Reading-based indie rock four piece Sundara Karma have unveiled the video to their new single 'A Young Understanding' and it's entertaining, unpredicatable, and just pure class. A huge track like this always needs a good visual for accompaniment and this clip does not disappoint! The band initially are being filmed for a classic indie rock video, with the look being on point as well as the stance, all stood in the middle of a what seems a deserted alleyway. However, all takes a twist as the clip progresses and eventually the traditional music video format backfires (or so it seems). A new character is introduced and eventually, you can figure out that the lyrics of the track relate to everyone, no matter what age, all possess 'A Young Understanding.'
'A Young Understanding' is yet another huge and catchy track delivered from this up and coming band. The single is due out for release on the 25th March via Chess Club Records. Sundara Karma are currently on their extensive headline tour of the UK, so make sure you catch them whilst you can. Meanwhile, check out the new video below!
The layered synths of the intro track, along with the soft colours bathing the stage in light swirl up to their breaking point before cutting out completely as Silas Utke Graae Jørgensenbegins the pounding drum beat to opening tune ‘Witness’, accompanied solely by the flashing white strobe, his band mates yet to enter the stage. This moment of raw energy bursting forth is invigorating and exciting, and perhaps best explained within the context of the whole night…
Titled ‘An Evening With Mew’ this has the air of a slightly out of the ordinary show. Things start familiarly enough with the supremely talented Rosborough, a singer-songwriter from Derry in Northern Ireland who peppers his support set with emotionally charged ditties complete with loop-pedal wizardry and vocal acrobatics. After receiving a really warm reception from the crowd he leaves the stage, ready to host Mew for their first set of the evening, a short acoustic segment revisiting old rarities.
An act performing two different sets on one night is fairly unusual, but not unheard of. It is the low-key nature of Mew’s first appearance that gives the night its pleasant close and communal vibe. A further aide to this is bassist Johan Wohlert’s endearingly awkward stage chat (showing that even rockstars can find it tricky to chat to a room full of 500 people sometimes…). This intimate and cosy vibe is not lost on the band who chat playfully amongst themselves and Wohlert’s jokes that “when your management calls you up and asks if you want to open for Mew you just don’t say no!” in reference to the slightly surreal set-up.
The song selection of the acoustic part of the show is made up of welcome rare cuts and well-constructed reinterpretations of newer tracks. A highlight from most recent album, ‘+-‘, ‘Waterslides’ goes down well but the biggest cheers are reserved for the likes of ‘Frengers’ tunes ‘Symmetry’ and ‘Beyond the Drapes’, ‘Why are You Looking Grave?’ from ‘Mew….And the Glass Handed Kites’ and early B-side ‘That Time on the Ledge’. This stripped back segment does a good job of showing off the band’s songwriting talent removed from the more sonically experimental recordings we are used to, as well as the rockier elements their music often entails. Returning to the main set of the night, the band members join their stranded drummer stage one by one and complete rousing renditions of an opening four-punch (all running musically straight into each other) of ‘Witness’, ‘Satellites’, ‘Special’ and ‘The Zookeepers Boy’. The sheer power of these tracks live is emphasised ten-fold compared to the record, and provides a fantastic and electrifying contrast to the chilled feel of the music up to this point. Following this is a slight climb-down in intensity after the breathless opening, as the band perform ‘Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy’ from the impeccably named album ‘No more stories are told today I’m sorry They washed away no more stories The world is grey I’m tired Let’s wash away”.
After this the energy-levels are ratcheted back up for the double of ‘Frengers’ standouts ‘Snow Brigade’ and ‘She Spider’. The former provides the highest and most animated pogoing of the night, and possibly the loudest shouting along of the anthemic chorus.
Then momentarily we’re back in chill-land as lead singer Jonas Bjerre performs a medley, accompanied only by piano, of ‘Clinging to a Bad Dream’, ‘The Zookeepers Boy’ and ‘Louise Louisa’. After this we get ‘+-‘ tunes ‘Making Friends’ and the epic ‘Rows’, the latter potentially using the projected imagery on the screens behind to best effect. Throughout the show this has been by turns showing beautiful land- and star-scapes and eerie and twisted version of the members of the band. For the outro to ‘Rows’ we see the band in monkey form disconcertingly singing along with the real life members.
It’s almost the end of the main set, but not before two crowd favourites- the imperious ‘Am I Wry? No’ and haunting ‘156’ which both go down an absolute treat sending the already hyped audience into raptures.
The band leaves the stage to wild applause, and makes the crowd wait briefly before the inevitable encore. But what an encore. The beautiful and pop-inspired early single ‘She Came Home For Christmas’ is first up, prompting yet another huge sing-along. Then there is just the final tune, and everyone knows what it’s going to be, the euphoric and cinematic behemoth that is ‘Comforting Sounds’. This song is even more powerful in person than on record, and I can’t think of many better live full stops than the perennial set-closer taken form perhaps their most beloved album ‘Frengers’. An apt ending to a fantastic show that really delivers for the fanatical following the band has built up over the years, and also impressive for those who haven’t experienced the Mew live machine before.
London-based five-piece Eliza and the Bear have revealed the official video to their catchy new single 'It Gets Cold'. The video itself is beautifully constructed, with contemporary dancers telling a short story as if they are performing in a theatre armed with traditional artistic sets. Christmas feelings are evident all around, with 'It Gets Cold' being the main lyric in the tuneful chorus, one cannot help but feel the seasonal spirit. The track itself consists of an energetic melody, brimming with chants that all can sing along to.
