“Elephant” by Obey Robots features on our album “One In A Thousand”, out 24th February 2023 and available here.
Someone said the thumbnail of this video makes me look like I’m in an episode of Doctor Who, and I am here for that.
VIDEO CREDITS Directed, shot and edited by Laura Kidd. Filmed in the corner of Rat’s messy attic in the Midlands and in the middle of Laura’s messy home studio in Bristol. Luna tried to get on camera, but it wasn’t the right time. Can you spot her in this one though?
SONG CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Chris Sheldon at Red Cedar, London, mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton. All music by Laura Kidd and Rat. Guitars by Rat. All lyrics, arrangements, vocals, bass and synths by Laura. Drums by Max Saidi.
Taut and propulsive, āElephantā marries the pop nouse of XTC with the stop-start dynamics of 00’s post-hardcore mainstays Hundred Reasons before opening up into the kind of shimmering chorus that would have shot Obey Robots to MTV stardom had it been the 90’s.
SONG CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd. Mixed by Chris Sheldon. Mastered by Katie Tavini.
All music by Laura Kidd and Rat, all lyrics and arrangements by Laura Kidd. All vocals and bass by Laura, all guitars by Rat. Drums by Max Saidi.
Ratās guitars recorded by Dan Austin. All other instruments recorded by Laura in The Launchpad, Bristol.
Single artwork by Laura Kidd, robot illustration by Alex Tillbrook.
LYRICS
Newspaper shouts that weāve had enough The radio says weāre all out of love Donāt let them take what you worked hard for Slaving away for your family Thereās nothing left for the strangers who bleed Hold tight to the things that you value
Thank your lucky stars Look to the future Thereās freedom in guitars
We try to get it right Fight the forces on the other side Just a little longer Unbandaging our eyes Count the seconds as they crystallise Itās just a little further
The government says weāre overrun They get a break while you soldier on Cos you donāt have the life that you deserve Youāre working hard for your family Thereās nothing else, you believe what you read This wasnāt given to you on a plate
Donāt politicise Stick to the music Dance for a little while Always scraping the barrel Parroting lines Iāve never felt so angry
We try to get it right Fight the forces on the other side Just a little longer Unbandaging our eyes Count the seconds as they crystallise Itās just a little further
Weāre wasting time Donāt want to feel so bad Weāre wasting time And it was all we had
We try to get it right Fight the forces on the other side Just a little longer Unbandaging our eyes Count the seconds as they crystallise Itās just a little further
We try to get it right Fight the forces on the other side Just a little longer Unbandaging our eyes Losing hours as they hypnotise Itās always a little further than we can
“Porcupine” by Obey Robots features on our album “One In A Thousand”, out 24th February 2023 and available here.
The only reviews I care about are from music fans…here are some words on “Porcupine”:
“Damned fine. Catchy, driving tune allied to pleasingly daft day-go visuals” – author Ian Rankin
ā90s guitar mated with 80s synth to make a 2023 musical gem of a baby. love it.ā – TheHousePanther
āan absolute hoot!ā – Jo
āYou Robots know how to party!ā – Joe
āAwesome riff, hilarious video, cracking song! Love it!!! ā – Gary
āSO FUN! Love this!ā – Wendy
āKiller riff, great vocal, and a hugely fun video to go with them. Well played, again. This album is going to be a belter.ā – Matt
āPink wafers for the win.ā – PupGeorge
āThat was absolutely bonkers and I love it!ā – Vince
āWhat fabulous nonsense! I will practice dance moves for any live performance you put on – even if I’m not attendingā – Shane
āevery part of this is utterly delightful!ā – Dan
āI am a porcupine!ā – Jez
THANK YOU
I’d had this video idea in mind for months, and when it came time to make it a reality the timing was perfect.
New Year, new outlook. It was time to throw off the bad bits of 2022 and be as utterly silly as we liked. Who cares?
I’m a porcupine! You’re a porcupine!
The song is about defensiveness (particularly on the internet); our seemingly innate urge to throw up our spikes right away to defend ourselves by caricaturing the opposition, magnified by addictive media.
We’re told “there’s nothing new under the sun”…bring me another song containing the words “erethizontidae” and “hystricidae” accompanied by a video featuring a cardboard robot party in the local village hall and I’ll agree with you!
