On this fine Thursday, my friends, I offer up to you the single greatest Profile that has ever graced this little site. English experimental/noise rock trio Irk released The Seeing House, their second LP, a few weeks ago through Nefarious Industries. I’d talk about it, but the responses below will do more to get your attention than my words ever could. So I’ll cut myself off here and just leave you to it. Enjoy it!… I am quite certain you will.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

Depending on your cateogrisation, this question is actually anywhere between three and six questions. That’s too many, so I’ve compacted them all into one. So, in answer to your question, “How music metal family?” I would have to reply with, “What are you talking about? That question doesn’t make any sense! That’s just four random words. Please leave me and my children alone.”

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

Why are you in the dark, little friend? What has happened to you? Do you need something to drink? A bite to eat? Come into the light, sweet creature. Feel the sun’s warmth on your integument. You hesitate. I see the way your limbs twitch, uncertain. You’re smaller than I expected, no bigger than a curled-up hedgehog, though nothing about you resembles one. Your skin glistens like wet stone, patterned with faint ridges that catch the light like ancient script. I wonder if you’re trying to speak. I offer a piece of dried apple. You sniff it, then take it with a soft clack of your jaws. Not threatening, just hungry. I don’t know where you came from. You don’t look like anything I’ve seen before. But you’re not afraid of me. That feels important. I rest my hand beside you. You mimic the gesture. I think you’re listening. I speak softly, not wanting to break whatever fragile trust we’ve built. “Irk is a three-piece rock band from Leeds that have a bass player but no guitars.”

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

If we consider this here discussion to be an interview, and I answer the question, the information will technically henceforth be able to be found in an interview or review, and thereby will no longer fulfil the criteria outlined in the question. You are asking me to commit the great undoing, the coming together of matter and antimatter. I will not be responsible for the final unmaking of all that is. Imagine if my work finds out, HR would have a bloody field day.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

We were playing a show in Berlin once, and a guy had taken about 4 trains to see us, and arrived just as we finished our last song. He was gutted! His name was Peter Weyland, the elderly CEO of Weyland Corporation. We spoke to him and he offered to fund a tour for us aboard the scientific vessel Prometheus, culminating in a show on the distant moon LV-223. We took him up on the offer and made it to the venue, which featured a monolithic statue of a humanoid head and the decapitated corpse of a large alien. This was completely normal for us as we’d played in Wroclaw previously. Things went a bit awry when Matt’s floor tom started oozing black goo. Next thing you know, Ed is giving birth to a squid. Anyway, the funny part was, Matt and Peter Weyland had a really long conversation in which both thought the other didn’t speak English very well and so they spoke to each other at length in a bizarre simplified language. It was really funny and we all said “ha ha ha ha ha ha”.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

As far as precious metals are concerned, gold repatriation is becoming increasingly prevalent and is a powerful post-colonial act. By bringing metal reserves back from former colonial powers and global financial hubs, nations assert economic independence and challenge historical power imbalances. It parallels cultural repatriation efforts, reflecting a broader movement to restore control over heritage and resources. This shift not only symbolises resilience and self-determination but also marks a reversal of the historical flow of wealth. It’s a start, anyway.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

UK pine martens are legally protected and still considered vulnerable due to past persecution, habitat loss, and ongoing human threats, though their numbers are gradually recovering. Once nearly extinct in England and Wales, they’re now making a cautious comeback through reintroduction projects and conservation efforts, particularly in Scotland, Wales, and parts of southern England. Initiatives like those led by the Vincent Wildlife Trust are helping restore populations and raise public awareness, offering hope for the long-term survival of one of Britain’s rarest native carnivores. If you read the lyrics to literally any single one of our songs, you’ll see how this informs all of our music.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

Absolutely not. No jobs or hobbies are allowed in Irk. We nearly split up when I found a small fibre in the practice room that looked like it could have come from a yo-yo string. There was a fierce back and forth about whether playing with a yo-yo could be considered a hobby. I say this – If you are playing with your yo-yo so much that a fibres from the string are being loosed with wanton abandon, then it’s hardly a passing interest, is it?

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Edit all the promo photographs you use to make every single musician the exact same height and width. Consistency is key.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

As a band we exclusively commit to non-specific long term goals only, and we never, never, NEVER, keep them in our minds, for that is a most dangerous place.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

Just lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of Cumbia compilations.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Album number two is out in September, via Nefarious Industries. It is going to be the best album you have ever heard. It is going to be so good, that you’ll say, “Oh yes, very nice.” That’s our main focus for now because the world will end not long after it comes out.

Summarize your band in one word.

Vestibular.

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Many thanks to Irk for what was, again, the single greatest Profile we have ever run. Consider myself forever in their debt.

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The Seeing House is out now through Nefarious Industries. For more information on Irk, head to Instagram or Facebook.