Basht. – Kids Vs Guns
For its first stretch, “Kids Vs Guns” sounds almost comforting: slow, warm, the kind of tempo made for swaying. Then the words land. Basht. drop the lightning-quick drive of Keira Knightley (W25) for heavy guitar riffs, closer to the patient build of Perfume (W17), with Jack Leavey singing it straight, no distance and no irony. From the bridge on, everything swells toward a final chorus that hits with all the weight the band have been holding back. Ali Chant produced it, and it’s the last preview of debut album Poor Advice, out October 9 on LAB Records.
Leavey wrote it first as a poem in response to what he calls the genocide in Palestine, and the lyric keeps its eyes on children caught in the firing line: kids’ fireworks answered by missiles, soldiers on parade, famine on a TV screen while life carries on in the surrounding room. The gap between watching and doing anything about it is where the song does its damage. Leavey calls it his proudest song on the record. Easy to see why.
Tour dates
Ireland and Northern Ireland
- October 4, Dublin, Spindizzy (in-store)
- October 7, Cork, Music Zone (in-store)
- November 7, Dublin, Button Factory (sold out)
- November 11, Belfast, Empire
Great Britain
- September 26, Stockton, Gathering Sounds
- October 9, London, Rough Trade East (in-store)
- October 10, Brighton, Resident Records (in-store)
- October 11, Bristol, Rough Trade (in-store)
- October 12, Nottingham, Rough Trade (in-store)
- October 13, Liverpool, Jacaranda Baltic
- October 14, Bury, Wax & Beans
- October 15, Glasgow, ASSAI
- October 16, Edinburgh, ASSAI
- October 17, Manchester, NBHD Festival
- October 18, Birmingham, Castle & Falcon (with Jacaranda Records)
- October 19, Leeds, Headrow House (with Crash Records)
- October 20, Sunderland, Independent
- October 21, Sheffield, Foundry (with Bear Tree)
- October 23, Brighton, Mutations Festival
- October 27, Nottingham, Rescue Rooms (low tickets)
- October 28, Glasgow, Art School (sold out)
- October 29, Manchester, Gorilla (sold out)
- October 30, London, KOKO (low tickets)
Canada
- November 18, Montreal, M for Montreal Festival
