Shrug Life: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ CD (Jigsaw Records)
Release date: September 29, 2017
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Bio: Shrug Life is the shared hobby of three men from Dublin. Together they struggle make music and fight first world problems.
Danny Carroll (vocals/guitar) and Keith (bass) first performed together aged 16, underwhelming school assemblies with their sketchy attempts to play The Undertones, and Ziggy Stardust era Bowie. Reuniting years later with Josh Donnelly (drums), the trio channeled their middle class frustrations into Shrug Life. The product of working shit jobs, failed romance and political apathy, the group released their debut EP ‘The Grand Stretch’ via local label Popical Island, making best of the year lists from The Last Mixed Tape and The Thin Air. Known for their wry humour and frenetic indie-rock, Shrug Life were cited as part of the Thin Air’s ‘16 for 16’ series, saying that singer “Danny Carroll’s lyrics are some of the smartest and wittiest that the country has to offer”.
In February 2016, the group released their election themed single 'Making Progress', taking aim at the false promise and conservatism of Ireland's political landscape. The track was featured on BBC Ulster's Across The Line, Broadsheet and Irish Times 'The Ticket' magazine.
In June 2016, Shrug Life teamed up with Oh Boland, Junk Drawer and That Snaake to release the split EP 'A Litany Of Failures' via the lo-fi label Little L Records. The four groups embarked on a tour of Ireland, with Shrug Life's latest song 'Marvin Gaye' being described as "Weezer and Morrissey combining after the The Smiths frontman finally found his bag of Xanax" (Remy's Music and Film Blog).
In September the trio released the pro-choice, abortion rights song 'Your Body' in advance of Ireland's fifth March For Choice, before playing an Irish tour with Chicago bands Dowsing and Ratboys.
Shrug Life's slightly self-titled debut album, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, was produced by the "veteran wildcard" Fiachra McCarthy (So Cow, Dott, Squarehead). Bursting with the urgency and manic energy that only a debut album can, it's a nimble affair covering such wide-ranging topics as sibling relationships (Skype Calls), social media fatigue (Never Bored), telesales drudgery (Temp Job) and the never-ending debate surrounding the death of rock n' roll (Japanese Bonus Track). The album's opening track First World Problems serves as something of a manifesto for the band, lamenting the comic irritations of modern living, while charging through a riff-heavy pop song with demented delight. Co-released by Jigsaw Records and Little L Records, Shrug Life's debut album "drops, wiggles and flounders" on September 29th.
Danny Carroll (vocals/guitar) and Keith (bass) first performed together aged 16, underwhelming school assemblies with their sketchy attempts to play The Undertones, and Ziggy Stardust era Bowie. Reuniting years later with Josh Donnelly (drums), the trio channeled their middle class frustrations into Shrug Life. The product of working shit jobs, failed romance and political apathy, the group released their debut EP ‘The Grand Stretch’ via local label Popical Island, making best of the year lists from The Last Mixed Tape and The Thin Air. Known for their wry humour and frenetic indie-rock, Shrug Life were cited as part of the Thin Air’s ‘16 for 16’ series, saying that singer “Danny Carroll’s lyrics are some of the smartest and wittiest that the country has to offer”.
In February 2016, the group released their election themed single 'Making Progress', taking aim at the false promise and conservatism of Ireland's political landscape. The track was featured on BBC Ulster's Across The Line, Broadsheet and Irish Times 'The Ticket' magazine.
In June 2016, Shrug Life teamed up with Oh Boland, Junk Drawer and That Snaake to release the split EP 'A Litany Of Failures' via the lo-fi label Little L Records. The four groups embarked on a tour of Ireland, with Shrug Life's latest song 'Marvin Gaye' being described as "Weezer and Morrissey combining after the The Smiths frontman finally found his bag of Xanax" (Remy's Music and Film Blog).
In September the trio released the pro-choice, abortion rights song 'Your Body' in advance of Ireland's fifth March For Choice, before playing an Irish tour with Chicago bands Dowsing and Ratboys.
Shrug Life's slightly self-titled debut album, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, was produced by the "veteran wildcard" Fiachra McCarthy (So Cow, Dott, Squarehead). Bursting with the urgency and manic energy that only a debut album can, it's a nimble affair covering such wide-ranging topics as sibling relationships (Skype Calls), social media fatigue (Never Bored), telesales drudgery (Temp Job) and the never-ending debate surrounding the death of rock n' roll (Japanese Bonus Track). The album's opening track First World Problems serves as something of a manifesto for the band, lamenting the comic irritations of modern living, while charging through a riff-heavy pop song with demented delight. Co-released by Jigsaw Records and Little L Records, Shrug Life's debut album "drops, wiggles and flounders" on September 29th.