'It Gets Cold' is available to buy now via Capitol Records and you can catch Eliza and the Bear on their UK tour in January and February 2016. Meanwhile, check out the stunning new video below:
Alternative rock five-piece Nothing But Thieves have been conquering the music scene this year. With an incredible debut album released last month and numerous epic singles, there is no stopping this band. We caught up with guitarist Joe and bassist Phil before their headline show at a sold-out Thekla in Bristol. The show itself was outstanding, the live-set itself was flawless and the boat literally rocked. Check out our interview below:
First question, so how did the name Nothing But Thieves come about?
Joe: There’s a quote and it said, ‘Don’t be impressionable, your religious leaders are nothing but mega thieves.’ I don’t think mega thieves is a very good band name, but thought Nothing But Thieves is a good band name so there you go.
Phil: What would a mega-thief be like?
Joe: Steals everything like it’s not bolted down, it’s gone!
When did you all decide to form a band? Were you always a five-piece?
Joe: It kind of morphed. It was probably myself, Conor and Dom. We were jamming for ages, just kind of wrote songs. Then, as we kind of got songs together we needed members so...
Phil: You can’t really do the live thing without drums and bass. So those guys went to school together, me and Dom are cousins.
Joe: Price used to open with his band for our old band and when our drummer left we took on Price.
Phil: We stole him, we are mega thieves.
Was alternative rock the genre you always wanted to go into?
Joe: It was always going to be rock as we play guitar. However, we try to be more than just your typical rock band, I guess more alternative rock.
Phil: We have loads and loads and loads of inspiration behind our sound.
Joe: Anything that takes rock music but doesn’t do it in the standard way. You get a lot of guitar rock bands which I just find a bit boring. So like, Arcade Fire do something really interesting with their sound, Radiohead are really interesting too. Back in the day, Pink Floyd as well. Anyone like that really.
Tell us about your album artwork. How did the horse logo come about?
Phil: I got it tattooed.
Joe: He did, there (points).
Phil: It got infected.
Joe: It’s bad luck for the album isn’t it.
Phil: I couldn’t believe it, I bashed it. I got it done when we were on the road, not actually on the road like in a tattoo place when we were on the road. I had it done and then I bashed it when I was playing the bass and damaged it completely.
Joe: But the design actually came from when I was doing my dissertation. We needed album artwork and I was procrastinating and I just started looking up photos that maybe we could use and I came across this elephant that was disintegrating. I liked the image, it was cool, there was an actual element that was kind of falling apart. I gave it to our artist who does a lot of our artwork like the circle logo and stuff. He’s good, we really like what he does. So I gave that to him and he came back with the horse with the actual element of being enclosed by smoke.
So is this one of your first headline shows in Bristol apart from Dot to Dot?
Phil: Not quite true, we did The Birdcage back in the day. Technically that was our first show here in Bristol. We met a band called Cursor Major who we love. They were a local Bristol band.
Joe: This is like our second show technically. But, the first big one. Dot to Dot was really good this year. My guitar stopped working during the first track which was great!
Phil: That was one of the first shows we did actually that when we played we realised that people were actually hearing the music, it was getting out there. The radio were playing us a lot and it was the first time that we could see a load of people singing back.
Joe: That was actually part of the switch for us. It was the point where no-one really knew us and then there was a little buzz around the band.
Phil: So yes it was actually Bristol where we realised that. Also, we played Thekla before supporting Darlia and Conor did his first ever stage dive.
What’s been your favourite show so far on this European tour?
Phil: Poland was mad. We seem to go down there quite well. It was an 800 capacity venue that was sold out which was mad. I felt like I was in the Beatles or something. They were screaming for us. It was mad.
Joe: We did our first Italian headline in Milan and Bologna. Both sold out and it was just crazy.
Phil: They’ve all been like really really really special. They’re our own shows and lots of them have been sold out so that’s been insane on its own. We enjoy what we do so they’ve all been great.
How was festival season? Favourite festival you played at?
Joe: Reading will always be good for us because that’s the one we always went to as kids.
Phil: What was that one after Rome?
Joe: So we played with Muse in Rome which was amazing. But the very next day we went from that and flew from Rome to Belgium to play this festival, I can’t remember what it was called.
Phil: We didn’t even have a hotel, we went straight from Rock in Roma to the airport. So we played in front of 36000 people and then we got on a flight, went to Belgium.
Joe: And we played to about 40 people.
Phi: When we first went on we played to around 10 people and we were just laughing. We were just drained and we had to just laugh about it.
Joe: The night before was obviously incredible and just before we got on at this festival we realised we were back down to earth. But it was still fun. Reading was amazing. Also, there’s this festival called Lowlands in The Netherlands.
Phil: It’s like the Dutch Glastonbury. That was great.
Joe: There was such a buzz about our band and the tent was so full that they had to send people away and close the sides of the tent to stop people trying to get in.
Phil: It was a nice feeling.
So your debut album came out last month, what was the songwriting process like?
Joe: It differed from track to track. It was written over a long long time, over like two and a half to three years maybe. So it’s odd to collate it all into one album really. It all seemed a bit fragmented. All the songs came out differently, we don’t really have a formula when we write so the album sounds quite different from song to song. We designed it that way, we don’t want to write the same song twelve times. Sometimes they come from a lyric, sometimes they come from a drum loop, anything really. I don’t think we are good enough to have a formula, we just kind of jump on anything that works.
