Grieving - Smith & Thell - LuckyandLove - Paloma - Hayride Casualties

Grieving - Brian Emo.

Background - Grieving are a new band from Cambridge whose music is not as immediately morbid as their name might suggest. With a nod towards classic Dischord and anthemic late 90’s and early 00’s indie-rock and punk, their debut EP, released last year saw support from the likes of Stereogum, Alt Press, The FADER, DIY and Upset. 4 of those 5 songs went on to see plays at either BBC Radio 1 or 6 through Huw Stephens, Dan P Carter and Tom Ravenscroft.

After short tours with The New Tusk and Tellison and dates with the likes of Sorority Noise and Muncie Girls, the band have spent the first part of this year writing and recently recorded with Bob Cooper (Citizen, Nai Harvest, Self Defense Family) at his Crooked Rain Studios in Leeds. Ahead of a debut album planned for later this year, the band today release the first of these new tracks - Brian Emo - and will follow up with more new material in June / July. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

We featured Grieving three times in 2016 and with the new song 'Brian Emo' the band continue to impress. Their brand of indie meets punk is oh so, "in your face" and yet just so appealing. Heart and passion in bucket loads!

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Smith & Thell - Toast.

Background - Swedish duo Smith & Thell release bluegrass-inspired new single  "Toast" , alongside debut album "Soulprints".

"Toast" is an organic tribute to celebrating all aspects of life, is driven by an arsenal of hand-clapping and choir style vocals. the single is quite personal, an ongoing theme with Smith & Thell - the first verse is Maria singing to her mother about how she must be able to experience joy despite the grief she had to live with throughout her life. The second verse is about Victor's father leaving the family when Victor was only a few years old.

"We’ve spent the past two and a half years working on “Soulprints”. It's not just a collection of twelve songs, it is bits and pieces of ourselves and all the ups and downs we have experienced in life. We dug deep into our past trying to find closure and healing, and realized along the way that in order to heal, we had to accept and embrace our emotions, instead of hiding them. “Soulprints” is a celebration of all the emotions that make us human. This album is a true window into our soul and we are so excited to finally share it with you" - Smith & Thell. 

The pair have emerged as two of the most successful new songwriters and producers out of Sweden during the last year or two. With over 20 gold and platinum records to their name for other artists, and over 200 million streams to date, they have been slated as Sweden's "Of Monsters and Men" equivalent, after releasing upbeat, folky pop singles "Statue" and "Row" last year.Website here, Facebook here.

'Toast' is one of twelve songs on the brand new 'Soulprints' album. This really is a fabulous collection of material that might loosely be described as indie pop. In reality I think it is fair to say the album is considerably more than just that. Comprised of melodic and catchy tracks, where both the vocals and musical arrangements are pristine. A sense of natural passion and commitment is there throughout, to say this pair know how to write a fine song, really is, an understatement.

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LuckyandLove - Digging in the Earth.

Background - Los Angeles-based duo LuckyandLove have announced they will release their debut album ‘Lucky + Love’ on June 30. The lead single is ‘Digging in the Earth’, the video for which was directed and edited by cinemaphotographer and animator Steve Barron. 

These 8 electrified tracks were written when bandmates Loren Luck (drums, synths) and April Love (vocals, keyboards, guitar) were living next to a noisy construction site in Glendale, California. Here they successfully incorporate synth-heavy bass with polyphonic harmonies and crystalline vocals, propelling the music into trance-inducing territory.

Inspired by artists such as New Order, OMD, Depeche Mode, Washed Out, Tycho, PJ Harvey and Cocteau Twins, their sound falls beautifully into an everyman’s land between electro rock, dream pop, electronica and synth gaze. Justifiably also described as electrowave or indietronica, this music has, in the words of Loren Luck, “lots of LFO, riveting arpeggiations, simultaneous solos via spacey square waves, with April's smoky vocals”. 

This record is an electronic music record, but comes from a more traditional place, where OMD or Kraftwork came from – one of an unsampled, unprogrammed live recording originally at 192kHz/24-bit quality.

“Musically, as much attention was paid sonically to the organic moog instruments as April’s voice, and we offered the analog synths space in the songs to breathe to their true dynamic potential,” says Loren Luck. Website here, Facebook here.

