New Album Interview: Nothing Concrete Set to Release The Imperfectionist - 27 June 2025!

Interview with Fergus McKay of Nothing Concrete about their upcoming album The Imperfectionist.

What inspired the theme or concept behind this album?

The idea behind The Imperfectionist grew out of a kind of joyful rebellion — a refusal to chase perfection in a world obsessed with it. As a band, we’re more interested in honesty, in character, in the stories that come out of the cracks.

The album explores themes like tolerance, solidarity, absurdity, ageing, and the awkward beauty of being human. Musically, it jumps between genres — swing, Afrobeat, folk, cumbia, even tango — not out of calculation, but because that’s how the stories asked to be told.

At its heart, The Imperfectionist is a celebration of being unpolished and unpredictable — because that’s where the real stuff lives. 

Were there any particular events or emotions that shaped the songwriting?

The songs were written over a period of a year or more, several of the songs were direct results of what I saw as a dangerous lurch towards right wing thinking and rhetoric in the media, and on social media. The Boats for instance was an answer to the Uk governments use of the slogan "stop the boats" which is a deliberate use of language to victimise and dehumanise people in really desperate situations and has been instrumental in creating the "hostile environment" they want to create. I tried to turn this on its head and use the same imagery in a positive and rebellious way. He Don't Do Much Of That Now, was written as a humorous reaction to getting older, looking back on the stuff I used to do, and accepting that we can move on from youth without too much anguish, then the title track "The Imperfectionist" is again about acceptance, learning to love the things that are a bit wonky without trying to correct everything! 

Were there any challenges you faced during the recording process?

Oh, just the usual — like building a recording studio from scratch in a barn made of straw bales and lime plaster, while juggling kids, gigs, grant applications, and the occasional existential crisis.

We recorded most of the album in the French Pyrenees, in a space we literally constructed ourselves, between feeding chickens and fixing plumbing. At one point, a thunderstorm knocked out power mid-take. Another time, the band lineup changed twice in a week — which actually turned out to be a gift in disguise.

There was also the not-so-small task of balancing family life (our kids sometimes wandered into rehearsals with ukuleles and snacks).

But somehow, through the chaos, it all came together — probably because we were all embracing the exact spirit of the album: imperfection is the point. 

Which track was the most fun to create, and why?

I think we all enjoyed making He Don't Do Much Of That Now, partly because it's a bouncy, dancey, lighthearted track, also because we put it out as the 2nd single, meaning we made a video for it, which was a fun day of learning dance routines, inventing props, again all very DIY but it turned out great! 

Did any collaborations influence the sound or direction of this project?

We worked with a fantastic producer Keith Witty, who is originally from Brooklyn but currently lives just up the mountain road from us in Foix, it's the first time we've had an outside producer, and he really brought a lot to the table, helping polish the songs, making the arrangements sparkle and bringing a different musical mind to the project. 

Did you experiment with any new techniques, instruments, or styles on this record?

Musically I'm always trying to integrate new sounds, and influences, I travelled for years as a street musician all over the world so I have had the opportunity to play with musicians form all sorts of different cultures, the world is so rich in musical styles so I push myself to try and blend ingredients in different ways, to avoid repeating myself and give different flavours, however we really stuck to the instrumentation of the live band, trying to make these different textures with the instruments we had to hand 

How do you feel this album represents your evolution as a band?

The Imperfectionist feels like the moment where everything we've been experimenting with finally clicks into place. We've always blended genres, told stories, and played with humour — but this time, it's sharper, deeper, and more deliberate.

There’s more ambition in the arrangements, more honesty in the lyrics, and more confidence in letting the songs be weird, wild, or tender when they need to be. Working with a producer like Keith Witty gave us a whole new layer of depth, and building our own studio gave us the freedom to really shape the sound on our terms.

As a band, we’ve grown up — not in a polished way, but in a way that lets us lean into who we really are.  

What do you hope your fans take away from this album?

I'd like for the fans who have been following us since the previous albums to really feel the evolution and we hope it leaves people feeling a little freer — to be themselves, to laugh at the mess, to question things, and to care deeply.

The Imperfectionist is full of rhythm and colour, but underneath it’s really about connection — with each other, with stories, with the human condition in all its ridiculous glory. If someone listens and feels understood, energised, or just a bit lighter in spirit, then we've done our job.

And honestly, we hope it makes people want to dance — not perfectly, just joyfully. 

Have fans influenced the direction of your music or this album in any way?