Do you have a favourite track off your album?
Phil: I think we worked so hard on making it a full album that I don’t really have a favourite. I actually just kind of like enjoy listening to it. We’re all quite proud of it. I’m proud of everything that we all did.
Joe: I wouldn’t put it on to listen to yet because it’s too recent. I still know what went into it. We’re not sick of it though.
Phil: There’s not a particular favourite though.
Joe: I’m probably proud of the song, ‘If I Get High.’ It seemed really cohesive to me.
Your most recent video that’s up is ‘Wake Up Call’-how was it filming that clip?
Joe: You know how we say that we’re not sick of the album. When you do a video you get so sick of the song.
Phil: Yeah, that was outrageous. They always like doing slow-motion shots, but to get that you have to play to the track sped up, so when they slow the track down it looks like you’re going in slow-motion and you’re playing in time. So you play along in time with it and the quicker you move, the better it will look. So playing it fast that much was tiring. The paper flying around was also weird. There was a lot of smoke and they were all going ‘CUT’ and everyone was coughing, it was really bad!
Joe: Originally there wasn’t enough paper so it kind of looked like someone had just thrown a paper aeroplane about. Eventually, it turned out alright though.
How was it performing the VEVO live sessions?
Phil: They were good, although again it was playing those songs a lot of times in a row.
Joe: That was part of the VEVO lift thing we won so that was cool.
Phil: They got us a plaque!
Joe: Each!
Phil: That’s going to go up somewhere.
Joe: It’s the first thing we’ve won as a band.
Phil: It’s the first thing I’ve ever won really. I really wanted a medal as a kid but never got a medal.
Joe: But yea, the performances were fun! That’s our favourite bit as a band. Especially nowadays, you get asked to do a lot of stuff that sometimes isn’t very fun. The music bit is the fun bit.
More things coming up soon?
Joe: Can’t tell you what but lots of things coming up early next year. New single. We’re just talking about the new video now actually.
Phil: The one thing we can tell you is that it’s on the album! You can find it on there but I can’t tell you which one but it’s there!
So with your music videos do you help with the ideas?
Joe: Yeah, massively. We send out a brief to a load of directors and they bring it back and then they might help with the rewriting of some of the ideas and stuff.
Phil: We’re currently in that process now. We know the power of a music video, they really affect a song. You can spend so long on a song and then have a really rubbish video behind it so we’re quite strict with it being good.
Joe: We want it to be good so...
You’ve got a massive tour coming up, including Shepherd’s Bush Empire, excited?
Joe: Yeah, crazy excited about that.
Phil: There are some big big dates there. It will be really exciting. I can’t wait! But we have a lot of stuff before then.
Joe: We go to Japan, Australia, America, and other tours.
What was the last track you listened to today?
Joe: I listened to ‘Hungry Heart’ by Bruce Springsteen.
Phil: I listen to this band called Silver Sun Pickups who not a lot of people know but they’re really good. I highly recommend them. They have this really really good song that I listen to all the time but the title is a little bit embarrassing.
Joe: Go on.
Phil: It doesn’t mean it, like they’re American or Canadian but it’s called ‘The Royal We’. The end bit he’s just like shouting ‘The Royal We’ and I’m just like, ‘That means something different!’ I recommend that song though. It’s an interesting title and I have great music taste.
Alternative rock band Nothing But Thieves have announced an extensive UK tour which is due to take place in spring 2016. Currently on their sold out UK tour at the moment, Nothing But Thieves are undoubtedly a must-see live act. With countless hits off of their début album being performed such as 'Ban All the Music' and 'Wake Up Call', you must see this Southend five-piece while you can!
Nothing But Thieves' 2016 UK tour consists of numerous dates, including the prestigious London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. Tickets are on pre-sale tomorrow and on general sale this Friday 13th November. Make sure you don't miss out!
Several murmurs and whispers full of anticipation circulated the compact Thekla in Bristol on Sunday night. With an audience full of a mixed demographic, excitement filled the room as all waited for Nottingham five-piece Amber Run to set foot onto the stage. Eventually, the brightness of the room diminished and atmospheric sounds permeated the space, the crowd resorted to stillness as they awaited the appearance of the first band member. Before long, drummer Felix Archer took to the stage, receiving ecstatic cheers from the entire audience, along with bassist Tom Sperring, guitarist Will Jones and keyboard-player Henry Wyeth. Frontman Joe Keogh graced the stage bearing an expression of deep thought, ready to launch into the first track of the night ‘Wastelands.’
Comprised of effortless harmonies and electronic sounds which added to the overall ambience, brand new song ‘Wastelands’ was an exceptional way to commence the gig. The signature ‘Amber Run’ sound was being reinforced, with the exceptional musicianship of the band already being evident through the intricate layering of vocals throughout the chorus of this chilled-out but poignant track. Following this stunning introduction, Amber Run immediately started playing ‘Spark’, one of the energetic, anthemic tunes taken from their début album ‘5am’. Establishing their place on the staging, the band instantly received audience participation throughout this number, with ‘Let the light in, Let the light in’ echoing around the entire venue and numerous people old and young clapping along to the rhythm. ‘Just My Soul Responding’ closely followed, embellished with catchy choruses and reflective lyrics, one could not help but be transfixed for the duration of the song. Smiles beamed continuously all around the sold-out space, which filled the room with elation as well as appreciation for the songwriting skills of this talented band. Prominent tune ‘Hurricane’ went down a storm. Incorporating Will Jones’ melodious guitar riffs along with Joe Keogh’s flawless vocals, this track was undoubtedly a memorable one. The energy and enthusiasm of the band was evident, with each member ensuring that they gave a performance worth giving.
