[{"id":399393226996,"handle":"all-products-1","title":"All Products","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2022-05-07T21:11:10+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"variant_inventory","relation":"greater_than","condition":"0"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":244161446039,"handle":"digital-products","title":"Digital Products","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2021-01-14T15:43:38+13:00","sort_order":"price-asc","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Digital"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":392313798900,"handle":"flying-nun-catalog","title":"Flying Nun Catalog","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"The full catalog of Flying Nun Records releases, including many rare and collectable records released on 7' 12\" vinyl, cassette, CD and download. Many of these albums are out of print or no longer available, while others have been re-pressed and can be bought in our record store. If you find one of these going cheap in your local junk shop - snap it up!","published_at":"2021-12-04T16:32:39+13:00","sort_order":"created","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":true,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Flying Nun Catalog"},{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Flying Nun"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":211579109527,"handle":"flying-nun","title":"Flying Nun | Related","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"This collection of music is for bands and artists that are or were released on \u003cstrong\u003eFlying Nun Records\u003c\/strong\u003e, or are somehow related to \u003cstrong\u003eFlying Nun Records\u003c\/strong\u003e - even if they weren't or aren't actually released on the label. It's a broad umbrella of friends and family.","published_at":"2020-08-08T18:17:51+12:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Flying Nun"},{"column":"variant_inventory","relation":"greater_than","condition":"0"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2022-05-15T15:22:26+12:00","alt":null,"width":1200,"height":1200,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/DSCF4481.jpg?v=1652674720"}},{"id":227113894039,"handle":"shop","title":"Shop","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2020-09-21T21:27:50+12:00","sort_order":"created-desc","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Shop"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":211726762135,"handle":"the-bats","title":"The Bats","updated_at":"2022-05-16T16:40:03+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Bats_Flying_Nun_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598092491\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpanning the last 38 years,\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehave clocked ten incredible albums; each one seeing the band evolve with new material from the prolific songwriting hand of\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScott\u003c\/strong\u003e. Add to that tally the extra singles, b-sides, EPs, compilations and tribute songs they’ve recorded, creating a succinct setlist is a nearly impossible task.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Bats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emust hold a record in New Zealand (perhaps the whole world, once The Rolling Stones throw in the towel) as a band that has survived with the same line-up for 38 years. No split ups, no reforming for nostalgia’s sake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo far, half the band have spots in The New Zealand Music Hall Of Fame, vocalist\/ guitarist\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScott\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eClean\u003c\/strong\u003e) and bassist\/producer\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePaul\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKean\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eToy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLove\u003c\/strong\u003e), and it’s only a matter of time before lead guitarist\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKaye\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWoodward\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand drummer\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMalcolm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efind themselves in there too. The four-piece has created twisted wistful folk, psychedelic rock, bouncy twee pop, and everything in between, but whatever the genre, their sound is always distinctively, unmistakably\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBats\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Bats_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598868606\" alt=\"\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"1120\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xC4SX4c50Ig\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:45:04+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"The Bats"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-22T22:30:21+12:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1002,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/The_Bats_Flying_Nun.jpg?v=1598092222"}}]
If Couchmaster did one thing, it was cement The Bats as one of New Zealand's great bands.
Alongside that, this 1995 release, which has now been re-mastered by bassist Paul Kean, sees the band exploring and experimenting with the folkish-psychedlic pop they have become internationally renown for.
Couchmaster, their sixth album, shows a band that is far from resting, with tracks such as the excellent Afternoon in Bed - a song so perfecty balanced, so perfectly The Bats. Robert Scott's wistful lyrics and guitar/vocal hooks are all accompanied by brilliantly crafted songwriting that is always trying something different. Whether that be the electronic howls on Chain Home Low or Woodward's lead vocals on Shoeshine, Couchmaster is an album full of intelligent pop music that refuses to sit still.