I think so, we play a lot of gigs, and we instinctively feel what our fans react to, so in terms of how we perform it's directly influenced by the fans, I think on a longer-term basis that also informs how I write arrangements for the songs, playing live is infinitely educative 

What can fans expect from your upcoming tour or album release events?

Expect the unexpected — and bring your dancing shoes.

Our live shows are like the album: genre-hopping, story-rich, and gloriously unpredictable. We bring a full seven-piece band, tight grooves, wobbly horn sections, moments of intimacy, and bursts of joyful chaos. One minute it’s Afrobeat, the next it’s a tango about self-doubt.

We’ve got a secret album launch show, summer festival dates in France, and a UK tour in August — and wherever we go, we like to turn each concert into a little celebration. There’ll be vinyls, stories, singalongs, and probably one or two dance routines.

In short: energy, heart, and a big messy hug of a night. 

Do you have any music videos planned for the album? What can you share about them?

We have three videos so far of the tracks on the album, Cometh The Hour, The Boats, and He Don't Do Much Of That Now, all three very different, the fourth "The Western" is due to be filmed and released by the end of the month! It's all home made, but we really enjoy the process of making videos, the budgets are small, but we try and get creative, you'll find them on our youtube channel youtube.com/nothingconcrete 

If you could describe this album in three words, what would they be?

Eclectic, joyful, human 

Is there a specific moment during the album’s creation that you’ll always remember?

it's all a bit of a blur to be honest, but I do vividly remember after all the hard work of writing, arranging, rehearsing, searching for funding, replacing band members, and building the studio by hand from scratch, losing the first producer we had arranged to work with and more, the first morning of the sessions, just miking up the drum kit and bass and hearing the first tests, how great the room sounded, feeling like "wow, this is going to be great" 

Do you have a tour booked or is one being booked to promote the album?

yep, we have around 30 gigs this summer around France and the south of England, we're still adding more! 

Anything Else That You'd Like the Fans to Know.

Just this: we’re incredibly grateful. Making music as an independent band isn’t always easy — especially with seven of us involved — but knowing that people are listening, sharing, coming to shows, or even just smiling at a lyric makes it all worth it.

The Imperfectionist is a labour of love, built with our own hands (literally — we built the studio ourselves), and it only exists because of the community around us.

So, thank you. For listening, supporting, and being part of this beautifully imperfect journey. We can’t wait to see you on the road. 

Link Album or Other Media:

https://fergusmckay.bandcamp.com/album/the-imperfectionist

About the Band

Nothing Concrete is a seven-piece genre-bending band based in the French Pyrenees. Known for their eclectic blend of Afrobeat, swing, folk, funk, cumbia, and cabaret, they craft songs that mix musical richness with sharp-witted storytelling and social commentary. Their new album, The Imperfectionist, is a celebration of joyful rebellion — embracing chaos, connection, and the messy beauty of being human.

About the Album Title: – The Imperfectionist Release Date: June 27, 2025

Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital / Lossless Download

Produced by: Keith Witty (NYC)

Mastered at: Round Room Mastering, Scotland

Label: Independent - Round Flat Records

Recorded in: Hand-built straw bale studio in the French Pyrenees

Genre Tags: Genre-fluid / World / Swing / Alternative Folk / Protest Groove

The Imperfectionist is a 10-track journey through rhythm, rebellion and self-reflection — with themes ranging from aging disgracefully, to the absurdity of borders, to the radical act of dancing while the world burns.

Notable Tracks / Singles

The Boats — A genre-blurring anthem of solidarity with displaced people

He Don’t Do Much Of That Now — A funky, tongue-in-cheek look at aging

The Western — A cinematic cabaret dive into mythic cowboy stories

Upcoming Live Dates

France

14 June – Les Verges Folies, Daumazan-sur-Arize (09)

21 June - Galetas, Salvagnac (81)

27 June – Secret Album Launch, Toulouse (31)

05 July - Le Séchoir, Isle en Dodon (31)

02 Aug - Brasserie Auros, Cordes Sur Ciel (81)

04 Aug - Fête de Manses (09)

09 Aug - Meras en Fête (09)

15 Aug Chalabre En Serenade (11)

UK Tour (August 2025)

21 Aug – Knackers Hole, Dulverton

22 Aug – Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Cornwall

24–25 Aug – Small World Summer Gathering

27 Aug – Hatch Court, Devon

28 Aug – MIC Festival, Buckfastleigh

France

30 Aug – Mon Petit Camion, La Roche Maurice (FR)

12 Sept - Fête de Rouffiac d’Aude (12)

04 Oct - Art Cade.Ste Croix Volvestre

10 Oct - Festival Tadamund, Pailhes (09)