Lead singer Joe Keogh addressed the crowd before introducing deluxe track ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ to the set. Explaining how grateful they were for the support, Amber Run expressed their noticeable humility. Brimming with driving drum beats and spirited lyrics, ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ is a hit in itself which guaranteed the entire public to feel a sense of glee. Displaying their true capabilities as musicians, Amber Run performed the more tranquil tracks of their album to the receptive audience. Despite experiencing a small technical difficulty at the start of ‘Little Ghost,’ the band maintained their professionalism and were back on their feet soon enough with an exceptional guitar solo by Will Jones in the climax of the track. Dynamic variation is a principle quality of this talented band, and this was obvious throughout the calmer, more thought-provoking songs of the set. Instrumental track ‘CF’ was a definite highlight, made up of electronic tones being slowly layered with live guitar and bass sections one could not help but feel mesmerised by this moving track. As the dynamics drew to a crescendo, the layers eventually ceased, which left an unaccompanied guitar part in order to establish the perfect lead into touching track ‘5am.’ Possessing exceedingly emotional lyrics, ‘5am’ was most definitely one of the best parts of the evening. Sung with a great sense of significance and meaning, Joe Keogh ensured that he portrayed the story behind the tune superbly by using intricate vocal techniques as well as atmospheric vibrato to add to the emotion of the track. Henry Wyeth’s keyboard playing added to the overall simplicity, making sure that the effect of the emotion of the track was prominent throughout.
Joe Keogh exclaimed to the crowd, ‘We don’t know when we’ll be visiting Bristol again so let’s make this a night to remember.’ With that, the more summery tune ‘Good Morning’ was played. The entire crowd sang every lyric back to the band, reflecting how popular Amber Run are in Bristol especially. Immediately following this vibrant tune, Amber Run performed two immensely well-known tracks, ‘Heaven’ and ‘I Found.’ ‘Heaven’ was highly adrenalised as it was meant to be, consisting of slightly heavier guitar and drum sections the entire boat became more and more animated. ‘Heaven’ culminated with a balance of melodious harmonies which triggered goosebumps for sure. ‘I Found’, probably the band’s most acclaimed tune, was welcomed instantaneously with cheers from every corner of the venue. The audience drew to a sudden silence as soon as the euphonious voices of the band produced the most spine-tingling harmonies throughout the entire song. Building-up slowly with added instrumental parts, ‘I Found’ was unquestionably a climactic moment of the evening. Amber Run promptly departed the stage, only to immediately receive cheers demanding an encore.
Soon enough, the band obliged and graced the stage one last time. High-powered percussion from Felix Archer introduced the penultimate track ‘Pilot’. Memorable chorus ‘I don’t wanna be the centre of anything, just a part of something bigger,’ constantly circulated the space, with every audience member dancing and singing along with never-ending enthusiasm. Amber Run drew their set to a close with anthemic tune ‘Noah.’ Alternatively commencing this energetic track in a slow, contemplative way, frontman Joe Keogh seized the crowd’s attention. As soon as the second verse arose, full instrumentation was restored and the dynamic contrast ensured that one could appreciate what a truly exceptional song ‘Noah’ is. The sold-out audience of all ages chanted the chorus back and forth which resulted in them being almost as loud as the band itself at one stage, it was certainly a magical moment. Amber Run terminated the set with a vivacious instrumental, filled with credible guitar parts, this definitely ended the show on a high.
Overall, Amber Run are positively a band that are consistently phenomenal when they play live as well as when they record music. Their authenticity as genuine musicians is revealed explicitly throughout their sets and their instrumentals are stupendous. Humble stage-presence is key as their gratitude to their fan base is evident when they address the audience in-between songs. Amber Run ensure that their sets are flawless and in terms of songwriting and vivacity, they will never cease to impress.
We caught up with indie five-piece Amber Run before their headline show at the Thekla in Bristol. Following the release of their incredible début album '5am' this year, the band talk to us about festival season, touring, songwriting and new material. Check out the interview below:
This is your first tour since festival season, how was it? Did you have a favourite festival that you played at?
Will: It was really good, we had some good ones, we had some not very good ones, we had a lot of time doing nothing aswell, but there were some shows that were absolutely wicked. Barn on the Farm, Somersault festival, those were wicked. It was nice but would have been nicer if we were always always doing something. The problem with festivals is that they are just on the weekend, so during the week you are just sitting around.
Festival you aspire to play at in the future?
Henry: Coachella or Benicassim.
Tom: Obviously we want to play Glastonbury, wanna go back to Reading and Leeds, as we played the BBC Introducing stage there, but it would be nice to go back and absolutely smash it. We wanna go abroad too and do Lollapalooza, Coachella, Rock In Rio. Rock In Rio would be pretty sick.
You have an extensive fan base around Europe, do you think you’ll be playing any shows over there any time soon?
Felix: We definitely will next year.
Will: It’s pretty much definitely on the top of our priority list. We were planning on doing it for this album cycle but it just didn’t really come together. So it’s literally the main thing we want to do next album is go and tour it in Europe.
