BBC Radio 1 plays courtesy of Annie Mac, Toddla T, and Friction, and was showcased as part of the now legendary 'Free Music Monday' blog.
Formed in 2009 from after-hours jam sessions in Huddersfield put together by rhythm section duo Noah Burton (Drums) and Jack Button (Bass), Extra Curricular sculpted their sound passing through the genres of hip-hop, jazz and funk, with past alumnae including Ruby Wood (Submotion Orchestra) and Jack Flash (UK Hip-hop MC).
The current formation boasts an impressive live stage show which has to be witnessed to be fully appreciated. The band’s blend of soulful grooves, bass driven beats and luscious melodies together to form deep and meaningful songs delivered by the rapturous vocals and presence of Thabo Mkwanazi. This live show has seen Extra Curricular play alongside Example, Labrinth, Professor Green, Tynchy Stryder, Zane Lowe, Tower Of Power, Doorly, DJ Yoda, Reverend and The Makers, Artwork, Youngblood Brass Band, The Correspondents, The Furious 5, and Craig Charles amongst others.
The band can also count Andi Durrant (Capital FM) and Eddy Temple-Morris (Xfm) as fans. Mixmag, Knowledge Magazine, and DJMag have run features on Extra Curricular, with Mixmag premiering the band's debut music video on their worldwide blog. Following on, 'LAST DAY' has now appeared on the Ibiza Rocks 2012 compilation and the Jaguar Skills and His Amazing Friends album. Thabo’s vocals also featured on the Duke Dumont underground house hit ‘No Money Blues’ taken from his ‘For Club Play Only’ EP.
Fast-forward to 2013 and with a series of EP releases under their belt, countless performances at major festivals and venues. Extra Curricular continue to produce new music, collaborate with exciting artists, and showcase their live show around the UK.
Last Day
Extra Curricular Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We headed for disaster.
Oh, they're predicting gloom,
They say it's coming soon.
They're always selling fear,
But we ain't buying here.
It's all smoke and mirrors,
Now, this ain't no silver lining.
They've tried but they can't find it.
Forgot we're positive;
We don't survive, we live.
One way or another,
We surely will discover
All our true potential
Has no real dimesions.
No, no, no, no, no.
They don't know. They just don't know about us.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
They don't know, no. If today was my last day,
I would spend it this way anyway. They're claiming hope is too expensive,
But I don't think they get it.
This here's emacipation
From all the mental slavery.
Right now's a time for action,
No room to just be passive.
Seek and find your passion.
Make use of all your talents.
Let's learn from all our lessons,
No time for second guessing.
No point in hesitating
And over-contemplating.
The victory is certain,
so long we put the work in.
As soon as we decide,
The future will be bright.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
They don't know. If today was my last day,
I would spend it this way anyway. They say there ain't no time for laughing.
We headed for disaster.
Oh, they're predicting gloom,
They say it's coming soon.
They're always selling fear,
But we ain't buying here.
It's all smoke and mirrors,
To distort our vision.
Now, this ain't no silver lining.
They've tried but they can't find it.
Forgot we're positive;
We don't survive, we live.
One way or another,
We surely will discover
That all our true potential
Has no real dimesions.
If today...
If today was my last day,
I would spend it this way anyway.
The song "Last Day" by Extra Curricular is about staying positive and not succumbing to the fear and negativity that people around us may try to sell us. The lyrics suggest that despite the world appearing to be filled with gloom and disaster, we should focus on our true potential and find our passion. The song's message is to take action and not be passive, as the future is bright for those who decide to put in the effort.
The chorus of the song highlights the theme of living in the present and cherishing every moment: "If today was my last day, I would spend it this way anyway." The repetition of the phrase "no, no, no, no, no" suggests a defiance against the negativity that surrounds us.
The song also touches upon the idea of mental slavery and the importance of freeing oneself from it. The lyrics encourage us to seek and find our passions, make use of our talents, and learn from our lessons. The song shows that victory is certain if we are willing to put in the work.
Overall, the song's message is one of positivity and the need to focus on the present and our true potential.
Line by Line Meaning
They say there ain't no time for laughing.
People believe that there is no time to enjoy oneself.
We headed for disaster.
We are moving towards a bad situation.
Oh, they're predicting gloom,
Others are forecasting misery.
They say it's coming soon.
They say it will happen soon.
They're always selling fear,
They are constantly promoting fear.
But we ain't buying here.
We are not accepting their message.
It's all smoke and mirrors,
It's all an illusion.
To distort our vision.
To affect how we perceive things.
Now, this ain't no silver lining.
There isn't much optimism here.
They've tried but they can't find it.
They have attempted to locate positivity but have failed.
Forgot we're positive;
They have overlooked our optimistic attitudes.
We don't survive, we live.
We do more than just exist. We truly live.
One way or another,
Regardless of how it happens.
We surely will discover
We will definitely find out.
All our true potential
Our genuine ability.
Has no real dimesions.
Is limitless and cannot be quantified.
They don't know. They just don't know about us.
Others don't understand us.
If today was my last day,
If today were my final day alive,
I would spend it this way anyway.
I would still utilize my time in this manner.
They're claiming hope is too expensive,
Others say that hope is too costly.
But I don't think they get it.
But I don't believe they understand.
This here's emacipation
This is liberation from past ideas.
From all the mental slavery.
From all the limiting thoughts and beliefs.
Right now's a time for action,
It's time to take action now.
No room to just be passive.
There is no time to be inactive.
Seek and find your passion.
Search for and discover your interests.
Make use of all your talents.
Make the most of your skills.
Let's learn from all our lessons,
Let's gain insights from all our experiences.
No time for second guessing.
There is no time to doubt or hesitate.
No point in hesitating
There is no purpose in delaying or being indecisive.
And over-contemplating.
And overthinking the situation.
The victory is certain,
Success is sure.
so long we put the work in.
If we put in effort.
As soon as we decide,
As soon as we make a choice,
The future will be bright.
The future will be positive.
If today was my last day,
If today were my final day alive,
I would spend it this way anyway.
I would still utilize my time in this manner.
Contributed by Levi C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@xGMaan
This song could easily be a number one hit!!
@jolenerae-walsh2879
It was good to have the opportunity to publicly big these talented guys up at Bettakultcha this evening x May 11th at The Picturedrome, Holmfirth :) See you there?
@stushman111
These guys R the bomb bit of everything!!! KEEP UP THESE TUNES PLZ
@bev1806
Heard this on Andi Durrants show on capital on weekend players, don't know why this is isn't bigger, I'm hooked !
@LovechrisForever1
I love the sound of the trumpets and this beat
@jamesdent2504
love this..... should be big
@ashtvmusicvideo
You lads nailed it with this killer track
@ashtvmusicvideo
These guys were such a pleasure to shoot; and in a live setting they really explode. Fantastic band.
@Tezzaw
This is AMAZING!!
@jolenerae-walsh2879
Up to nearly 11000 in just 2 months :)