- Murray MacLeod (Lead Vocals & Guitar) - Jordan Smith (Backing Vocals & Ba… Read Full Bio ↴- Murray MacLeod (Lead Vocals & Guitar) - Jordan Smith (Backing Vocals & Bass) - Tom Heron (Backing Vocals & Drums) -

In the sleepy town of Beth Page, New Jersey, THE XCERTS may as well have been The Beatles – British AND in a band?! It's true what they say: Americans LOVE that kind of thing.

Staying in a dorm-like hotel room with a cosy kitchenette for two weeks and recording in a basement studio, The Xcerts' second album had been coming together for around nine months. But a mere four weeks had passed since the band found out they'd be recording it with the mighty Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Public Enemy).

Their debut, 'In The Cold Wind We Smile', was recorded with Dave Eringa (Idlewild – '100 Broken Windows') in Wales, and secured the band supports with Funeral For A Friend, My Vitriol, Fightstar, Feeder and Idlewild, and was greeted as warmly by indie-pop fans as fans of heavy rock. Labeling themselves 'distorted pop', they had a combination of sweetness and angst akin to a colder, darker, cosier Jimmy Eat World. This time around, though, The Xcerts are a much more ferocious beast – and they're happy to admit that not everyone's going to like it.

“If we didn't sound different, I'd be worried,” frontman Murray Macleod explains. The first album was – as for most new bands – something of a 'greatest hits' from the band's early years, when they were still finding their feet. This time, the album was almost entirely written in a six-week break between tours and as a result paints a much more vibrant picture; a single body of work that makes sense; a proper album that it would seem blasphemous to shuffle.

The influences have changed too. “There are certain records that we're all really in to that have a similar sound – a balance of raw emotion and good production. ‘In Utero’ by Nirvana, ‘Pinkerton’ by Weezer, 'Either/Or' by Elliot Smith, ‘The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me’ by Brand New, ‘Nebraska’ by Bruce Springsteen and ‘For Emma Forever Ago’ by Bon Iver. That's pretty much exactly how we wanted this record to sound.”

The result is something certainly more akin to the louder of the aforementioned bands. In fact, The Xcerts had to cancel shows scheduled for the week of their return from NY on account of Murray having screamed his throat to pieces in the studio. There are quieter, more tender moments – which 'Aberdeen 1987' from the first album showed they can do brilliantly – but this record is no soft touch. And the Springsteen curveball comes in to play on the big sing-along chorus of 'Belane' – a song that miraculously makes sense on an otherwise unconventional record.

“There's a lot of experimentation on this album,” says Macleod, who credits Sapone for encouraging and cultivating the creative process. “He came up with crazy ideas, and watching him come out with them, I didn't feel worried about throwing an idea into the hat. It was almost like Mike was the fourth member of the band – there's parts that would never happened, had we not worked with Mike.”

Lead single, 'Slackerpop' is a prime example. The original demo was a mere ninety seconds long until Sapone insisted The Xcerts “find the middle eight”. What they found was an intense and unforgiving middle eight that makes the song.

“We'll be more suited for a slightly heavier bill now,” Murray says, unsure of where exactly 'Scatterbrain' fits in the current musical landscape. “It's really 90s influenced, but Mike's made it a really forward thinking album, which is something we definitely needed.”

Murray sums up the record as “the sweet sound of a young man losing his mind”. It's a bit bewildering, overwhelming and even a little unsettling, becoming more clear and clearly troubled with every listen.

“This is an album lover’s album for the fans of the band. It’s not about a particular track or single and should be listened too as an entire body of work with an open mind. We hope everyone falls in love with it like we have.”

The Xcerts debut album ‘In The Cold Wind We Smile’ is out now on Xtra Mile Recordings! Here’s what the press had to say:

“Charged with youthful hope and exuberance, every riff and anthemic chorus points to a bright future for these talented lads." - Kerrang! 4/5

“...this debut is inch-perfect, merging heartstring-tugging delicacy with buoyant distortion... If you're searching for pop with balls but no bullshit, look no further.” - Rock Sound 8/10

"'In The Cold Wind We Smile' is a triumphant, life-affirming classic" - Big Cheese 5/5

Kick It
The Xcerts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh I'm too drunk to talk
So let's just stop, yeah we'll speak in the morning
When the words won't be so ...
You can't project you're hurt on to me in the morning
But you swear that you're not leaving 'till you get what you came for

I only wanted your love
I only wanted your love

Instead of I got a worse crush
I only wanted your love
Then I can see it
You kick it, kick it, kick it you run

Oh you're too high to talk
So let's just stop, yeah we'll speak in the morning
When your thoughts won't be so obscure
To clear your sober war on me in the morning
But you swear that you're not leaving 'till you get what you came for

I only wanted your love
I only wanted your love
Instead of I got a worse crush
I only wanted your love
Then I can see it
You kick it, kick it, kick it you run

I only wanted your love
I only wanted your love
Instead of I got a worse crush
I only wanted your love
Then I can see it
You kick it, kick it, kick it you run
Kick it, kick it

11x Kick it

I only wanted your love
I only wanted your love
Instead of I got a worse crush
I only wanted your love
Then I can see it
You kick it, kick it, kick it you run

I only wanted your love
I only wanted your love
Instead of I got a worse crush
I only wanted your love
Then I can see it
You kick it, kick it, kick it you run

You kick it, kick it, kick it you run
Kick it, kick it

Overall Meaning

The Xcerts's song "Kick It" is about a toxic relationship that is doomed to fail from the start. The lyrics suggest that both parties are not in a clear state of mind throughout the song, with one being too drunk and the other being too high to talk. The singer acknowledges that they only wanted love from their partner, but instead, they ended up being infatuated with them. The partner seems to be projecting their issues onto the singer, causing emotional pain in the relationship. Despite this, the partner is unwilling to leave the relationship until they get what they want.

The chorus of the song is repeated in various forms throughout, with the line "You kick it, kick it, kick it you run" being particularly poignant. The words suggest that the partner is hesitant to fully commit to the relationship and is always on the move, kicking away any possibility of a lasting connection.

The use of the phrase "kick it" in the song can be interpreted in different ways, with some suggesting it represents avoidance or running away from problems. Overall, the song paints a picture of a tumultuous relationship that is destined for failure.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh I'm too drunk to talk
I am inebriated and unable to converse

So let's just stop, yeah we'll speak in the morning
Let's halt this conversation and resume tomorrow

When the words won't be so ...
When the language will be less ambiguous

You can't project you're hurt on to me in the morning
You cannot place the blame for your pain on me

But you swear that you're not leaving 'till you get what you came for
You declare that you will not depart until you have obtained your intention

I only wanted your love
I solely desired your affection

Instead of I got a worse crush
However, I received a more intense infatuation

Then I can see it
Now I understand it

You kick it, kick it, kick it you run
You abandon and avoid the relationship

Oh you're too high to talk
You are intoxicated and unable to converse

When your thoughts won't be so obscure
When your ideas will be less uncertain or ambiguous