First up I feel that I should acknowledge that for a band like ours, the idea of releasing a ‘Best Of’ was a pretty bizarre concept, and something that we viewed with a not-insignificant amount of skepticism. It certainly seems to be a world away from the scene that we originally came from. Had it not been for the fact that it was Wichita asking for the compilation, a label that has been with us from the beginning and whom we have so much respect and trust, we would probably have never got to this point. But they got me thinking. Had the Homosexuals not released their Astral Glamour anthology then a lot of people may not have come across them at all – myself included. Other less obscure favorites of ours such as The Replacements have released compilation records that stand up as an honest introduction to a band that otherwise may have passed you by, due to coming before your time. In this modern age it seems more valid than ever to try and leave behind something more than just a bunch of dead URL’s and (inevitably) time-stamped Instagram pictures. So, after some cajoling, when it came down to the task at hand we decided that the idea should not be to simply have a ‘singles collection’, but to try and choose songs which we feel are most representative of who we are as a group, and who we have been over the last ten years – the ones that are our personal favorites, and some that have proven to be favorites amongst our fanbase. Naturally, many of these were singles, but quite a few were deeper cuts, and by that same token several singles were omitted in their place.

I’d like to think that people who already like and understand the band will really enjoy this compilation, and will agree to some extent with the songs contained within. And hopefully, it will work as a valid introduction for any potential new fans as I mentioned above. I am, however under no illusion that it will convert those who don’t like the band – I would like to think that it would, but that probably isn’t going to happen. As a group that have always subscribed to Nirvana’s definition of punk rock “playing whatever you like, as sloppy as you like, as long as it’s good and has passion” you will find that all the feedback, occasionally wayward vocals, and sometimes ‘lo-fi’ recording methods are all preserved (some may say celebrated…) here and are probably as much as a turn off as ever. And that’s totally cool…we never wanted to be the quarterbacks or the cheerleaders of this world. It’s good to split opinion I think. We’ve just always got off on the immediacy and spontaneity of creating music, and seldom take the time to stop and consider or go over every minute detail (for better or worse). That’s just the way we like it I guess.

So enjoy! Or don’t…it’s up to you, either way is fine…but we sincerely hope that you do enjoy it. The only thing that I will ask is that you take it in the spirit that it is intended – a record by 3 brothers who just thought playing music would be a fun thing to do in a boring town, and who never expected to be in this position.

Thanks for reading

Gary Jarman

Portland OR, January 2013

‘‘Payola’ offers a compelling argument of the threesome as the most important and greatest UK band of the last ten years’ – DIY Magazine 9/10