VIDEO CREDITS Directed and edited by Laura Kidd DOP – Sarah Smither Camera and lighting assistant – Miles McDowell Set photography, porcupine creation and general wonderfulness – Tim Bailey Costumes by Rat & Laura (obviously!) Filmed at Shirehampton Public Hall, Bristol
SONG CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Chris Sheldon at Red Cedar, London, mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton. All music by Laura Kidd and Rat. Guitars by Rat. All lyrics, arrangements, vocals, bass and synths by Laura. Drums by Max Saidi.
Originally released in December 2020, āLet It Snowā wasnāt just the first Obey Robots single, it was the first song we completed (in December 2020!).
It was a test:
-> can we make music together? -> do we love what we made? -> does anyone want to hear it?
If the answer to the first two questions had been ānoā, you would never have heard of Obey Robots. And if the answer to the second question was āyesā, the answer to the third question would never stop me anyway.
Happily, the answer to the second question was HELL YES! – and the overwhelmingly positive response from music fans was the icing on the cake. A cake full of riffs!
For this new video, I decided to invite you in to get a sense of what the collaboration process was like for Rat and I.
By December 2020 weād only met in person twice, so all communication was by email and occasional Zoom calls. We were always speaking from our individual creative spaces, which I think helped us both to feel more confident talking to someone we didnāt know that well.
I got so used to seeing Rat on my computer screen that it still surprises me when we meet up – heās very tall!
Most of the video was shot using Quicktime player. Weāve all grown perhaps too familiar with the particular quality of footage you get on video calls, so I wanted to retain that to bring you right into the middle of things.
All the footage up to the instrumental was shot individually and separately: me in my home studio, Rat in his. And then – well, I donāt want to ruin the plot twist, youāll just have to watch!
Being creative doesnāt require fancy equipment or a big team of people. You can achieve a lot with just an idea, some basic gear and the drive to complete something. Thatās how our album was made, and how everything else weāre sharing is being made. Thatās how Iāve always worked.
This is real people making real music about real things. I hope you enjoy it.
A song about the cognitive dissonance of feeling āsuper connectedā: supposedly informed and part of a community via social media, yet deluded if we think typing words into a little box is enough to show empathy to people in very different situations to our own comfort. āIf weāre super connected, why arenāt we all floating in the sea?ā
VIDEO CREDITS Directed and edited by Laura Kidd. DOP – Sarah Smither. Right-hand woman + set photography – Charlie Romijn Set assistants/extras – Megan Green, Leanne Bond & Kit Crew-Gee Set photographer – Kate Feast
Shot at Boom Satsuma, Bristol. Huge thanks to Freya Billington, Phil Zikking and David Neal.
SONG CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Chris Sheldon at Red Cedar, London, mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton.
All music by Laura Kidd and Rat. Guitars by Rat.All lyrics, arrangements, vocals, bass, synths, drum programming and lead guitar by Laura.
LYRICS
I drew a target on the back of my neck Cos some are more equal than others Disaster junkies scrape bottomless feeds As long as their self-satisfactionās guaranteed
We hold on to life, like everyone tries If weāre super connected Why arenāt we all floating in the sea?
Stuck with myself, I run for my health Cos these pretty flowers can kill you Send bottles downstream in an alkaloid dream Share in this delusion where no-one hears you scream
We hold on to life, like everyone tries If weāre super connected Why arenāt we all floating in the sea?
We hold on to life, like everyone tries If weāre super connected Why arenāt we all floating in the sea?
“Featuring the iconic guitar sound of Rat (Nedās Atomic Dustbin) and the compassionate melodic arrangements of Laura Kidd (Penfriend / She Makes War), “Not The Quiet Type” implores the listener to stop chasing perfection and step fully into themselves and their perceived imperfections.”
No experience is truly wasted. Try, fail and try again. Be yourself, fall in love, get it all terribly wrong and get back up.
CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Chris Sheldon at Red Cedar, London, mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton. All music by Laura Kidd and Rat. All lyrics, arrangements, vocals, bass, and synths by Laura. All guitars by Rat. Drums by Max Saidi.
LYRICS
Goodbye, a little sigh Sticking fingers in my eyes Out of time, out of sight So I’ll try another night
I won’t regret all the hours that I spent I’m not here to make amends I am not the quiet type
Destruction makes us stronger We will always get it wrong So fall to pieces, fall apart Weāll stick it back together
Am I being interesting? Turning cheek and fighting spin? Finding comfort in my skin? Imperfectionās always in
I won’t regret all the hours that I spent I’m not here to make amends No, Iām not the quiet type!