Joe: It’s literally top of our list, it’s round the corner. It’s just really expensive, being in a band now is just really expensive.
So you’ve played the Thekla in Bristol twice?
Tom: It was here, you’re looking at the stage right here. That was the stage we played right there (points to the Upper Deck stage). That was the PA we used, we could only basically fit a drum kit on it and that was about it. It was one of the worst shows we ever played.
Felix: The thing that you would all think is ‘oh this is such a small room it must’ve been rammed’.
Tom: You would be wrong, so wrong! The crowd was made up heavily of Henry’s family.
Henry: My nan came down which was nice.
Tom: The other time we played the Thekla was the downstairs room which we are playing tonight. Which is wicked. But, it was Dot to Dot last year and there was a massive massive amount of traffic coming into Bristol and we were playing at about 3.30pm, we were the first band to arrive for our stage. Every other band before us had to cancel. We arrived 5 minutes before we were supposed to start making noise so we literally pulled up outside the venue, ran downstairs with our instruments, plugged in and started playing. It was one of the most stressful experiences we’ve had in terms of a live performance.
Joe: It felt rock’n’roll though you know? Turned up, plugged in, played. But it wasn’t the best show we thought we could give to Bristonians, so we are excited to come back.
Will: It was still a good show though.
Tom: We’ve played in Bristol a few times at different venues and they’ve been wicked shows which is why we’ve come back on this tour. We’re only doing a few dates and we had to come back to Bristol because we have a massive fan base here. So we are going to smash it tonight.
Joe: We enjoy playing here.
How’s the tour been so far?
Tom: It’s quite a short tour, only a couple of dates and we are half way through.
Henry: It’s nice, but as you are slowly getting into your stride, it will be over.
Will: We travelled back from Manchester yesterday and had the night off and I was sort of sitting at home like, ‘This is kind of annoying because I would have happily played two more shows in a row, then had a day off.' We did choose to do only this many shows though so...
Joe: We, as a band, playing shows is our favourite thing to do and so we would be on tour every single day of the year if we could be doing that.
Felix: I think as-well, it’s great that these have all sold out because it’s kind of a dream to be selling out shows. Our biggest headline show is tomorrow, so that’s genuinely like a dream as it’s sold out. If we put more shows on and they told us that, that would’ve been amazing too.
So you have your big show at KOKO tomorrow, have you seen any other acts play there?
Tom: It’s basically always been on my list of venues that I have wanted to play before I died. I’ve basically seen some of my favourite bands there. I went to see my favourite band Cage the Elephant there with my mum when I was like 15 and it was the first time I had ever seen them. It means a lot to me as a venue. I try and not let it dawn on me that much, the fact that we are playing at a venue where I used to see all my favourite bands. We’re actually headlining it and it’s sold out which is insane. I try not to let that go to my head.
Will: We also look at bands who we used to love who have played there and then we’re like, ‘Oh, are we as big as those bands now?’ We’re kind of like, ‘Ermm I don’t think so?’
Joe: It’s a wonderful thought that the bands that we’ve gone and seen there, you know, there could be a kid out there who likes us as much as we liked those bands. It’s a humbling and also really nice thought. It’s the kind of stuff that keeps you going to be honest.
Let’s talk about your début album ‘5am’ which was released this year in April. What was the songwriting process like for the album? Or did it differ from track to track?
Will: It’s funny because it should be interesting when people hear our second album because the first one was written over the course of about 4 years maybe, and so there are songs that were written when we were 17/18, and songs that were written just before it came out. Whereas the second album is obviously going to be like a more concentrated period so it should be like slightly different. The writing process would tend to be that Joe would come in with songs and then we would try it out as a band and see how it would work. Some songs were more collaborative, when we would all come in with different things, so like ‘5am’ and ‘I Found’ we would find something completely new. For example, musical programmed drums on ‘5am’, the whole sort of four-part harmonies with no guitars or anything on ‘I Found’. Some of the earlier songs we wrote conventionally, like jamming in a room. There’s a bit of a range.
Is the input then an equal band input?
Will: Not really, I mean, Joe wrote the majority of that first album, but I think what we are seeing with the second album is that we are all a lot more comfortable at bringing ideas to the table. We want to get it out as soon as possible and we’ve all got ideas, so our aim in our heads now is ‘let’s get as much written as we can’. Everyone’s more comfortable to speak their minds and express themselves so it should be interesting.
Joe: It’s a really interesting new way of doing things. It’s new for us, but that’s how the best music gets written aswell. Just trying new things, different people trying new things aswell. That’s how you keep things exciting for people in the band, let alone the people who come and hear the music.
Felix: Everyone has been bringing in ideas of what we want to write. Someone might bring in an idea that is completely different to anything that we would even try and write and then you’ve got to try and take that and guide it towards the Amber Run thing that we would do normally, whilst trying to make it slightly different. So it’s really fun, coming in with new ideas and not really caring about which genre it starts off in and what kind of vibe it is because it will change. ‘I Found’ started of as a piano ballad, and it turned into something different, so there’s always a possibility that you can make something out of anything.
Will: It should be interesting for the people who hear it, but it’s always interesting for us as a process. We’ve done a few songs that we would hope that people would hear and not really realise it was us, but it’s quite funny because we never thought anything as everything is quite natural in the way we do things and we just let the song become what it is. You then get to the end product and say, ‘actually this doesn’t sound anything like the first album but we love it’. The best bands are the ones that come up with something new, innovative and something that’s different because who really wants to listen to the same thing over and over again?