Taken from the debut album ‘Digging in the Earth’ typifies the rich synthy sounds that exude across the collection. Atmospheric vocals and rhythmic vibes add more, despite the influences cited above, the duo carve out some desirable and distinctive songs with enough originality to claim for themselves.


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Paloma - Fish.

Background - Paloma have shared new track "Fish". The band explains that the song is "a simple piece of art dedicated to an old yet valuable friendship, stay tuned for the LA-psych band's forthcoming new EP, Luna, out soon. 

Paloma was born of the struggle to navigate the harrowing societal construct typical of suburban Los Angeles. It is the answer for learning to balance the need to make ends meet while expressing the irrepressible creativity brooding inside. The band officially began in a small bedroom studio with several ideas being deconstructed over and over again as every artist can relate to. It wasn’t until Nick and Victor invited the masterful keyboardist and local legend Steven Doman to the studio that the band finally grasped the scope of their newly created sound. In a place where one’s inherent value is often picked apart according to attributes of wealth and beauty, Paloma is truly an escapist’s musical paradise.

Luna is a (Tim Burton meets the Future of the Malibu) five track EP. The second release from Paloma is a Gothic blend consisting of psychedelic dance grooves with swampy, sad and warm melodies. It’s perfectly confused. The record was deeply influenced by various sounds born in Southern California as well as ‘Around the World’. Paloma draws inspiration from artists such as: Beach House, Daft Punk, The Weeknd, Tame Impala, Pond, Gum, Dumbo Gets Mad, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, The Beatles & Earth Wind and Fire.

"We wanted the record to fully express the feeling of living in California," the band says of the EP, "From the mountains of Malibu driving on Mulholland to the Tents surrounding 6 the street in Downtown LA. Hell, even all the people living in their vans on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood. We have love for them all. We (Paloma) produced ‘Luna’ alongside Bob Curtin who engineered, mixed and mastered the record in Simi Valley, CA." Paloma is Victor Martinez, Steven Doman, and Nick Mariotti. Facebook here.

Psychedelic in a more refined manner 'Fish' is an addictive song, where the vocals and rhythm are hard to ignore and an underlying funk feel makes the track even more enticing.

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Hayride Casualties - The Catskills Ain't for Sale.

Background - A fresh wave of passion, energy and change is coming - and NYC's Hayride Casualties is at the forefront. Driven and defined by the political and ecological crises of our age, they're taking a stand against climate change, greedy corporations, and political discord. Their single "The Catskills Ain't for Sale" takes on the first battle. The song is a punchy, playful dedication to mountain communities in upstate New York and elsewhere, fighting to protect their home turf from fossil energy extraction and pipeline development.

Despite the tune’s hippie rock spirit, its battle cry is far from drug-induced or aimless. Instead, it delivers a cutting rebuke of the Big Oil and Gas industries’ attempts to coerce disadvantaged rural communities. As the first verse states:

You can offer job creation
You can promise reparations
Your shareholders have been patient
But the Catskills Ain’t for Sale

Momentum builds after the first chorus as a vintage organ and fuzzy lead guitar join in this thoughtfully arranged march for clean water and air. DeWald penned "The Catskills Ain’t for Sale" while volunteering with New York’s anti-fracking groups, part of a larger national movement which gained widespread attention with the help of Josh Fox’s 2010 documentary, Gasland. Although some time has passed since then, the lyrical matter finds itself, in many ways, more relevant than ever. DeWald explains how he's been personally impacted, “I have spent a lot of time in the Catskills, in the Shandoken Valley, and I have close friends up there. When I thought about my friends being bullied by these big corporations, I got really angry. I think the song reflects that.” 

Given the single’s politically charged and controversial subject matter, the vibe is refreshingly lightweight, delivered with a tongue-in-cheek bravado that demonstrates DeWald’s breadth of vocal performance styles. With fierce guitar licks, a driving rock rhythm and focused message, "The Catskills Ain’t For Sale" is a three and half minute fireball for the indie rock listener in search of music that reflects the ecological and political crises of our time.

