The new single from UK rock band Trash Boat, “He’s So Good,” chronicles the story of a young man who – even in the face of abandonment, spite and naked homophobia – remains a positive and loyal element in their family.
Lead singer Tobi Duncan was inspired to pen the tune after meeting and hanging out with a closeted gay man while out on the road touring.
In an interview with music site Kerrang, Duncan shared that the man remained stuck in the closet because he lived in a rural part of the U.S. and knew his family wouldn’t accept him if he came out.
“He had girlfriends throughout his time in school but felt like he couldn’t show any affection towards them,” added Duncan. “Emotionally he felt completely alone, to the extent that he didn’t have his first kiss until he was 27.”
Fortunately for Duncan, who identifies as bisexual (but doesn’t care for labels), his family environment was very different.
“Mercifully, my background is love and support,” Duncan told Kerrang. “I come from a family who never expected me to be anything other than myself. I will always be thankful for that. I never felt the need to announce that I felt differently, because I didn’t feel different in a way that was upsetting me. I have a brother, a cousin and an uncle, all gay. No issues, just love.”
“I too was interested in men the same way I was with women,” continued Duncan. “I reserve my right to be attracted to any one human in the world regardless of their gender/ orientation or whatever. Why box myself in? A label seems limiting. I just felt like me and felt comfortable being so with the support of my family and friends.”
It’s not often we get full-on, head-banging rock music that lands so solidly in the LGBTQ space, but this is terrific. The powerful lyrics are sharp, pointed, and provocative. And Duncan’s vocals are off-the-charts killer.
He broke down when he lost his mother
But he found love in the arms of another
His father so austere, his boy is a f*cking queer
It makes him want to scream
Duncan explained the song, and the band’s upcoming album, is about saying things “as plainly as I can.”
“That’s where the ‘His boy’s a f*cking queer’ line comes from,” Duncan explained. “It’s about making the father look like the dickhead he is, and demonstrating that the song is speaking to people who are the opposite of him.”
“I want people to be able to use this topic as a point of pride, and allow the music to make them feel confident and heard,” he added. “This is about reminding people that they’re not responsible for other people’s prejudices.”
The band is donating proceeds from merchandise sales to AKT, a charity dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness in the UK.
Follow Trash Boat on Instagram here.
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