Henry: In the eternal words of Walt Disney, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’
Felix: If you’re in a real niche where you’re kind of the figurehead of the genre you can kind of get away with doing something similar. It’s so one lane and you like it for what it is, if they keep releasing that, then great. Whereas, in our genre of music it is very competitive and I think you have to do something different.
Will: You have to just grow and you know, just change, change your skin.
How was it working with producer Mike Crossey on your album?
Felix: He’s a genius. These songs wouldn’t be these songs without him. Also, massive credit to the guy who we refer to as the ‘sixth member of the band’ Sam Winfield. We do all our demos with him and write with him a lot. He’s just amazing, he’s a genius and had a huge influence on all these songs.
Will: Working with Mike aswell was great because we meet bands and they talk about how they write and record with different people and get produced by loads of different people, until they find the one that works. For us, Mike came up to us and said ‘I’m interested’ and we were like ‘Great, we’re interested’ and we just started working with him and fell in love. It was just the most natural thing in the world and was just great for us as we could just do what we wanted to do and he was able to guide us with it. It was good for us aswell to see someone who has so many cool albums under their belt. ‘The 1975’ one had just come out when we started working with him, for us, we were like, ‘this guy is a serious deal that album has gone to number one and he wants to work with us.’ It was a massive confidence boost aswell.
Let’s talk about your album as a whole, you have two interludes within the track-listing. Are they part of the overall storytelling?
Joe: I would say so, but we as music listeners really enjoy that kind of music. You don’t have to be hit in the face by singles the whole time. It feels like something that is just so important people now, ‘That Radio single that we’re going to sing back to you at festivals’. We want that aswell obviously, but the songs that are really important to you, the ones that really make a difference, are often the ones that don’t hit you in the face. Rather you sit back and just listen to it in the dark and it makes a genuine difference. One of the things about music aswell is that it doesn’t always have to have words and sometimes words just dilute what the actual music could say.
Will: Those interludes are sort of strategically placed where there’s one right at the start and one in the middle. It’s good just to have a minute and a half to take a breather and take a step back.
Joe: A pallet cleanser. Kind of getting you ready for the next track.
Felix: You know when you’re talking about a band with someone and that person says ‘I love that’ and that’s the main single and you go like, ‘no no no no, but you’ve got to listen to this and this,’ I guess it’s like that and a little thing for the people that are actually listening to the album. It’s not kind of a really bright straight up pop song, something that has a bit more depth to it.
Joe: The absolute dream is that someone would come and go, ‘Oh my god, CF is just beautiful, it’s just amazing.’
Will: Enter Shikari’s first album had interludes on it, and there were one or two interludes where I was like, ‘That’s so good,’ and I would listen to it like a track in itself. I just really enjoyed that piece of music as a thing in itself.
Joe: Something about this band which is true of others but not true of all is that we’re musicians just as much as we are anything else. We like picking up our instruments and playing, just as much as we like anything else about the process. I think it’s really nice to be able to do stuff like that because we love it and if people like the music we’re making I assume they would like it too.
Henry: In the words of Walt Disney, ‘Never underestimate an instrumental track.’
As you’ve been explaining about the new material, will we be hearing any new tracks tonight? A track called ‘Wastelands’ maybe?
Felix: No comment.
Tom: No comment.
Will: Working title, no comment.
Joe: Working title.
Will: Final title, absolutely. It just goes to show you never can tell. As Walt Disney said, ‘You gotta get up, you gotta keep running wild.’
Will this be your last tour for a while then?
Will: Ever!
Joe: I don’t know about a while. We want to release music and we want to keep going. We don’t want to be a band that just releases an album every two to three years and then you don’t hear about them, then they tour the festival circuit, do one tour and then disappear again. We want to be releasing music, we want to be touring. We’re setting ourselves a challenge of saying that this is our last tour and then go away, finish another wicked album so we can get back out and tour as soon as possible. We love it and we also love writing.
Will: We’re also kind of getting bored of these songs so we want to write some new ones.
Felix: It’s funny you say that because I listen to ‘Noah’ everyday. It’s my alarm and my go to bed alarm. To wake up in the morning it’s ‘Good Morning’.
Will: You have a different track alarm for every hour of the day and then you’re like, ‘I missed that one!’ Seriously, we do want to be one of those bands like Bombay Bicycle club who have an album out almost every year. It’s a challenge but it’s also an effective way of staying relevant. We just want to go, ‘that one’s done, here’s our new album, it’s only been a year since we released the last one.’ We just want to keep releasing music.
Felix: If people think that’s too much music for a year then they can go away!
Joe: If we’re being totally honest, we’re well aware that some of the things we needed with this album to be able to push on and get where we want to be didn’t happen. However, whilst we’ve got fire in our belly over that kind of stuff why don’t we write and record and do some really cool stuff, rather than just being bitter and not doing anything for ages.
Felix: I’m not bitter, I listen to ‘Noah everyday!
