Fresh off the back of supporting Inhaler on their recent NI and UK Tour, Scustin have recently gone viral with over 1 million + views on Instagram by showing the public the behind-the-scenes content for their single “The Ick”.
Speaking about the resurgence of their lead single from their recent album Confessions of a Pub Talker, the band said, “It’s great to see “The Ick” take on a life of its own months after the album was released. The reels have been circulating again, and people are embracing the song as if it’s brand new. It’s a bit surreal, one moment you’re joking around in a freezing bath full of milk, and the next, you’re recognised as ‘the lads from the Guinness video.’ We’re genuinely delighted that people are still connecting with it and enjoying the fun.”
Creating engaging content that humorously addresses the social issues reflected in their music is central to Scustin’s identity. “When it came to making the reels for The Ick, we wanted something as ridiculous and tongue-in-cheek as the song itself. We brought in the brilliant David Willis (@bigfatwillis), who’s got a knack for turning chaos into art. We had a few ideas floating around, but the one that stuck was this image of Joe’s face popping out of a pint of Guinness to stop someone from doing the unthinkable, putting blackcurrant in it. It was daft, dramatic, and perfect.
We ended up filming in Liam’s mam’s attic bathroom, it was the only bath we could get our hands on. The place was tiny; we could barely fit a camera in. The heating had just packed it in that day, so the bath was filled with freezing-cold water and milk to achieve that Guinness-y look. We tried whipped cream on Joe’s face to cover it, but it melted, so shaving foam turned out to be the winner. Joe had to dip his head under the freezing water, and we reversed the footage so it looked like his head was coming out of the milky soup instead of going in. Willis then worked his camera magic to make it look like Joe was emerging from an actual pint of Guinness, screaming the lyric, “don’t put blackcurrant in that pint of Guinness.” It was mad, messy, and absolutely worth it.”
About ‘The Ick (don’t put blackcurrent in that pint of Guinness’
“The Ick (Don’t Put Blackcurrant In That Pint Of Guinness)” is the debut single from the
forthcoming album ‘Confessions Of A Pub Talker’ by Scustin. Recorded and Produced by
Richie Kennedy (The Murder Capital, RIDE, Interpol, Shame) at Black Mountain Studios,
Confessions Of A Pub Talker is the debut album from Irish band Scustin, a concept piece
that tells the story of Larry, a barman in his mid-to-late 20s struggling to find his way
amidst the social and economic uncertainties of Irish life.
Speaking on the track the band says “We actually wrote The Ick by complete accident, which probably sums us up fairly well. We had a Whelan’s Midnight Hour gig that night in 2023, one of those gigs every small Irish band has to do at some point. You bring all your own backline, play for a few quid, and hope someone’s listening. Earlier that evening, around Six o’clock, we were rehearsing in the shed. After we’d finished running the set, Joe went off to the loo, and Liam started joking that Scustin had our own signature chord; the min9 and that every song we ever wrote had it. He started playing it in this mad, rhythmic way, just taking the piss really. Wally came in on drums, Dan joined on bass, and before we knew it, something started to form. When Joe came back, he asked what the hell we were at, but he loved it straight away. He recorded it on his phone, said nothing, and we packed up the gear and headed for the gig.
On the drive in, Joe was dead quiet with his headphones on. Then out of nowhere he goes, “lads, play that tune you did in the shed, I’ve got lyrics.” We did, and when we played it live that night, it was like a switch flipped. The crowd just went off. There was this mad, raw energy in the room that we hadn’t felt before, and it totally changed how we saw ourselves as a band. From that point on, we chased that same buzz in everything we wrote.”
This track is a tongue-in-cheek satire of the post-punk genre, embracing its recent resurgence. Musically, it draws on influences from early Viagra Boys, Idles, and Irish bands such as Gurriers and The Scratch, featuring punchy rhythms, bombastic bass lines, and aggressive guitar melodies.
Lyrically “The Ick” addresses the sacrilegious attempts to taint Ireland’s most sacred beverage, Guinness and draws a line between those who attempt such absurdities and those who don’t. The global phenomenon of “The Ick” serves as a fitting metaphor, delivering this message with a sharp edge of satire, as it highlights how trivial annoyances can become outlets for frustration in a world full of more significant issues.
Stream- ‘The Ick (don’t put blackcurrant in that pint of Guinness’