W: Philippa Arrowsmith
NEW ALBUM: ''FIN'' OUT NOW
After a decade of carving their own space in Irish music, combining hip-hop, alt-rap, trad, pop and spoken word with sharp social commentary, dark humour, and an impish charm, the beloved duo are bowing out on their terms. ‘Fin.’ is their most poignant project to date: an 11-track album honouring endings in all forms, balancing heavy emotion with trademark wit as they reflect on love, loss, legacy and letting go.
With a mic in one hand and a drink in the other, Irish alt-rap duo Tebi Rex are signing off in style with their third and final album, ‘Fin.’, out August 22.
Like A Movie.
- Our first album was structured as a play, with three acts. Our second album had chapters, like a book. This album, we wanted it to be cinematic, we wanted it to feel “like a movie”.
- You know when the credits roll, and you loved what you just saw so much you wish you could see it for the first time again? With a cold drink and fresh popcorn? That’s what the last 10 years has been for us.
- But you can’t do that. The end is the end is the end.
The Ship Of Theseus.
- Max came up with the idea for this track, such a good idea. The story behind the ship of Theseus is essentially this.. If you get a boat, and change each part of it over time, the hull, the sails, each individual piece of wood, every nail.. At what point is it a new ship? Is it ever a new ship? Or just a developed idea? At what point in our personal and musical development did we become different people, or did we at all?
- We always say, Tebi Rex is an example of hard work over talent. We sucked when we started. We figured our sound out over time, and that was the beauty, that’s what I look forward to showing my kids; here’s our rusty first few EPs, and then our first album compared to our final one, that’s a special journey to be able to revisit. A nice ship to sail one more time.
Saddle Club.
- So, for a few years I had this friend, who delivered an excellent service to my life. Let’s say he.. Helped me out with my garden. And my God he was the best gardener around. He’d help my garden out at any time, any place. The best in the gardening game. On time, reliable, great prices. Then one day, he hung up his gardening gloves, called it quits. Left the game. And gardening never felt the same to me.
- He actually went to Belgium to become a parfumist. I’m proud of him. But lord I missed him.
Punch Drunk.
- One of the most important endings to address - last orders. The end of the party. You ain’t gotta go home but you can’t stay here.
- Also, it is important to have a no-chorus rap song. Love a bar-heavy song structure, we’re a rap duo at the end of the day. Shoutout Tembe for his verse on this.
- Also shoutout to Silent Ghost who produced this, a really good friend and someone we enjoyed torturing for our second album, and on our last EP. We had to have him on the third album so we could damage his mental health as much as possible. Love you Michael.
Trustfallin.
- An interesting concept for a song, but it explores the end of cynicism. Both externally and internally. It’s something an artist deals with every day.
- I also had to add the Coach Carter clip, my favourite film in college. My roommate and I had a PS2 with three DVDs we put on every single night when we were going to sleep. Coach Carter, the Dark knight, and Hot Fuzz. So it is a bit of personal nostalgia for me, but also very relevant to the topic of the song in terms of self-cynicism.
Ireland’s Full.
- The end of the world. And for some people, their “end of the world” isn't climate change, or the rapture, it’s migrants. A misplaced rage against a fellow human. I (Matt) was keen to ensure I tacked this theme of racism in Ireland in an authentic way, in my own words, and not to re-hash someone else’s already well-made point. So I used Irish trad music and the story of Cam Feilimí Ó Baoill (same surname as myself and all - crazy). And how he had to get on a small, rickety boat in search of safety and didn’t make it. Ireland has known emigration; it’s a part of who we are. We are in no position to carry on the way we currently are, and we need to drop this weird patriotism act. Don’t tell me you’re a proud Irishman, then attack your neighbour and burn down a bus. Pick up a history book, and a foclóir while you’re at it, fair plé duit.
I’m Cooked, I’m Done. (feat Natalya O’Flaherty)
- We HAD to loop in the Irish poetry GOAT one more time. Nat has played a hugely important role in Tebi Rex’s music over the years, so she’s boomerang’d back for this banger. Shout out to Evan Kennedy for the production as well. Beautiful.
- Max’s mate Jade is on the vocals here. Cute story, but she was telling him how she always wanted to do something in music but never did. So he got her to send some voice notes and threw her on the album - TWICE. She appears on 14 Plants as well. Whopper.
And I’m Mad. (feat BeckyMcNeice)
lost one of his closest friends, Raf. This song is for them. They were a big part of Tebi Rex too, and we can only hope we did them proud here.
Becky also nailed the brief here, Jesus. So much pressure as a feature artist to come in and deliver how she did. Had me in tears when I heard it, actually, I cry every time.
Special mention to Adam Redmond who recorded and produced a lot of this album, recording this with him was a lovely moment. Dunno why, it just felt safe, and homely. It’s tough to record while sobbing, but he got us there.
Not With A Fizzle Fr.
- I love the sound of this song. I don’t say much, but I don't need to. I want the sound to carry the feeling. Such a beautiful piece. Definitely one for the Jazz House fans.
14 Plants.
- Endings aren't as bad when you prep for them. When you see them coming. We always said we’d do 3 albums and end the band. Even when I got told my mam had cancer I thought, ok, prep for the worst here because it could happen. And it did. That's when I wrote this song, and I think it encapsulates the idea of the album the best of any track on it.
- Initially, I wrote it on guitar, and wasn’t sure how well it would translate from its acoustic origin, but it was actually perfect. Recorded with Adam Shanahan, who we did our first album with. A pure star.
Fin.
- I think this may be the best song we have ever made, hot take. But it’s definitely up there. Even though I sing just two lines over and over again. I think it does a great job, it’s moving, it’s cathartic, it feels something, and it’s cinematic as fuck. It has this wonderful nostalgic edge to it and Max’s crippling poem at the end is just perfect. It hits me everytime. Very very proud of this one, and it was one of the first tracks we made, if not the first one? What a start to the album process. A process I’ll miss dearly.
- If not the best song, it’s definitely our best video - check it out. Aiesha Wong choreographed and directed it. Ooft, she and her team killed that.