"The Catskills Ain't for Sale" comes as the first single off Hayride Casualties upcoming release, Fossil Fuel Kid, out June 9, 2017.  It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Behind the Curtains Media studio (link) by Michael Abiuso (formerly The Venetia Fair). A number of guest musicians contributed to the record, including drummer Tim McCoy (Darwin Deez, Field Mouse, formerly Savior Adore) and bassist Chris Bordeaux (formerly The Isles and Rahim). Facebook here.

Spirited vocals and a potent beat drive 'The Catskills Ain't for Sale' forward. With intelligent lyrics and a message that is emphatically delivered, it's very pleasing to note that, the rock'n'roll vibe is also up for the task!

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Five For You: Palace - Grieving - Divan - Ofelia K - NervousTwitch

Palace - Have Faith.

Background promo - Palace's latest release ‘Have Faith’ is the second track to be taken from their hugely anticipated debut album ‘So Long Forever’. According to the band the song, “plays with the idea of a kind of self analysis of one's emotional strength, but it's also addressed to someone else. It's that need to find a foundation of confidence and belief so that you can both grow as people - that you need to be strong for each other, and not self sabotage yourself on a daily basis. It's the everyday struggle to find strength based on a lack of faith.”

Palace’s first show of 2016 was at the ICA in June and, just like their show at Scala last October, sold out at speed. They have just announced a November UK tour to coincide with the release of ‘So Long Forever’ on 4th November that includes a London date at Brixton Electric on 23rd November. Full details below. Ahead of this they will be playing Reading & Leeds festivals.

They began writing ‘So Long Forever’ last autumn in The Arch - a creative nerve centre in deepest, darkest Tottenham packed with young artists, designers and musicians. It has been produced by Adam Jaffery (Beach Baby, Dev Hynes, Francis Lung) and mixed by Cenzo Townshend (The Maccabees, Florence + the Machine, Wild Beasts). The album artwork - as with all previous artwork - has been painted by Wilm Danby.

In late 2014 Palace released their debut EP ‘Lost in the Night’, which garnered an overwhelming amount of critical and fan support, with the NME proclaiming, “the award for the fastest rise of 2014 goes to Palace.” 2015 saw them embark on two UK and European tours that book-ended the release of their second EP ‘Chase The Light’, which received continued support from Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and Annie Mac, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq and Radio X’s Georgie Rogers, Maz Tappuni, John Kennedy and Jo Good. They spent last summer in a whirlwind of festival performances including Live at Leeds, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Blissfields, Kendall Calling, Green Man and Bestival, to name just a few. Palace are Leo Wyndham (guitar, vocals), Rupert Turner (guitar), Will Dorey (bass) and Matt Hodges (drums).

Live Dates:
27th Aug - Reading - Reading Festival
28th Aug - Leeds - Leeds Festival
21st Nov - Brighton - Patterns
22nd Nov - Bristol - Exchange
23rd Nov - London - Brixton Electric
24th Nov - Leeds - Belgrave Music Hall
25th Nov - Manchester - Deaf Institute
26th Nov - Glasgow - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.

'Have Faith' is an exceptionally refined song. It's melodic, with both the vocals and the bands music, sounding polished and very natural, something quite amazing for a band who only released their debut EP in late 2014. I'm highly impressed.

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Grieving - Warmest Jets.

Background -  Grieving are a new, unsigned band from Cambridge, playing direct, twisting art-punk. Their first demo was debuted by tastemakers The Fader in March and their second track - the raw, dual vocalled post-hardcore / 90's indie-rock of "Ownership" - saw them pick up their first Radio 1 play from Dan P Carter. Their third track, the more direct and anthemic sounds of "My Friend, The Ghost", saw support from Huw Stephens on Radio 1.

Earlier this month they debuted "Little Armoured", the title inspired by a book of poetry by Rebecca Perry, a leftfield track, off-kilter in places and melodic in others. Showing once more a diverse set of influences at work here, it takes another sharp turn in its final third. Their fifth and final track from “Demonstrations”, the brief, melodic rush of “Warmest Jets” was debuted today on Punktastic.

The band have played their first shows over the last three months, alongside the likes of Tellison, the much buzzed about Muncie Girls and Three Trapped Tigers and have recorded five songs as an EP release, "Demonstrations", on July 29th. They join The New Tusk and Pet Grief for a handful of tour dates in late September and will announce further shows for November in the coming weeks.

