Their music often gets compared to bands off the C86 compilation, such as The Shop Assistants, as well as The Buzzcocks; however the band also lists David Bowie as an influence.
The band's lyrics explore "gender, sexuality and queer issues" with themes such as "fluidity and the lack of a binary in gender".
Their debut album, released in 2013, is entitled Dress Up because it "relates to the idea of gender being a social construction, something that can be artificially appropriated". The record received positive reviews from Loud and Quiet, Under the Radar, and The Skinny.
Sophomore release Try To Be Hopeful has also received favourable coverage from music journalists, with emphasis that their world-view encompasses the fluidity of both gender and sexuality and that this gives their output "urgency and cheering freshness".
The Spook School's line-up is made up of four noisey people!
They are:
Nye Todd - Guitar! Singing! Buster Keaton!
Adam Todd - Guitar! Singing! Wearing stripes!
AC Cory - Bass! Hates birds! Speaks French!
Niall McCamley - Drums! Nudity! Moustache!
History
The Spook School Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are complex and undefined
So why let yourself be limited to binary desires?
To binary identities and binary ideals
Like switching on or switching off
choosing a bow-tie or high-heels
But the world tells us (01 01 01 01 01)
Body or head not (01 01 01 01 01)
Capacity for love not (01 01 01 01 01)
So let it be complicated
and hard to understand
You know they would envy you
If they got their heads out of the sand
So make them uncomfortable
and challenge their ideals
because those antiquated notions
are blinding what is real
I am bigger than a hexadecimal
code
Deeper than the bits and bytes
That try to define me
I am human, not a machine
I am fluid and ever-changing
Not restricted to a binary scene
The Spook School's song "History" is an anthem for embracing complexity and rejecting binary notions of identity and desire. The lyrics urge listeners to resist societal pressures to conform to either/or thinking and instead embrace the messiness of being fully human. The repeated refrain of "(01 01 01 01 01)" represents the limiting binary code and signals a rejection of its constraints.
The song encourages listeners to challenge cultural norms and push boundaries in order to embrace their full selves. The line "so make them uncomfortable and challenge their ideals" speaks to the power of assertion and confrontation as tools of change. The final verse, with its declaration that "I am bigger than a hexadecimal code," asserts that human beings are infinitely complex and cannot be reduced to simple, binary terms.
Overall, "History" is a call to action for those who refuse to be limited or reduced by societal pressures, urging them to embrace complexity, challenge conventions, and celebrate individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
You are not a computer
You are not simply a machine
You are complex and undefined
You are intricate and cannot be fully defined
So why let yourself be limited to binary desires?
Why restrict yourself to simple, black and white wants?
To binary identities and binary ideals
Choosing to be defined by narrow, limited perspectives
Like switching on or switching off
Reducing oneself to a simple on/off switch
choosing a bow-tie or high-heels
Limiting oneself to stereotypical, binary gender expression
But the world tells us (01 01 01 01 01)
But society pressures us to fit into binary categories
No we are not (01 01 01 01 01)
We are not defined by binary code
Body or head not (01 01 01 01 01)
We are not just our physical bodies or our brains
Capacity for love not (01 01 01 01 01)
Our ability to love is not restricted by binary thinking
So let it be complicated
Allow it to be complex and nuanced
and hard to understand
Difficult to fully comprehend
You know they would envy you
Others would be jealous of your freedom and complexity
If they got their heads out of the sand
If they could break free of narrow-minded thinking
So make them uncomfortable
Challenge their preconceived notions and prejudices
and challenge their ideals
Push them to reconsider their beliefs
because those antiquated notions
Because those outdated ideas
are blinding what is real
Are preventing us from seeing the truth and complexity of the world
I am bigger than a hexadecimal
I am more than just a string of numbers and letters
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AnotherSunnyNight
Another Sunny Night #09: Milky Wimpshake (UK) + The Spook School (UK) + Polar Bird (FR). From 8pm at L'international 5/7 rue Moret 75011 Paris, France. Free entrance.