Shments

***Shments*** is the debut EP by West Auckland indie rock band Blu Fish. Released on the 30th of November 2018 through their own label Blu Fish Records.

## Background

After the band formed at the University of Auckland campus bar, Shadows, on the 26th of February, they wrote a half hour set between the 4th of March and their first gig at the 2018 *Frick Yeah Festival* on the 8th of June. That half hour set became the songs the band would record for the EP. "Scenic Drive" was written in its entirety the first day the band practiced together; "Asinine Homies" followed shortly after; "At the Roundabout" was a reworking of a song Mason McCurdy wrote for *Title Pending'*s final gig; "Fresher" was a short demo Baber brought to practice to be fleshed out; "The Party" came from a short improvised jam and took the longest to write.

The EP was produced by rapper Alex Thompson, known professionally as Mr•O6OO. It was almost entirely recorded in Thompson's bedroom on FL Studio, aside from the drums which were recorded by Chris White, the father of Fergus White, one of Baber's former bandmate's from The Big Gus.

The EP artwork came from a photo Mason McCurdy took of a neon sign that said "Establishments" during the Auckland Pride Festival on the 17th of February, with the fish and jellyfish painting by Mason McCurdy's brother, EDMO, superimposed over it.

## Concept

The EP is a concept album that chronicles the band's high school lives growing up in Titirangi, a suburb of West Auckland. The concept is told in the lyrics with the story of a single fictional 2016 party in Woodlands Park, followed by the walk home up Scenic Drive, parting ways at the Titirangi roundabout, and then stressing about the future and decisions as young adults due to the expectations of "boomers".

## Music videos

The EP was accompanied by a music video for each song, where a story is gradually revealed of an alternate reality where creatures known as "Boomers" are attempting to turn youth into mindless drones, only to be defeated by DUTTY, the "Guardian of Youth".

In "The Party" the world is introduced, the Insomnia Monster taunts the band at the party while the Fish attempts to flirt with the Girl. In "Asinine Homies" the Insomnia Monster finds out that the Boomers are on their way to Earth, and dives into a deep depression before calling DUTTY, to action. In "Scenic Drive" the Boomers' Shments masks infect the Girl and the Boy, turning them into drones. In "At the Roundabout" DUTTY fights the Girl and the Boy and defeats them, taking off their masks; later as the Boomers watch from the bushes, the Fish destroys a mask.In "Fresher" the Boomers have come out of hiding and are planning to turn the Girl, the Boy, the Fish, and DUTTY into Shments drones; the Insomnia Monster tricks the Boomers into fighting the band while DUTTY defeats a waiter infected by the Shments mask; The Boomers lose to Baber's self-identity, which takes the form of a giant cloud of sentimental objects in the shape of a kiwi.

## Track listing

All music composed by Blu Fish. All lyrics composed by Cameron Mason McCurdy, except where noted.

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of *Shments*.

**Blu Fish**

* Cameron Mason McCurdy - lead vocals, drums, cover art
* Mitchell Baber - lead vocals, guitar
* Josh Rundle - bass guitar

**Technical**

* Alex "Mr•O6OO" Thompson - recording, mixing, mastering
* Chris White - drum recording
* Eva-Rae McLean & Callum Lincoln - providing tambourine

**Artwork**

* Eddie "EDMO" Dawn-McCurdy - painting
* Peter McCurdy - booklet photography

## Video personnel

Credits adapted from the YouTube descriptions of *Shments* music videos.

### Cast & crew

* Cameron Mason McCurdy - himself, director (tracks 1-4), art director
* Mitchell Baber - himself
* Josh Rundle - himself
* Leon Molyneux - the Boy, 1st AD (tracks 1-4), DOP (tracks 2 & 4)
* Maisy McLeod-Riera - DOP (tracks 1 & 3)
* Tashi Donnelly - Insomnia Monster, Shments Waiter, art director (track 2)
* Amelia Palmer - the Girl
* Keegan Tunks - the Fish
* Rowan Hart - DUTTY
* Eva-Rae McLean - Boomer Girl
* Callum Lincoln - Boomer Boy
* Ellen Jones-Poole - director (track 5), art director (track 5)
* Liam Martin - producer (track 5), 1st AD (track 5)
* Isaac Newcombe - DOP (track 5)
* Isaac Kibblewhite - 3rd AD (track 5)
* Angie Sanchez Villar - 1st AC (track 5)
* Sinead O'Flynn - gaffer (track 5)
* Grace Hood-Edwards - art director (track 5)

## Links

* Spotify
* Bandcamp
* Soundcloud
* Apple Music/iTunes

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bandstanding," The Fringe, page 14, issue 178, February 2019
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Shments - EP, 16/01/2019, https://blufishband.bandcamp.com/album/shments-ep
3. ↑ Fancy New Band: Blu Fish, 16/01/2019, https://95bfm.com/bcast/fancy-new-band-blu-fish
4. ↑ Blu Fish - SHMENTS - EP Lyrics and Tracklist, 16/01/2019, https://genius.com/albums/Blu-fish/Shments-ep
5. ↑ At The Party With Blu Fish, 16/01/2019, https://www.radio13.co.nz/articles/concert-photos-at-the-party-with-blu-fish/
6. ↑ Blu Fish: Scenic Drive, 16/01/2019, https://nzmusician.co.nz/music/blu-fish-scenic-drive/
7. ↑ Blu Fish - At the Roundabout (Music Video), 16/01/2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6019H4kxxqc
8. ↑ Blu Fish Just Got Fresher, 18/01/2019, https://www.radio13.co.nz/articles/blu-fish-just-got-fresher/
9. ↑ *Shments* (DC liner). Blu Fish. Blu Fish Records. 2018.
10. ↑ Shments Music Videos, 16/01/2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9IK7ef\_jQI&list=PLi7AjjzkdXIqryhZmvhvMx40XXwB6MIUQ