Nuke The Soup’s Mark Davison, first started seeing the blurring of the line between war and commercialism during the first Gulf War, when cameras and news coverage took on a shiny look, with embedded journalists on location wearing fatigue jackets and helmets on top of their perfect dos, not a hair out of place. All the while panels back at home discussed strategies, not solely of battle plans, but also how to make it all into a saleable commodity.
Mark says,
“With so much commercialism, everything is a product for sale. We have become removed and calloused to real events and human tragedy, by over-exposure on TV.”
‘Network’, the new single from Nuke The Soup, takes head-on this frustration with a cheeky, yet biting look at the state of society. The video sees Davison play the dual roles of both helpless consumer, and puppet master. He watches a wall of TVs which capture every move on the battlefield, while a reporter in the field (dressed in fatigues and played by keyboardist/vocalist Brian Simms) covers it all. Davison the viewer is drawn in closer and closer to the screen, while at the same time numbed by what’s going on in front of him. At the same time, he’s the salesman, pushing commercials and flashy graphics at the viewer to consume. The real impact of the war is forgotten. The track itself has a bouncy ska-style sound, which is appropriate for a protest song.
‘Network’ is the first release from ‘Deeper’, a collection of songs which reveal Davison’s exquisite songwriting talents. The album features some other incredible instrumentalists on it as well, including Gerry Leonard, best known for his performances with David Bowie, playing spooky guitar, and Chester Thompson, who has performed with both Frank Zappa, and Genesis, on drums. It’s been produced by Kevin Killen, who’s worked with Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and Kate Bush, and Brendan Canty, the drummer from Fugazi.
You can find out more about Nuke The Soup on their official website.
