Pale Blue Eyes - Lucigenic
Pale Blue Eyes’ excelsior modernist pop music is rooted in Devon and Sheffield. The group’s debut album, Souvenirs – out September 2 – brims with the influence of both the Steel City – home of British electronic music – and the psychedelic Southwestern greenery that surrounds the band at their South Devon HQ. The album will be released by the Full Time Hobby label.
Souvenirs was recorded in PBE’s own Penquit Mill studio, just south of Dartmoor, the studio having been funded by a bank loan and endless part-time jobs. PBE are the couple Lucy and Matt Board, crucially aided by Motown-mad bassist Aubrey Simpson. Matt (vocals/guitar) and Lucy (drums/electronics) met at Dartington Art College in South Devon, a storied establishment that’s been enlivened over the years by people including Igor Stravinksy, Yul Brynner and John Cage. Lucy’s dissertation was titled “An Investigation into Sheffield's Alternative Music Scene Between 1973 and 1978, with Particular Reference to Cabaret Voltaire.” The PBE album was mixed and mastered by Dean Honer (Eccentronic Research Council, Moonlandingz). Dean has been an integral part of Sheffield's electronic scene and has mixed artists including Róisín Murphy, The Human League and Add N To (X).
PBE’s 2021 self-released debut single Motionless/Chelsea was given much praise. MOJO: “A shimmering Kraut-rail trip to Asgard.” Louder Than War: “Astonishing… conducting Neu! on a ride to the far pop pavilions.” Follow-up single TV Flicker was playlisted at BBC 6 Music. Now, new single Globe continues the PBE singles trajectory, with a track named after a shared student house, in Totnes in Devon. Globe Cottage had previously been a pub, called The Globe.
“The single,” says Matt, “takes its name from this shared house me and Lucy lived in. The track is about a blissful time of parties, of not having a care in the world, all the characters than came and went over the years. The rent was so cheap, it all seemed so easy. The world has changed in the meantime… Rents have rocketed. Life for many people is now harder.”
The PBE album brims with a kind of elective positivity, as made clear when Matt lists the album’s themes: “Embracing good times, losing yourself in a moment of bliss when the world around you is going to shit… Processing and understanding loss and grief and using music as a vehicle to move on… Fighting against the mundane and not giving up on dreams… The pure joy of a good night out or a moment of being moved by a band or a piece of artwork or a great film… Making the most of the time you have.”
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With flecks of Patti Smith, Blondie and Belly, Mancunian post-punk group Lucigenic have shared their jubilant and driving new track “Joy”. Combining Lucy Davies compelling vocal delivery with dynamic and jangling alt-rock melodies and capacious choruses, “Joy” finds a hypnotic middle-ground between the gritty, overcast punk of earlier single “Still Breathing” and the chiffony dreamscapes on its predecessor “Hope”.
Inspired by the simple pleasures in life away from the desire for fame and veneration, “Joy” is the third of three tracks recorded by the alt-rock outfit in a session at Far Heath Studio. With production by esteemed producer Mike Bennett (The Fall, Fat White Family, Ian Brown) and Angus Wallace on engineering duties, the single is a scintillating slice of grunge-tinged bliss and is the title track from Lucigenic’s limited edition 10 inch vinyl EP set for release later this year.
Adding more sparks of electricity to an already glistening track, Lucigenic are joined by Mark Refoy (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3) on guitar and drumming legend Dave Barbarossa (Bow Wow Wow, Republica) whose unique style and drum beats lend perfect synergy to a punk-tinged track. Building up to a dynamic climax that nods to classic alt-rock whilst simultaneously carving out its own path, “Joy” is an adroit and exuberant cut from a band swiftly becoming masters of their craft.
Coming as a follow-up to the band’s debut EP ‘1’, released in 2020 and featuring tracks with Spencer Birtwistle (Intastella, The Fall) and original drummer Stewart Burnett (The Cheaters), “Joy” has gained early praise from Neil March (6 Music Introducing panel) who wrote on his blog Trust The Doc: “Nice reverberant production suits the guitar-driven style and big melody that fills the chorus. This is agreeably loud, melodic and bristling with energy and attitude. The Title is definitely appropriate”. With their next live show lined up for Liverpool’s Resistance Street Pro-Creative All-Dayer event on 1st May, Lucigenic also have new material and future collaborations in the pipeline, with more news to come…
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