In debt to the likes of Les Savy Fav, Television, Spy Versus Spy, Bear vs Shark, Dismemberment Plan, Fugazi and elsewhere the lo-fi pop and fully charged punk of Guided By Voices, Pylon, Samiam, The Lemonheads, Bob Mould etc.

August 04 London The Lexington w/ Young Legionnaire & USA Nails
August 15 London The Old Blue Last w/ Cassels & So-Crates

September 22 Norwich Gringos w/ The New Tusk, Pet Grief & Algae Bloom
September 23 Cambridge The Blue Moon w/ The New Tusk & Pet Grief
September 24 Brighton The Green Door Store w/ The New Tusk, Munez & Pet Grief
October 30 Norwich Podstock @ The Owl Sanctuary

Grieving have been featured by Beehive Candy twice this year already, so perhaps regular readers may think I have some bias towards the band. Well last time I thought to myself, that's enough for this year, and then they come up with another song, that I cannot help but feature. Obviously there is something that really connects with myself, maybe it's the raw, genuine and passionate feeling, that is just so rock'n'roll.

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Divan - Shards.

Background - Their music; all pulsating rhythm, soaring vocals and oscillating guitars, draws on a rich tapestry of styles and sounds, which evolves into a real statement of intent: the desire to understand art and its relevance in modern life.

 Singer, Jamie Clarke writes: 'I think always having an innate desire to surround yourself with activity & action when all you've known is peace & tranquillity comes out in our music. It draws me to people, and also to the art that I love.' The lyrical narrative in Modern Knowledge weaves its way through such themes, affecting not just today's artists and creators but everyone that, like Jamie, is drawn to the bustle of something more than what was known...

From experimenting with accessible but unusual time signatures in ‘Shards’ to exploring vulnerability both lyrically and vocally in ‘A Clarity Appears’, the heart and soul that runs through this record is achieved via subtle nods to the likes of Radiohead, The National and Richard Hawley, as well as the band’s own profound voice and subject matter.

There are mournful sparks of looped piano from Brent (Knopf) in ‘Darkened Room’ and dark melodies inspired by the encompassing warmth of Sufjan Stevens…while front man Clarke’s subtly reedy voice is reminiscent of Benjamin Gibbard in his more delicate moments. Major chords are utilised to strengthen the depths alongside jolting, haunted stabs of guitar and the end result is compelling, intense and overwhelmingly thoughtful; demanding repeated listens.

We featured Divan just over a month ago, and so far I have just loved everything I have heard by the band. I guess the Irish musical styling is a key part, however the band put a very definitive slant on their songs, and are happy to test out ideas rather than just take the safe path.

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Ofelia K - Killing Me.

Background - Ofelia K.’s voice and compelling songs are worn down to perfection and balance wistful maturity with a certain earnest and eternally young expression.  Not quite pop, not quite anything else, the young singer-songwriter showcases her beautiful symmetry with her music somewhere between an unrepressed journal entry, a comforting arm around the shoulder and her smoky, shimmering glare, her eyes so knowingly staring into you. With spins from Annie Mac at BBC Radio 1, over 2 million Spotify plays, and features on multiple television shows, the world heard her starry eyed songs and asked for oh-so-many more. 

With her upcoming single release, "Killing Me," right around the corner this LA songstress once again sets her sights on capturing the public’s heart with her  tunes. As Ofelia herself mentions, “Killing Me is about the strange paradox that those who love you the  most can also hurt you the most. Loving deeply makes you vulnerable and the highs  and lows can be extreme.”  And with Ofelia K, you know that can only result in pure musical bliss.

'Killing Me' is getting considerable attention after just a few days, and that is not surprising, as this is a delightful and massively catchy song. Sometimes that's all that's needed!

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NervousTwitch - So Rock'n'Roll.

Background - Odd Box Records are re-issuing Nervous Twitch’s incredible LP Don’t Take My TV on vinyl for the first time, with an official release date of August 26th. Nervous Twitch are a Leeds based band who serve up “catchy, effervescent punk-pop” Louder Than War, one that’s angst-ridden and dining on an ode to Riot Grrl, surf and garage-rock.