The Zoo by Swedish-American band FEWS is irresistible from the get-go. A classic pounding bass riff aided and abetted by simple driving drums provides the basis for the sinister and spacey guitars to create a dark, unsettling yet spacious atmosphere. The reverb drenched shoegaze style moaning vocals sustain this feeling, before the yelped ‘Time! Is! On! My! Side!’ refrain further paints an ominous picture of whatever mysterious ‘Zoo’ the title relates to…
Easy comparisons can be made to Joy Division or Interpol in the suffocating production style, or to Kid A era Radiohead (think ‘The National Anthem’) with respect to the bludgeoningly repetitive and strident guitar-line, coupled with eerie synthetic noises popping in and out. FEWS were discovered and produced by acclaimed producer Dan Carey, from which you can hear influences from previous projects Bat For Lashes in the off-kilter vibe, and Django Django in the relentless rhythms.
Alternative rock band VANT have unveiled the video to accompany their new single 'Parking Lot'. With a chorus that's so catchy that you can sing along immediately, this track is one that will be on repeat in your head for a long time. After performing a remarkable set at Reading and Leeds festival this year (ending with a crowd-surf from frontman Mattie), there is no doubt that there are massive things ahead for this band.
You can catch VANT this week on the DIY Presents Neu tour with The Big Moon and INHEAVEN. Following this, they will be embarking on their own headline UK tour visiting numerous cities including Cardiff, York, Cambridge and Bath. Be sure to catch this incredible band while you can!
Essex five-piece Nothing But Thieves claimed their moment in the Radio 1 Live Lounge today with an outstanding cover of Birdy classic, 'Wings'. The alternative rock band managed to present their own twist of the usually quiet, but powerful track. Lead vocalist Conor proved to show the capability of his range. With beautiful effortless notes into the higher octaves it is clear that he has an undoubtedly unique talent. Although the band are used to playing heavier tracks, the calmness and eeriness of this cover gave a whole new dimension to their sound. The element of faint guitar parts in the first section of the song ensured that the ultimate climax of the track would be even more effective than anticipated later on, with an epic, heavier feel being revealed later on, as well as the classic Nothing But Thieves sound being brought back in.
The variation of styles throughout the cover show us again that this band are extremely talented and competent at bringing exceptional musical arrangements to the table. Nothing But Thieves are releasing their debut album on 16th October and will be heading out on a headline UK tour in late October/November. They also announced today on Radio 1 that they will be touring in February 2016 as well! Catch them at a city near you while you can!
Irish artist Hozier has launched Radio 1's Even More Music Month with an incredible groovy cover of Sam Smith's usually calm ballad "Lay Me Down." Hozier does not cease to disappoint, with his rich, soulful vocals taking control of the melody, the track is already given more of an energetic feel. The driving bass and continuous drum beat keep the rhythm section on point, allowing the gospel choir to provide exceptional backing vocals at the chorus.
Hozier has once again managed to turn a hit single into his own unique masterpiece, proving himself to be the very talented musician that he is. The artist has also announced a UK tour which will take place in early 2016, with tickets on general sale on Friday 4th September.
The Hubbards are a band who, so far, have gone under the radar. Hailing from Hull, this four-piece band have consistently released great indie music, but unfortunately, these great songs have fallen mostly on deaf ears.
This is 'Free', The Hubbards' newest single. Thankfully, it's as good as their previous work.
'Free' is a slow builder, but this slower tempo helps to emphasize the wonderful vocals. The lead singer has a wonderful, unique voice and the backing vocals are equally impressive. That's not to say that's all to be impressed with - the music is well paced, and when it comes to the chorus, atmospheric and powerful.
This is a deceptively evocative piece of music, with it's crashing drums, haunting harmonies and honest lyrics. On first listen, it's another piece of good indie music. On the third or fourth, it's a stirring, emotive song full of honesty and atmosphere.
Give 'Free' a listen, and if you like that, 'Is It Me' and 'Dog Bite' are recommended by The Hubbards, who we're hoping will have a break-through this year. 'Free' is, true to it's name, a free download.
Glasgow outfit Holy Esque have just dropped their new track 'Fade' and it's set to be a bitter-sweet anthem for summer.
'Fade' comes from the forthcoming EP 'Submission' which is due for release on 17th July. Fans can also be treated to a video that accompanies the band's new track. It's been a while since we heard from the band but it looks like there may well be an album planned around the corner!
You can pre-order the Submission EP here and get an instant download of 'Fade'. You can also catch the band live at the following dates:
July 17th - Art School, Vic Bar, Glasgow August 4th - The Social, London August 5th - Old Blue Last, London
A huge stage, a silver piano, a laser light show and thousands of people getting out of their minds, losing themselves in a wide spectrum of excellent music. Muse don't seem to do things by halves. Presenting their new LP "Drones" on stage for the first time, they spared no effort in performing an unforgettable show. Matt Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard got through their first proper festival appearance of the summer with grandiose, incredible and epic success. The opener "Psycho", the first of four new "Drones" songs, warmed up the crowd before Muse played a song every fan knows by heart: "Supermassive Black Hole". At this point everyone realised that Muse are at their best and an amazing concert would follow. The crowd went wild and you could see Matt Bellamy enjoying his time on stage. Lights turned the dark sky into a blinking disco ball and a huge video screen showed everyone how much soul the band were putting into their performance. As if this wasn't enough, the absolute head-shaking songs "Dead Inside" and "Resistance" swept over the stadium like a hurricane. The strong, emotional voice of Bellamy squealing "Madness" seemed to outbid everything before that. By this point even the last few people sitting on their seats had jumped up to enjoy the spectacle which had been offered to some 40,000 fans. "Newborn" and "Mercy" knocked spots of the previous show effects. Giant balloons and confetti cannons exceeded everyone's expectations. A gathering storm couldn't stop the crowd from expressing their enthusiasm towards the British rock-icons. The night closed with the world premiere of Muse's own interpretation of JFK and the hymns "Uprising", "Starlight" and "Knights of Cydonia". The unexpected ending of this phenomenal concert - which can be deemed a masterpiece - leaves behind a feeling of sadness. Hoping more will get the chance to enjoy a piece of high class rock music it only remains to say that it had been a great evening with a lot of delighted fans and a rock band who managed to produce a satisfying prelude to their previous European Tour.
