THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Shadracks are a three-piece rock ’n’ roll group hailing from Medway, Kent. Led by guitarist and vocalist Huddie Shadrack (son of chief Headcoat and the somewhat prolific artist Billy Childish) and joined by bassist Rhys Webb (of Southend-On-Sea psychedelic mutants The Horrors) and drummer Elisa Abednego, with timeless and expert precision, The Shadracks play from 37.3 years in the past. to 33.7 years into the future.
The actual origins of the group date back even further with their cultural appropriation of Babylonian rhythm and punk. A mere three years ago Huddie Shadrack and Elisa Abednego had a brief encounter in deserted parkland. Discovering a shared interest in vacant park benches, herbaceous borders and beat music it became paramount that they form a group — and quickly. After the release of there self titled debut LP, a subsequent live radio session and a fast-selling EP, Elle Meshack retired from The Shadracks to peruse a career as a Poly Styrene impersonator aboard the Tahitian cruise liner SS Honolulu Baby.
Fortunately for the bass-bereft Shadracks an advert placed in the window of a local stationers was answered by a certain Rhys ‘King Nebuchadnezzar’ Webb. A meeting issued and after proclaiming, “Oh merciful Marduck, may the house that I have built endure forever,” there followed a two-hour induction ceremony (in which to learn all the new tracks for their long player From Human Like Forms) and Webb, for it was he, was sworn into The Shadracks fraternity.
From Human Like Forms, produced by Billy Childish, features 14 tracks of taut, stripped-down garage rock that have the capacity to be as whimsical as they are stomping. It sees The Shadracks achieving giddy new heights in their songwriting and performing abilities — pushing their ancient sound 3.7 years ahead of the current lunar time module. The single You Can’t Lose is the first evidence of this — a stamping, rattling ode to need and want that declares everything it desires to say in just over two minutes, then snaps to a halt.
“It’s about wanting something you can’t get,” explains Huddie. “Chasing the unobtainable and finding yourself at the mercy of your pursuits.”
