South London-based Irish songwriter and producer piglet (aka Charlie Loane) releases his EP, for frank forever, on November 8 via Blue Flowers. It follows his 2022 EP seven songs which garnered critical acclaim for its poignant exploration of the trans experience. for frank forever is dedicated to piglet’s friend Frank (aka Trib) who completed suicide last summer. He shares:
“i finished writing these songs just before he passed away, and most of the lyrics on the EP developed from experiences we shared through organizing together as part of a mutual aid group. mutual aid organising taught me so much about myself and the people around me. it laid bare the many ways that capitalism fails all of us, and brought me closer to the love which sustains us through this failure and builds in us the strength and motivation to fight for something better. for frank forever is about mutual aid, systemic failure, the joys and pains of community organizing, pathologization and dehumanization, community self-defence, delicious pints, substance abuse, direct action, die-hard anti-capitalism, working it out as you go along, deep friendship, family in all its forms, and lots of other stuff which doesn’t fit well into a list format. its very serious and its not at all – its just what life felt like to me at the time. i hope you recognise yourself in it somewhere. thanks for listening <3”
The EP opens with the title track. Be prepared to set out on a journey of sonically induced emotion. Soaring and passionate bursting with an emotive power that is rarely heard resulting in goosebumps on every listen. The string instrumentation parts add a heartfelt layer to ‘for frank forever’ which rises and falls, carrying the listener along with it.
What a gloriously light track ‘white knuckles’ is. It opens delicately enough, bobbing with the lightness of touch of the electronic beats. The track delves into the emotional complexity of recognising and escaping a manipulative relationship. Hence the building power and anxiety in the tracks as it progresses. The crystal clear vocals of piglet are an utter joy, and the increasingly realisation that the relationship has to end is reflected in the sonic landscape. Known for his distinctive one-shot visuals, the video for ‘white knuckles’ was a family affair, made with his younger sister and featuring his “wee brother” and friends. Shot in one chaotic take, piglet recalls:
“The shoot was complete chaos, after many failed attempts due to rain, botched fight scenes, and tripping over while chasing each other, we finally managed to get to the end of the song. We were so covered in rain, ketchup, and dirt that we decided that that would have to be the one and headed straight to the pub. Despite all this, it is actually quite watchable :)”
‘scoop’ slows everything down, almost uncomfortably so. It’s delicate and calm, and has a touch of folk with the accompanying plucking guitar. Again the vocal of piglet is extraordinary, there is simply nowhere to hide with the instrumentation is this stripped back. piglet is accompanied by Caitlin Power, aka Birthday Girl and member of Paddywak, and together they have created something quite beautiful. With its coastal references the imagery is vivid and the sharp stop on the lyric “drink” is a glorious touch. This calm is followed by the exuberant ‘dancing with ayesha’ which picks up not only the pace but the emittance of joy expressed within the song. If the EP is a little intense so far, the shackles are thrown off on ‘dancing with ayesha’. Turn up the volume and wallow in the anticipation which builds through the song. The narrative is describing the joy of watching someone dance with ayesha, and this person is so happy in that moment. “Long may it continue.”
The EP finishes with ‘the square’ (trigger warning), a heart-breaking telling of a person struggling. The lyrics here express so much.
“Please don’t go yet,
There are people who will love you, who you haven’t even met.”
It’s actually a difficult song to describe, I cannot imagine how piglet sings it. Of course it’s powerful and at over 7 minutes the song is given the space to breathe, to move between the various stages of the human response when one loses someone. The loss and grief are unimaginable, and to share this in a song is extraordinary.
What an emotional roller-coaster piglet takes us with for frank forever. With the inspiration behind the EP understood, it is hardly surprising. However music can be cathartic, I suspect for piglet this has been a challenging time, creating this body of work. How is it that musical notes in a certain order, or played on a certain instrument can elicit such a strong emotional response? The lyrical content is breath-taking and the quality of piglet’s vocal is simply exquisite. I have no doubt Frank would have been very proud.
piglet Live Dates
November
12 – The Library, Oxford
13 – Hug & Pint, Glasgow
14 – Henrykk, Manchester
16 – Cloak, Bristol
18 – The Albert, Brighton
December
7 – Corsica Studios, London
For more information on piglet please check facebook and instagram.
