Franc Moody Release Fun and Gritty New Album 'Chewing The Fat'

The soul-disco melding duo and kings of modern electronica, Franc Moody, headed by Ned Franc and Jon Moody, have released their newest record Chewing The Fat via their new label Night Time Stories. This new record is an expansion on the group’s funk-infused disco relics, maintaining their furiously fun baselines and choruses, but getting grittier in sound.

Chewing The Fat is a celebration of a new era for the band, which was originally energised by a couple of inspiring veteran live performances from LCD Soundsystem and Massive Attack that demonstrated that it’s not about age or experience, but attitude. They quite literally chewed the fat, stripping back their quintessential disco sheen and opting for a grittier, more guttural approach. They’ve done this without forsaking the core aesthetic of the group, its ability to produce those anthemic hooks, while delivering some truly lovely 10cc-style backing vocals and string-lines courtesy of those delightfully malfunctioning Russian synths, courtesy of the Damon Albarn broom cupboard. “Chewing The Fat felt apt as a name as it took us a lot of discourse and trial and error to find our groove with the songs and sound.” Ned remarks.

Ned details further, summing it up beautifully. “Life is really like a series of changes and you can either embrace it and step into the unknown full of heart and bravery and plough fresh new pastures or you can carry on doing the same thing and live a safer life – but maybe not with the colour and vivacity that you could have had you taken a bolder path.”

“What we’re trying to do is make music that will last – and sound great in 10 years,” offers Jon. “And I think it is important to a certain degree to present a place of escape for people, people to clock off and tap into something else for a bit and, you know, get rid of some baggage.” In a world that feels like it’s going to hell in a hand-cart, there are worse ambitions than to bring some joy into the lives of people, even if only for a few hours at a gig or on a dance floor.

Earlier this week, the group released a stunning new video for the vulnerable album track “Square Pegs In Round Holes,” directed and edited by multi award winning director Boris Thompson-Roylance. Click HERE to watch the video.

“Square Pegs In Round Holes” is wholeheartedly raw and honest, perfectly reflecting the themes of the album. Both the single and the record center on the idea of growth through change. On the awe striking video, which showcases an arresting, masterfully choreographed performance, director Thompson-Roylance muses, “This video is a celebration and study of motion. Inspired by Eadweard Muybridge's iconic early motion picture projection work, I wanted to contemporise his exploration through the use of the VHS feedback loop. It’s not often that you receive a brief where everything falls into place so well. A simple concept with top performers is worth its weight in gold.”

The band offer an additional perspective, stating, “Our mates Boris and Jack who head up Deadbeat Films have created something that is beautiful, simple and moving for our song ‘Square Pegs in Round Holes’. Visuals that match the pace of the song perfectly and have actually added an extra dimension and narrative. Part Marina Abramovich, part Eadward Muybridge and most parts Boris and Jacks’ frontal lobe. This is a work of art we can’t wait to show you all.”

Photo credit: Fraser Thorne