Shelf Life
Shelf Life’s own Scott Leitch; press photo courtesy of the artist & Yellow K Records.
Scott Leitch, known for his percussion work with Alex G & other bands & projects also leads Shelf Life where he presents his latest & greatest labor of love Alright, Okayyy being released worldwide from Yellow K Records. When we last heard from Leitch’s Shelf Life outfit we were exploring the album Everyone Make Happy and now we bring you the latest from the Philly artist recorded at Super Bon Bon that delivers a closer & deeper look at Leitch’s more intimate & personal side.
Alright, Okayyy portrays that forced entry into adulthood in an acquiescence where Scott stands with wonder & trepidation at the intersection of nostalgia & the anxious pangs of forthcoming obligations & responsibilities. Scott drops you right into the world of Shelf Life with the electric expanses of “The Earth”, having fun with various aspects of musical fidelity & sinewy tones on “Tiney”, the mysterious allure of “Coolio”, cable channel shout-outs with “Adult Swim Bumper” (that resonates like a retro-rendering for a logo spot plug segment), the URL & IRL readiness lessons in preparations on “Ready or Not”, to the striking guitar tones heard on “Ybba Rof”. Alright, Okayyy lends an inner look at Scott’s thoughts & feelings where the audience is brought on an experimental trip through the artist’s unconscious where we are given a privy experience of witness Scott’s most powerful & realized work. “Unhealthy” reflects on corrosive components, while “As Is” is an absolute flooring instrumental, with “Gown” dressed like a demo made up to be the belle of the ball, leaving you at the altar with the melancholy closer “Mary” that might bring those feeling a bit on the sensitive side to tears.
Shelf Life’s “Mortal Bus Boy” is made from the most honest & sincerest stuff on earth. This is everything you look for or have ever wanted in a slice of bedroom pop/rock where the magnified feelings that occur from the spaces & fleeting moments of ennui are illustrated in a primitive poetry of a beauty that manages to drop everything from heart, goals, dreams, wishes & yearnings straight down the elevator shaft basement abyss. “You are a stone so grey, they kicked you away, oooohhhh ohhhhh ohhhh…”
Shelf Life’s Scott Leitch penned the following exclusive manifesto on the ballad of Shelf Life, featuring insights on the creation of Alright, Okayy and how his work with Alex G has inspired his solo ventures & more:
Shelf Life
I work with music every day. It’s the thing I am best at. I’d rather be a hockey player or pool shark but I wasn’t dealt those cards. I’m pretty good at ping pong though. Alright, Okayyy was
easy to make. In between touring with Alex G I had little time to record so I’d stay up for days and crank songs out. None of the songs are about touring. It was a look in, look out, write it down process.Playing drums is funny. You feel in control of a song. You watch people dance and they are dancing for you. There is very little emotional connection. It’s some primal shit. I dig that. It’s restrictive though. Good day? Play the beat. Bad day? Play the beat. Sober? Pocket. Drunk? Extra fill during encore…maybe. The variables are almost non existent. You are reliant on the mood of the other performers on stage. Sometimes we’d smile at each other. John has the best smile. One time Alex jumped on me. He smiles like an idiot.
Alex is my friend and he makes good music. I was fortunate to have played with him. We share the same work ethic and subconscious obsession with creating song. I want that emotional connection though. I want to capture imaginations. I saw Neil Young last week with my Mom. He screamed “I’M A FUCK UP” over top of feedback for 5 minutes. I want to have that kind of fun.
Shelf Life’s Alright, Okayyy is available now from Yellow K Records.
