A boss on crack and half a wage... poor effort

A gradually germinating seed of a Salford session musician as he worked late within the confines of dimly lit studios, the bracing punk poetry and bony beats of poor effort portrays the essence of bored Britain as the project’s second single is released. Following up attention from BBC 6 Music for poor effort creator, Matty Dagger’s May-released debut, HMRC is released as a “tongue in cheek account of moving around questionable working environments.”

First single, You’re Wrong, I’m Right (Symphony), unpicked the ignorance that lies within polarised opinion with acerbic understatement, cutting into the toxicity of unhearing social media users and decrying a normalised state where harmless debates often and quickly turn to rot in a digital cesspit. HMRC, with no less fervour, folded into a languorous and relatable vocal delivery, lights up dank corners of British employment opportunities, narrated by the advice of a Universal Credit work coach.

Dagger says: “HMRC was written off the back of a few first hand experiences, including working under a supervisor who was high on crack and getting a phone call on payday asking if I would be OK with just half the wage until next month.”

Originally from an outlying mill town, becoming a Salford resident and Manchester nighthawk, poor effort is the product of Dagger having scraped together a makeshift studio setup during lockdowns, then putting self-learnt production techniques and poetry to tape. No fewer than 30 demos emerged, leading to poor effort quickly becoming a concern for collaborating producers, visual artists and musicians.

Listeners can expect the music to dip in and out of alternative, hip-hop, post-punk and electronic influences, with the focus largely revolving around Dagger’s observational lyricism.

To be the first to know about future releases and upcoming live dates, connect with poor effort online at https://linktr.ee/pooreffort