DIwhy

Album: UK Grim (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "DIwhy" is Sleaford Mods' satirical take on artists who boast that they're creating music on their terms. They think they're more credible going down the DIY route, but in reality their output is a louder and more aggressive version of what's already out there.

    You look like Fred Dibnah and your haircut's crap
    You're in a shouty band, you're not original, man


    The hip-hop driven song exposes the hypocrisy and lack of originality of many "edgy" artists.
  • The song is also a reminder that substance is more important than style. "DIwhy" opens with Williamson saying:

    Excuse me mate, you've just dropped one of your tattoos
    I just seen it over there


    "I walked by one bloke, and he's got a ladder on his thigh. A ladder. There seems to be a uniform with certain underground music people and tattoos," Williamson told Mojo magazine. "I got into trouble with a load of DIwhys, noise artists on Twitter last year, arguing about Spotify. I put up a post, 'stop being so f---ing edgy - just work around it.' Everyone knows it's s--t. Grow up."

    "And all of them techno noise artists with 2000 followers piled in," he continued. "'The special people,' as Jeff Barrow Of Portishead calls them. That's who 'DIwhy' is about. You look on their feeds and you get the impression they believe that there's something bigger than reality. It's the curse of Twitter - people lose their bearings. Your music is not very good and you look like everyone else. That's not Spotify's problem."
  • "Diwhy" takes aim at "post-punk dross" acts that came in the wake of Sleaford Mods. NME asked Williamson if he's expecting any backlash for the song.

    "I don't think there will be. People have had a pop and I can't see them coming at me again – they’ve exhausted themselves and I've exhausted myself. The battleground has been deserted and all we can see now are a few swords and severed limbs," he said.

    "These people view themselves as some kind of Spartans for music social justice and some kind of moral high ground," Williamson continued. "They're just as bad as anyone else. I didn't get into this game to sit in the top room of a pub playing to four people forever. If they're feeling a bit pissed off because we travelled through their scene and knocked them all dead – then what can you do?"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top Proverb

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."