Today’s song is “Umma Gumma” by The Harlots. The group is a six-piece rock, pop and soul outfit hailing from Melbourne, Australia.
The band has spent the last half a decade filling dance floors across Australia. Blending overdriven guitars, dreamy keyboards and a tight-as-fuck rhythm section that grabs you by the lapels and un-tucks your shirt, the band is known for honest, story-telling lyrics that always hit close to home.
“Umma Gumma” was recorded by Richard Bowers (drummer/engineer for Magic Bones) at Soundpark studios in Northcote, Melbourne. The track was recorded live and onto to reel to reel tape, giving song a more raw and honest sound.
The band says on the creation of the track, “In the weeks before we wrote it, we’d been working on a few quieter, more complicated tracks that were taking ages to come together. We decided to put them aside for a bit and work on something else and when Umma Gumma was brought to the table, I think we must have channeled our frustration somehow because we ended up smashing out a far more aggressive, fun, upbeat version than what was intended. Only took a rehearsal or two as well. It was originally called “Heartbreaker” but because of the complete lack of diction in the chorus line, “I’m gonna leave ya,” we decided ‘Umma Gumma’ was appropriate.
“Umma Gumma” is about when you know a relationship isn’t working and you’ve got to get out of it but you haven’t done it yet, like you’re preparing for it. The fast, frenetic nature of the song, when put with the lyrics gives it a kind of desperate feel.
The band has a national tour in October/November to coincide with the release of their debut album.
This group is for anyone who likes a hard rocking soulful sound. They have been compared to the likes of Arctic Monkeys, the Rolling Stones, The Bad Seeds, and Queens of the Stone Age.
Listen below and for more information check out their official website and Facebook page.