My Rictus Smile is a song about the traditions of an Irish wake and one particular dear departed soul who hasn’t got time for all that. Life goes on whether you’re dead or not.

He was probably very organised and a bit of a pain in the arse whilst alive and sees no reason to be anything else now he’s left this mortal plain. Or maybe because if his ultra-positive attitude, he’s someone to look up to, who knows? Your call.

I had real fun writing these lyrics, got plenty of nice imagery in but the music caused me problems. The chorus was fine but I was having trouble with the verses. I played it to Dirge and he just went, “No, no, no. Drop all that and just play a G,” and as always, he was right. Once Draggle put a shuffling Johnny Cash style beat to it the song made sense and has become one of my favourites.

The most satisfying part of being in a band, for me, is writing good songs and writing them with friends whose taste and opinions you trust like your own is the greatest feeling in this world. The songs are the bottom line, the buck stops here. If you haven’t got them you have nothing and everything else you do in the band is pointless. Over the past year and a half I have been lucky enough to write these songs with some of the best friends I will ever have and I love each and every one of them…and the songs.

From here on in they’re your songs now as much as ours so look after them, appreciate them and sing them when you feel the desire. Be warned though, they’re devils when they take a notion and can take over your lives if you’re not careful. They’ve already gotten us.

On behalf of Dirge, Draggle and Boom Chic Chic, thank you, enjoy and we’ll see you down the road,

– Mr. Crowe