Destruction makes us stronger We will always get it wrong So fall to pieces, fall apart Weāll stick it back together
Destruction makes us stronger We will always get it wrong So fall to pieces, fall apart Then get back up
Destruction makes me stronger I will always do my best So fall to pieces, fall in love Weāll stick it back together
“I’ll Start A Fire” is a song about causing a ruckus even while everything is going wrong, cutting bad connections and ignoring all the noise in order to be free and express ourselves honestly. Taking whatever personal power we still have and making something with it, stopping ourselves from stopping ourselves.
As soon as Iāve decided Iāve got all the songs lined up for an album, I can rely on one or two cheeky musical ideas to come along and demand my attention.
“Iāll Start A Fire” was the first of two songs I wrote in September 2020 that jostled for a space on the record (the second was “Black Car”), and Iām so glad they did.
Giving yourself permission to be you can be one of the hardest things, and has really been a process for me, but itās brought great joy and fulfilment to my life in recent years. I highly recommend giving it a try.
CREDITS
Written, produced, performed and recorded by Laura Kidd at The Launchpad, Bristol. Drums by Max Saidi. Mixed by Dan Austin. Mastered by Katie Tavini. Artwork by Alex Tillbrook, concept by Laura Kidd.
LYRICS
I stole a car in a dream And now Iām feeling paranoid Well I spent so long ignoring my instincts Now Iām searching to destroy
Iāll start a fire while the world burns Iāll start a fire, Iāll start a fire
So I sink these heavy words in a diary And take them all to heart Gonna build myself a fortress of vanity And then Iāll fall apart
Iāll start a fire while the world burns Iāll cut connections while the planet turns Iāll start a fire cos it seems weāre elbow deep In cheap banalities Iāll start a fire, Iāll start a fire
Iāll start a fire while the world burns Iāll cut connections while the planet turns Iāll start a fire cos it seems weāre elbow deep In cheap banalities Iāll start a fire, Iāll start a fire
THANK YOU for visiting my website!Iām Laura Kidd, a music producer, songwriter and podcaster based in Bristol, UK. Itās great to meet you.
“Cavernous as its darkly-elliptical tale unfolds, “Seventeen” careens with compassion” – The Autumn Roses
“An enormous pop-rock anthem with a heart-throttlingly poignant story [by] Penfriend aka singer/songwriter/producer/genius example of how to do independent musicianship right, Laura Kidd” – Loud Women (single of the week)
ABOUT THE SONG
Seventeen. Is there a more complicated age? Not quite yet an adult, but impatient to be treated like one; navigating an avalanche of new experiences and urgent emotions, dismissed by the grownups as āteenage angstā or ājust a phaseā. An exhausting quest to negotiate a new space for ourselves, juggling the interests of parents, teachers and friends while not knowing to question their motives.
This song is an excavation, a letting go, an act of self-forgiveness.
Traumatic events from the past can feel just as fresh, years later, the ghosts of our former selves creeping up to tap us on the shoulder with icy fingers.
Sometimes we need to package up our memories with tidy words to dispel the haunting.
Sometimes we just need to stop blaming ourselves.
Sometimes writing songs is like painstakingly sculpting sounds from thin air; other times they arrive in a whoosh, fighting to be heard. āSeventeenā appeared on a summer Saturday evening, falling out of me in jagged swathes.
Facing up to our ghosts isnāt a pleasant experience, but this song helped me over a major stumbling block from my past, bringing me a fresh perspective and new freedom.
CREDITS
Written, produced, performed and recorded by Laura Kidd at The Launchpad, Bristol. Drums by Max Saidi. Piano arranged by Laura Kidd, performed and recorded by Catherine Anne Davies. Mixed by Dan Austin. Mastered by Katie Tavini. Artwork by Alex Tillbrook, concept by Laura Kidd.
LYRICS
Happy birthday, time to say goodbye Such a big girl, keep all this inside Dial back those dreams Wishing impossible things Bursting your seams It hurts when we grow
Tell me what you wanted I was seventeen Tell me I deserved it Because I was seventeen
Toxic teens on mixtape afternoons Photostatic memories of you Fold paper planes Pull them apart when it rains Smash windowpanes Stretching our wings alone
Tell me what you wanted I was seventeen Tell me I deserved it I was seventeen Tell me it was all my fault I was seventeen Tell me you remember
Tell me what you wanted I was seventeen Tell me I deserved it I was seventeen Give me a good reason I was seventeen Tell me youāre so sorry I was seventeen
+ I make a podcast called āAttention Engineerā, where I speak to fellow artists about creativity, grit and determination. Visit this page to find out more.
