{"id":88150,"date":"2019-08-30T11:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=88150"},"modified":"2023-03-28T19:31:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T18:31:24","slug":"interview-crywank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/interview-crywank\/","title":{"rendered":"Crywank: Reflecting On Their Turbulent Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

“‘Oh, my God, that’s so pathetic. I suck so much – I’ve got to write that down!'”<\/em><\/h2>\n

When it comes to melancholic music, some listeners can forget that there’s still plenty of humour to be had in the art of self-depreciation. James Clayton started Crywank <\/strong>in 2009 in the depths of Manchester, armed with two chords and the intention of being the most “pathetic bedroom acoustic musician” that they could think of. Their best friend Dan Watson joined not long afterwards in 2012 as their full-time percussionist.<\/p>\n

On the likes of Deviantart and Tumblr, there are thousands of illustrated interpretations of what their lyrics mean to Crywank<\/strong>‘s polarising fanbase. From the most insightful quips of misery to blatant statements like “I am shit, na na na na fucking dick”\u00a0<\/em>there’s a clear resonance with Clayton’s honest songwriting style across the internet.<\/p>\n

Clayton says they constantly have mixed feelings about where this project has brought them in life – and the legacy it will leave behind.\u00a0“I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve done, but there have also been points where I wasted so many opportunities. I’ve been trying to get to America for the past seven, eight years, I have still not managed it, “<\/em> they tell to Already Heard<\/strong> before their 10th anniversary show in London. They continue: “The band can sometimes represent my own failures as well.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

While their name has hindered opportunities for them to truly break out of nich\u00e9 music circles, Crywank<\/strong> has over 25 million streams on various platforms and have toured around the world without a manager or a label to consistently back them.<\/p>\n

Early in their career, Clayton was often told they wouldn’t get very far with such a provocative name. Certain venues refused to book them despite their growing popularity, even when bands such as Fuck Buttons could perform to large audiences. Yet the term by its very nature is tragically pathetic and shocking enough for the average music fan to listen out of sheer curiosity.<\/p>\n

“Recently the police got involved over our band name and the band The Menstrual Cramps. They asked the venue to censor the words ‘crywank’ and ‘menstrual.’\u00a0 Sure, one is used in PG films, but maybe with the crying beforehand, makes it a bit more intense. <\/em><\/p>\n

Menstrual is definitely not a word that should be censored. To even suggest that it should be is completely bizarre to me. We decided to change the venue rather than censor ourselves and the show still went ahead.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Clayton even had a go at writing two albums under different monikers – JC and the Nobodies, as well as Langdon Alger, a concept album based on an obscure, off-screen Simpsons character that has an intense crush on Lisa. For now, it looks like the name Crywank<\/strong> is here to stay.<\/p>\n

At its core, Crywank<\/strong> is an “anti-folk” project, yet their influence transcends into further DIY circles of emo, folk punk and quirky shades of psychedelic lo-fi.\u00a0Their most well-known songs, ‘Song For A Guilty Sadist’<\/em>, ‘Memento Mori’<\/em> and ‘Welcome To Castle Irwell’<\/em> has resonated within the depths of internet sad boy culture. The song ‘Privately Owned Spiral Galaxy<\/em>‘<\/em> was once sampled by the late controversial rapper XXXtentacion, despite never receiving royalties for it.<\/p>\n