The Spook School's Halloween Guest Selector

The Spook School drop their third album Could it be Different? in January 2018, and shared the video for lead single Still Alive last week (watch it here). The indie-pop four-piece currently on tour across Europe with New York duo Diet Cig, but they've compiled this Halloween-inspired playlist from the comfort of their tour van. Listen to the playlist in the Spotify player below, and read on for the stories behind each track's inclusion...

The Cranberries – Zombie
[No Need to Argue, 1994]
Zombies are coming to Ireland! Ok, not really but Niall [McCamley] really likes belting this out in the van and the way he does it is certainly terrifying.

Trust Fund – Scared II
[Seems Unfair, 2015]
Halloween is scary and we are terrified of Trust Fund’s talent! It’s just like they sing: 'I’M SCARED, I’M SCARED, I’M SCARED, I’M SCARED'.

Chorusgirl – Shivers
[Chorusgirl, 2015]
This is our favourite song by our friends and former Fortuna POP! label-mates Chorusgirl. The guitar line in the chorus kinda sounds like The Waitresses and there’s a wee break bit that sounds like Blondie. None of these things are scary, but it is about maybe the spookiest of unintentional bodily movements… SHIVERS! Oooooh!

Jeffrey Lewis – If You Shoot the Head You Kill the Ghoul
[It's the Ones Who've Cracked That the Light Shines Through, 2003]
Jeffrey proves himself here as not only the king of anti-folk, but also a very reliable provider of clear and specific instructions for survival in the event of an outbreak of dangerous zombie-like creatures.

Grimes – Kill V. Maim
[Art Angels, 2015]
Yeah, everyone loves Grimes. But to be completely honest we’re getting pretty sick and tired of her constant use of tired clichés and tropes in songwriting. Here we have yet another song about Al Pacino roaming the streets as an undead mobster vampire. We’ve heard it all before, Grimes!! Why don’t you think outside the box and write some songs about unrequited love or drugs and sex or something?? 

Sultans of Ping FC – Where’s Me Jumper?
[Casual Sex in the Cineplex, 1993]
It’s 3am, you’re being kicked out of Nice N Sleazy and there’s a terrifying problem! You’ve been dancing at the disco! Bumper to bumper! But wait a minute!!! WHERE’S ME JUMPER?!?!? Noooooooo! A horror story as old as time.

Pete and the Pirates – Things That Go Bump
[One Thousand Pictures, 2011]
Pete and the Pirates were a really good band! Wonderful songs! Great for dancing to, and maybe crying if you’re in the mood. This song is about… things that go bump!! What could it be???? A monster?!?!? … A pirate?!?! In your cupboard? Under your bed?!?! A monster pirate????! In the cupboard under your bed????? HELP!

Shrag – Devastating Bones
[Canines, 2012]
Another ex-Fortuna POP! band, this time singing about… BONES! And you know what bones make? SKELETONS!!! Prrrettty spooooky!!!

The Potentials – Riley is an Anarchist
[Who's Playing at the Bronze Tonight?, 2015]
The Potentials are a super amazing queer Buffy [the Vampire Slayer]-themed band and this song is about the most terrifying thing of all… fragile masculinity. Don’t be a whiny bro – be a potential!  

Bad Moves – Shitty Tomorrow
[Bad Moves EP, 2016]
Sometimes there’s nothing scarier than the current political climate and the future it promises for us all. The desolation, the isolation, the pop-punk banger to soundtrack your soul!

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Listen to The Spook School's Halloween Guest Selector in the handy player below. The Spook School play Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 17 Oct; Broadcast, Glasgow, 18 Oct.
The Spook School's third album, Could it be Different?, is due for release on 26 Jan via Alcopop!