Formed in a warehouse in late 2013, Only Shadows have been described by the likes of Amazing Radio as "One of the UK's brightest hopes for guitar music", and the band have in their very short life span supported the likes of Coasts, Saint Raymond & Mercury nominee Ghost Poet. After we heard one of their initial demos we liked what we heard and we were yearning for more, and last year saw their first EP, but today we've got the exclusive stream of their new track "Let Your Guard Down" from their forthcoming EP - "The Start".
Having already introduced you all to them before, the band has since changed sound slightly and replaced a member or two, but they've still got the likes of Hollyoaks, Amazing Radio and some of the hottest bands around asking them to come on tour, it's only going to be a matter of time before these guys are selling out some big shows of their own. They're on tour with Young Kato in April too! With the track exploring a few sub-genres in it's 3 and a half minutes, this certainly shows the band off well, you've got the fun and bouncy Indie-Pop in the first third, then it takes a turn into something a little heavier, maybe comparable to Biffy Clyro's latest work. The song ends in a wash of rushing guitars and certainly makes us want more!
For fans of // Editors, Biffy Clyro, The Pigeon Detectives, Wolf Alice
Bucks bred band Middle Distance have supplied another offering for daily download. This time in the form of, 'Same Time Next Week'.
The track comes from their debut EP, 'Don't Leave Home', which also features previous daily download, 'Your Honour'. Despite them labelling themselves as 'alternative rock/emo' this is a much lighter side to their music and provides the catchiest chords on their EP.
They've also released a fresh video for 'Same Time Next Week' to go along with it, which you can view below:
You can catch the band playing these venues below:
Coquin Migale are a fairly unknown entity and seem keen to keep it that way with a mysterious yet gripping second EP, that fuses together ends of the musical scale, piece by piece.
The Newcastle quartet seem to thrive off their ability to inter-weave in and out of varying melodies. One minute they're not far off the tight, picky riffs of Foals in 'Gold' and 'Socotra', then the next they verge a nose dive towards the depths of heavy metal. The reverb of the electric guitar is the one constant, which strikes a strong chord throughout the EP, taking minimal breaks in 'Interlude' for a bombardment of hefty drums.
'Gold' throws back similarities to previously released track, 'Icarus', in the way it could integrate three different songs into one. However, 'Paris' is as strange as Coquin Migale go, toying with various speeds and rhythms throughout which could be mistaken for being chaotic. Starting with ghostly vocals and ending with a gentle jam, its brief but erratic guitar shred in the middle sounds like an early Bloc Party and The Editors gathering as they bond over speed.
For all the different influences etched into the EP, final track 'Socotra', brings another into the frame with the rowdy indie-rock chorus fitting in nicely with the more raucous sounds from B-Town bands, Jaws and Peace. The climax of the EP ends in a way that the band have become accustomed to; with a heavy whirlwind of riffs. If there's one thing to be said about Coquin Migale, it would be that it's hard to put your finger on exactly what they're all about. Whatever it is though ought to be burrowing through the obscurities and turning heads their way.
Coquin Migale - F E E L Out of 10: 7/10 By Josh Shreeve
This week's daily download comes from one of the freshest bands around. Not only did they put the song out there just a few days ago, but it's their debut single, and a promising one at that.
'Your Honour' comes off the Buckinghamshire band's debut EP, 'Don't Leave Home', which comes out on 15th December. We're loving their fresh sound, with a fusion of darker, grungey tones, heavily influenced by the likes of Modern Baseball, and counter-balanced by the equally moody, but technically beautiful Morrissey-style vocals. The alternative-rock riffs and catchy vocals will be left ringing in a bitter-sweet rhythm around your head.
The band have also released a video to accompany the song through a rare 90s camcorder, check it out below, and grab your free download of the track on the band's soundcloud!
If you wanna praise a band who sounds excactly like Queens Of The Stone Age but without that prickHomme, you gonna find the way to listen to Rebel Squad. The opening track holds on a dancy middlepart within some classic standart riffs. Nothing special, but sometimes you don’t search fort he special moment, you just want to listen easely and chilled. The mild taste of the following tracks „Sea“ and „Wasteland“ are super-choired pieces on where you can find some melancholy. Technically it isn’t a fully wasted album but it has it’s pieces on where your ears might get bored and numb of it.
If the band gets the chance to work with another producer on where he hopefully puts some more dimension and pronounciationfocus, they surely can hit the other 30% I’m missing on it’s rather Heavy Rock Alternative cloud on where they’re hovering. It seems to me the band has so much punch to proceed, but they still hit the wall. Now the last piece „Turning them into the right direction“ is missing, I’m sure they will find the last puzzlepieces to get more reflection. You will get better by time not by 1000 tries. That’s what John Lennon said. If not, I still don’t care, as I’m a free person. Like Rebel Squad – Dear RS: Show what you got. I know there is more.
