Drawing us in with a drum riff, expanding into a bold and industrial punk-rock energy, Mark Garvey opens Truck Fump with subversion and a captivating message. We immediately connect with the intention of the song, and the genius behind its construction.
As for the prose, we learn that Truck Fump is comprised of a series of quotes by the iconic and polarising president. It includes lines like, “Nobody’s ever seen anything like it…”, “Don’t fact check me cos I am post truth…”, “Got the highest mark, a very high IQ…”, “I’m the definition of the American Dream…” and so on.
The effect is deliberately absurd, as Mark takes these familiar statements and turns them into the raw material for his high octane art as activism. There is no attempt here to soften the message. Truck Fump is an unapologetically political track built around frustration with the president’s authoritarian approach.
Musically, the track sits somewhere between industrial punk, garage rock and grunge, and this rawness is central to Mark Garvey’s approach. A completely DIY artist, he creates his music, films and artwork himself, working from a shed and even producing his songs using Adobe Premiere Pro rather than conventional DAWs. It is an unconventional process, but it fits an artist who seems determined to operate entirely on his own terms.
We also appreciate the multimedia element of the project. Truck Fump is not simply designed as something to listen to; the accompanying visuals and artwork expand the song into a wider universe. There is something very 90s underground about this approach, which also works well for today’s media landscape.
Mark says, “The song makes no attempt to find common ground, heal divisions, meet in the middle, or politely agree to disagree … it’s an ugly gloves-off, all-out attack that pulls no punches. The song’s message and meaning are as subtle as Trump’s tan. If you hate Trump, you’ll love this.”
Needless to say, Mark Garvey has delivered a super unruly piece of alternative art. Truck Fump might not be for everyone, but that is clearly the point. It is made to provoke, entertain and make plenty of noise along the way. We have added the track to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream Mark’s wider discography, including Graveyard Loiterer, and You’re Content with Your Content.