luckyPRICK

Outburn

Outburn Magazine (Issue # 21)
By Brian Lumauig

Scans:

EMERGING OUT OF THE MID-90S INDUSTRIAL ROCK MOVEMENT, Prick received critical acclaim with their 1995 self-titled debut, ultimately gaining them the coveted opening slot on the David Bowie/Nine Inch Nails Outside tour. The brainchild of Kevin McMahon, Prick brought their unique blend of post-punk and new wave influences into the world of razor sharp, computerized rock. Now, just short of a decade later, Kevin McMahon revives Prick with the internet-only release of his second opus, The Wreckard - a collection of twisted pop songs with an experimental, if not, schizophrenic edge. The enigmatic and ever-elusive Kevin McMahon shares his thoughts on the creative process that led to The Wreckard, shedding at least a little light on the entity known as Prick.

What happened in the seven years since Prick's first release to help shape what eventually became The Wreckard?
Speaking strictly from the world surrounding the second album, I'm sure the frustration and anxiety of such bureaucratically imposed downtime contributed a degree of unconventionality to the overall sound of The Wreckard. The longer it took to get any type of response from the label, other than "write more songs," the more determined I became to use those songs I already sent to them. This is not the best way to get a record out in a timely fashion, but I believe these songs resonate regardless of date. A lot of time was also eaten up with the lawyers, demo tape ownership, song ownership, etc. This type of stuff drags on normally, but compounding this strain was the added weight of inter-label feuding/dropping/go-around. I knew the songs were mine, but I didn't want to go through some legal hassle years down the road if one of them popped up in a film. As for the song selection, we find prick passing through some rather desperate character space, flashbacks of fear as well as aggression, all temporary spots for the broken man or the wreckard.

Why did you release The Wreckard via the Prick website instead of on a major label?
Getting the second album out was such a creativity usurping and time eating experience that the moment I wrapped up the legalities of that fiasco, I proceeded on my own. If a distributor or label comes along who can guarantee to do their job and stay out of the creative zone, they can reach me at www.prickmusic.com.

The Wreckard has elements of catchy pop music underneath a good amount of experimentalism. What inspired the overall feel of the album?
Prick's experience with life, in general, is that of a seemingly human voice in a too real world. Some things in life are catchy and fun to him, but soon the majority of them reveal themselves to be only candy coated diversions, hence experimentalism. By experimentalism, I don't mean destruction necessarily, but offering one's energies in hopes of finding something more true and durable. Of course, many times that durability is simply a thicker coat of candy.

What differentiates Kevin McMahon from Prick?
It's mostly a question of who takes over. This happens when attitude and perspective take a different direction and Kevin's thoughts are overtaken by another color or dimension. Prick is a part of me that I like to write for. That part of me comes out in the studio and on stage where Kevin wouldn't. I let the song and the performance gravitate towards who knows it better and who feels it more. I wouldn't say it's an alter ego, because I don't want to turn it into a cartoon. But it is important to have the dichotomy of two extremes. That's the great thing about writing music, you can explore and bring out different sides of yourself. You just write in different personalities and perspectives. Kevin is just a writer, whereas prick is the actual writing after it is personified and given life.

What is the songwriting and recording process like for Prick?
Rarely do I write a song specifically for Prick. As the lyric and recording process unwinds, the song will fall into a category of a more definitive style, with Prick being the most extreme. If I can't find in myself where the song/sentiment/ethos at that time resonates, I put the thing down for later... when there's less of me occupying myself.

The tracks "Godfather," "Object," and "Actress" are intertwined both sonically and thematically. Can you describe the connection?
Attraction/obsession mainly...the attraction of the will-less to the willing. At the risk of courting an explanation, I'll bang around some reflections: attempting to subvert fear and insecurity with sentiment, vicarious judgement, and theoretical forgiveness, the mind becomes a breeding ground for delusion and self-righteousness, crippling imagination, and/or psychopathic behavior; the seduction of role-playing to the malleability and expendability of the image to the addiction and ultimate surrender to the unchecked imagination.

Do you plan on taking your new music to a live audience?
I've been trying to get some type of performance of prick material prepared for a while now, and trial and error of approaches and personnel are coming to what I hope to be a satisfying outcome. Straight answer is yeah, something's coming.

Do you have other interests in broadening your palette beyond just producing your own music?
Yes, I'm most definitely interested in working with others on music for film, records, even television if the show is good.

I understand that you are thinking of releasing a new CD by your earlier band, Lucky Pierre, in the near future?
Well, it has taken all this time for me, with the invaluable help of others, to get this far with The Wreckard. The plan is for now, after a few regional gigs as Prick, a new Lucky Pierre album will be released, either on www.luckypierremusic.com or the prick site. Where depends on cash availability. When depends on cash availability. What songs? New, old, live, demos...a salad so to speak, theme free so to say.

With the current musical climate the way it is, how do you see your music fitting in with the norm? Do you view it as a backlash against what is popular?
I don't think it would be advisable to have The Wreckard become the norm, but I do hear an occasional track being broadcast every once in a while to, if nothing else, cover these so-called alternative radio stations legal departments from lawsuits for false advertising. For me to act like I know what the norm is would be ludicrous. When commercial radio started taking on a very particular format, I started turning off my radio. Every so often, I would tune in to find out what the hell was going on...and I don't use that phrase loosely. I say to myself, "Just be open-mined and stick it out for a few songs." But then I feel strange, sicker than normal - a kind of weak embarrassing sickliness that makes me feel dirty, insulted, and violated. I don't know, is that the norm? Now even many college stations are going that way. Maybe I don't know when to listen, but I think anything that is out of the ordinary, be it in style, lyrical content, production elements, etc. can and should fit in with the norm and allow the norm to expand and hear something new.