The second song from Obey Robots, my collaboration project with Rat (Nedās Atomic Dustbin), āInside Outā started off as a shimmering acoustic guitar idea that Rat demoed and saved in a folder he called āMaybe send to Lauraā. Iām very glad he did send it to me! After sharing the punchy riffs of āLet It Snowā with you at the end of 2020, we wanted to conjure a different mood, so I encouraged Rat to layer up the guitars while I went off to write the melody, lyrics and cello parts.
This song is about dealing with the new groundhog-day-normal many of us have been experiencing for the past year: the highs, mediums and lows of a life made much smaller by circumstance. Ravelling and unravelling at different speeds to those around us, perhaps: trying to feel a semblance of forward motion; trying to remember what the point is. Deciding to keep hoping.
With musicians having to wait for in-person work to be possible again, it felt like the right time to get back in touch with my A-Level Music pal David Lale, who has played for the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the past 8 years. I always knew heād go far!
David played the parts beautifully, of course, and added some extra touches in the instrumental to take it to new heights. It was a lovely opportunity to work together for the first time since we arranged Green Dayās āGood Riddance (Time Of Your Life)ā for a school concert back in the day. Thank you, David.
Fun fact: the original working title of this song was āSpider_Capoā. Rat, ever the fan of using different tunings but lacking the will to actually tune his guitars alternately, clearly needed to get a new toy. A novice attempt at using the spider capo (a piece of equipment strongly resembling a torture device) resulted in the basic melodic chords being written for the song that would become āInside Outā.
CREDITS
Written by Pring / Kidd. Produced by Laura Kidd. Mixed by Dan Austin. Mastered by Katie Tavini. Guitar performed and recorded by Rat. Cello arrangement by Laura Kidd. Cello performed and recorded by David Lale.
+ New episodes of my music podcast āAttention Engineerā are released every Wednesday ā visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Release date: 26th March 2021 Label: My Big Sister Recordings
ABOUT THE SONG
āBlack Carā is a song about love and death, guilt and gratitude, taking time to figure out what’s most important, feeling desperately sad and isolated and grieving the loss of so many. Dealing with anger and frustration at the UK government for making so many missteps. Trying to keep on keeping on, while finding it hard to see a way out of this, however many āroadmapsā are announced. Accepting – and feeling – our feelings.
āThat this single release marks the first anniversary of the first UK lockdown is an accident, but sometimes things just fall into place like that when we focus on whatās important to us. Throughout this loneliest of years, Iāve tried to keep connected to humanity through making and releasing new music, podcast episodes and my weekly emails, doing what I can to create pinpoints of light in dark times. With all the gratitude in the world, I have to remind myself itās still ok to feel wounded by whatās been going on and to feel scared about whatās to come. We will all be changed by this experience, and at the root of everything is the love we have for others.ā
I donāt know what other bands āBlack Carā sounds like, or have any clever phrases lined up to entreat you to click āplayā. This is an honest, melancholy song about a universal experience that will be discussed in the history books of the future, guitars and synths centred around a heady electronic heartbeat, with a reverent Kurt Vonnegut reference (āloving echoesā) in the middle.
Keep your loved ones close x
CREDITS
Written, produced, performed and recorded by Laura Kidd at The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Dan Austin. Mastered by Katie Tavini. Artwork by Alex Tillbrook, concept by Laura Kidd.
LYRICS
Remember the summer when everyone stayed at home? Ships in a bottle, stacked up with our lives on hold
If we could really see the warnings that were written before If we could really feel Our hearts would smash all over the floor
Hear me now, I can feel the thunder March me out with the fallen number Will there be – is there a black car waiting for me? Keep your loved ones close
This is surviving, but weāre having a god damn year Tired of climbing, but the universe left us here
And on my worst of days I want to keep wanting to be kind But everywhere I see machines are taking over our minds
Hear me now, I can feel the thunder March me out with the fallen number Will there be – is there a black car waiting for me? Keep your loved ones close
Keep your loved ones close Even on calm waters, waves will rise As my heart explodes Loving echoes dancing in my eyes
Keep your loved ones close Keep your loves ones close Keep your loved ones close
Hear me now, I can feel the thunder March me out with the fallen number Will there be – is there a black car waiting?
Hear me now, I can feel the thunder March me out with the fallen number Will there be – Is there a black car waiting for me?
