Home Counties - Mush - Minor Moon - The Mandevilles
Home Counties release their new single "Modern Yuppies", the first of two self-produced singles to be released via Alcopop! Records – following hot on the heels of the band’s debut EP ‘Redevelopment’ which arrived in September 2020.
“Modern Yuppies”, premiered earlier today on Matt Wilkinson's Apple Music 1 show, sees the band move away from the indie guitar-laden sound of their debut EP, and instead embrace their playful aptitude for synth-driven, post-funk hooks.
Speaking on the shift in direction, singer Will Harrison commented: "Synths and drum machines were already something we were very keen to explore and 2020 provided us with an unexpected amount of free time to experiment. We dialled the disco influences up to the max and totally embraced that 70’s-cop-drama vibe for this pair of stand-alone singles. It feels like a bold declaration of who we are and it definitely gives a clearer taste of where we’re heading for our next EP”.
Since forming in January 2020, the band have distinguished themselves as a key act to watch, with radio support from Huw Stephens and Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1), Amy Lame and Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music) and Matt Wilkinson (Beats 1), along with press support from DIY Magazine, Loud & Quiet, NME, Clash Magazine, So Young Magazine, YUCK, Gigwise and more.
With regards to the single’s lyrical content, Will commented: “The song is a comparison between the young urban professionals of the 1980s to those of today. It discusses the differences, the way that arrogance and conservatism have made way for self-doubt and socially ‘liberal’ political positions. Ultimately however, they are both plagued by the same condition - of constantly needing more.”
“Modern Yuppies” provides an exciting first glimpse of a band evolving beyond their indie roots by combining their aptness for angular guitar work with a more flamboyant sonic vision that somehow sounds eccentrically retro whilst being bizarrely surrealistic.
Home Counties are: Will Harrison (vocals/guitar), Conor Kearney (guitar/vocals), Barn Peiser Pepin (synth/percussion/vocals), Sam Woodroffe (bass/synth) and Dan Hearn (drums).
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Leeds-based art-rock trio, Mush who are releasing their new single "Seven Trumpets" – it's the latest to be lifted from their new album, Lines Redacted which drops on Feb 12 via Memphis Industries.
Lines Redacted sets a different tone from their 2020 debut, 3D Routine (tipped in Rough Trade's Best Albums of 2020 and at Stereogum, BBC 6, Loud & Quiet, Uncut, Q, Paste, DIY, etc) – the first record was very much a product of its environment – in part sculpted by the band's often fraught live shows with Girl Band, The Lovely Eggs and Stereolab – looking to weigh in on the very real socialist option that was on the table in the UK at the time, this new one is something of the present-day dystopia, documenting the redacted and confusing environment that we now live in. We announced the record in November 2020 with the first single "Blunt Instruments" which had some nice tips at NPR, The Line of Best Fit, Brooklyn Vegan, Alt Citizen, Loud & Quiet, etc – it also bagged the 6 Music playlist and was tipped by Jack Saunders at Radio 1 (tipped the band as his "Next Wave").
Dan Hyndman, the main songwriter of the band, has written the album – dubbed a "Manifesto for Misinformation" – as something of a loose concept record with several protagonists telling different dystopian tales across its 12 tracks. It poses as a sarcastic reflection on the world around us using cynicism as a form of coping mechanism with a razor-sharp. Despite zero opportunity to tour this year, Mush have remained prolific releasing a duo of EPs and now two albums in just under a year with this latest record finding Lee Smith (The Cribs, Pulled Apart By Horses) tackling mixing duties.
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Minor Moon--the Chicago-based folk rock / alt-country / cosmic Americana group led by multi-instrumentalist Sam Cantor--will release Tethers, their third full length album, on March 26 via Ruination Record Co. & Whatever's Clever.
Tethers came out of a period of upheaval for Cantor, a time where he had to confront uncomfortable personal realities. Following the disorienting dissolution of a long-term relationship, he sought help from regular therapy sessions and the wisdom of close friends and family, and slowly gained some clarity and steady footing. This process led to Cantor constructing a psychedelic and knotty sci-fi world in his lyrics in order to write about what he was going through with more freedom and imagination. "Minor Moon songs have always had this arc of discovery and I've always used them as a way to dive into really personal, philosophical, or emotional problems," says Cantor. "It's about finding some truth looking inward."
"No Lightning Fix," out today, serves as a thesis statement for Tethers, as the song's narrator finds himself lost in a spiritual purgatory with no obvious way out. Accompanied by intricate fingerstyle guitar and warm-hued swells of organ, steel guitar, and backing vocals, the narrator accepts that there is no easy solution to their quandary--"no lightning fix," that is--before the track zig-zags into a Ry Cooder esque choogle and fades away to watery strings. Featuring V.V. Lightbody on backing vocals and Macie Stewart (of Ohmme) on violin, "No Lightning Fix" is an instance of progressive songwriting and layered story-telling with an earthy, alt-country influenced palette of sounds.
Tethers will be released on March 26 on soft red vinyl, limited edition tapes and CDs, and on digital formats.
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It’s been more than five years since the release of our last record, Windows and Stones. We took our time because we wanted to. Sure, that sounds selfish and a bit self-indulgent, but it’s true. The songs on this record have been in the making for the better part of two years.
We cultivated such an amazing working and personal friendship with our co-producer Neil Morrissey, and his former bandmate Ryan Defoe over the last two years. The writing, recording, and production process has never felt so natural. Neil and Ryan’s style of writing and arrangement was very similar to ours, so it was an instant connection.
This record features a lot of experimentation. We got to stretch our repertoire out and really get to use everyone’s abilities in a way that we haven’t before. The songs really came to life because nobody knew what was about to happen. You’ll hear a difference, but know that everything you hear was thought of, and is there because we wanted it to be.
We’ll be releasing tracks from the album with a still-to-be-determined release date for the rest of the record.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Serena, Dan, Nick, Brett, and Taylor
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