I am a Man is the second single from Manchester's gutter punks The Battery Farm and it picks up from where their last single 97/91 left off.
The subject matter is very personal and raw - singing about the mental health issues and pressures felt by modern man and the ultimate feeling of failing at trying to achieve all that is expected. It's a definite ear worm and as with their last video the band have chosen a style and format that Irvine Welsh would be proud of (see below).
It's another brilliant observation of where we are as a society now. The expectation on men to cope with all of the pressures placed upon them grows year upon year - In the UK the male suicide rate of 17.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2018 represented a significant increase from the rate in 2017.
Bands like Idles have had a massive influence in removing some of the stigma for men in speaking up about mental health issues and The Battery Farm's openness in this gritty, powerfully disturbing video/song will cause more conversations around this subject matter.
I think that's a great thing.
This years International Men's Day on November 19th focuses on positive male role models with the aim to raise awareness of men’s issues. These include topics such as mental health, toxic masculinity and the prevalence of male suicide.
This song couldn't be more appropriate and for me is a fitting anthem for this day.
The single is available to stream/buy from tomorrow.
If you want to know more about the band then check out Part 1 & 2 of my interview with the lads a few weeks ago.
You can stream the lads on Spotify - Their social media links are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram - You can also catch them at The Peer Hat with Furrowed Brow on Friday 8th November.