Ha The Unclear churn out indie rock gems that are nothing short of a good time. Come for the head bopping tones, stay for the thinly disguised angst, and come back for a double take on their brilliant and out of the ordinary lyrics.
The New Zealand-based four piece recently stopped by at Enmore Audio to give us a slice of their signature blend of jangly indie-folk and off-kilter, hook-driven pop with their single Battery Farm.
Not long ago, Ha The Unclear hit up the Enmore Audio studio for a lively performance of their track Battery Farm.
When speaking about what inspired the song, frontman Michael Cathro said that“It’s about a time that I accidentally ended up working on a battery farm when I was like 18.”
“There was like a temp agency ad in the paper, and I didn’t have a job… and I called them up and they said ‘can you work with animals?’ And I was like ‘yeah I love animals’ and they said ‘start on Monday’, and then I went and it was like the most horrible thing I’ve ever done. They were bringing chickens over in forklifts and I just had to put them in these cages… and yeah, I left by lunchtime”
This is something that doesn’t seem to match the jovial, lighthearted nature of the track, but when you really listen to the lyrics, they quite literally describe exactly what Cathro has said. The lyrics are thinly veiled by beguiling harmonies, warm guitar tones, and “doo doo doo” moments. A style that follows very much in the footsteps of artists like Two Door Cinema Club or Last Dinosaurs.
Listen to Ha The Unclear performing Battery Farm at Enmore Audio below.
