Mecca

Album: Present Tense (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Vocalist Hayden Thorpe told DIY magazine the story of this sensual ode to the sublime. "'Mecca' was by nature a pop song," he said. "It wasn't by design, but it felt like an injustice not to allow it to bloom into that. It would have been awkward if we didn't let them spill out."

    "There's a piano at my dad's house that most of the songs have emerged from," Thorpe continued. "It's often housed by me and my brother and one morning I was locked out, and I was desperate to play. I was absolutely furious, kicking down a door. I was in a really foul mood. Eventually I was let in - I went straight for the piano. Sometimes you get the feeling you need to get something done, get it out of the way. That's how it came about."
  • Bassist Tom Fleming told NME: "The guitar and beat were added late – there's something beautiful about making a post-dance record and then sticking a guitar solo on it."
  • Thorpe told DIY magazine this was inspired by 1990s dance music. "We wrote 'Mecca' during the period where we'd almost discarded entirely the idea of being part of a band," he explained. "I was listening to Detroit Techno, thinking the record was going to be far less band-orientated than it actually became in the end."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.