Don’t Take My TV is the bands second album but comes from a pretty expansive back-catalogue of singles and EPs, one which has seen them acquire significant praise and a recent radio session onMarc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show. The band will be performing at this year’s Indietracks festival.

'So Rock'n'Roll' is the opening song, and one of eleven wonderfully punk pop tracks, on this first time on vinyl release. The featured song reminds me in part of Blondies first album, which remains my favourite, because it had a genuine rough around the edges feel to it. Likewise the Nervous Twitch album 'Dont Take My TV' has that vital ingredient for anything punk orientated, along with alot of enthusiasm and charm. Love It! 

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Friday Three: Oddity - Nevruary - Grieving

Oddity - Ghost.

Background promo - Chicago trio Oddity are gearing up to release their debut album ‘Settle Down’, produced by Steve Albini. Talking of the track, the band say; “We wanted to expand on our sound and with that I thought that our production had to be different,” explain the band. “As soon as we can up with the riff for ‘Ghost’ I knew immediately that this was the sound we wanted to go for.” ‘Settle Down’ is due for release on 24th June;

“Wind me up, push me around, just don’t tell me to settle down.” That’s the sound of singer Oscar Baker’s voice as it pulsates through the title track of Chicago-based alt-rock trio Oddity’s debut album, Settle Down. Guided by the prolific producer Steve Albini, who steers the band’s sound in line with his own masterful résumé, he pieces together the band’s understanding of their own history, while giving them space to envisage on their own where that history might lead them. “Why fly like a monster, when you’re moving like a dancer,” Baker sings as he inaugurates his listeners to these 11 tracks.

Oddity formed around January of 2012 under the name Fletcher and released two EP’s, Open Arms and Thundersteps, which helped to establish their serrated rock credibility with audiences and critics across the U.S. In the opening months of 2016, the trio decided to go in a different direction artistically, and this change in approach eventually prompted the name change. “We changed our name because we are reinventing our sound, so we’d thought we should reinvent ourselves,” front man Oscar Baker elaborated.

Nice and powerful indie rock, with a raw no nonsense feel, is how I would describe 'Ghost'. A foretaste of the new album which sounds like it going to be a feisty affair.

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Nevruary - The Runner.

Background bio - In place of a screaming guitar, insert a melodic bass. When you think the verse is building into a stadium anthem, relax & settle into a groove with a swirling falsetto vocal hook. This track has both electronic beats & acoustic drums, hard hitting lyrics & gentle melodies, piano riffs & mesmerizing synths, verses that resemble Rap countered by Soul-inspired choruses, thoughtful guitar playing, and tight harmonies. This is Nevruary: a band rooted in rock but not limited to the genre.

Since their formation in 2013, this Los Angeles foursome has released their phonetically self-titled debut album, (Nev-Rü-Air-Ee), performed extensively at clubs in & around Hollywood (House of Blues, Universal Studios, Vaucluse Lounge, Amplyfi), and have recorded their second album, “Noegenesis”, which is to be released in the spring of 2016. Nevruary is comprised of J.M. Long, Josh Pryer, Cal Pryer, and David Myers, Jr.

'The Runner' is my personal introduction to Nevruary. That it's catchy is stating the obvious with hooks a plenty, what's extra pleasing is the band not feeling the need for a dominant guitar sound and playing to their strengths instead. Nice intro, it will be interesting to hear more.


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Grieving - Ownership.

Background promo - Grieving are a new band from Cambridge, playing direct, twisting indie-punk. The band played their first shows over the last couple of months, alongside the likes of Tellison, the much buzzed about Muncie Girls and Three Trapped Tigers and have recorded six songs set for release as an EP release, "Demonstrations", in July. The band have said of "Ownership":

“This was a big shift musically from our first track, No Sleep, and I'm sure we'll take another shift on the next. There’s definitely a Dischord / Touch & Go feel to some of those guitars and any imperfections here are what makes it what it is. The vocals were done in one or two takes, and were the last to be put to tape of the six demos we recorded, so you can hear that rawness in there. There are some dark themes lyrically but then there’s melody and warmth too. Hooks will always be an important part of what we do."

The band will play the following dates w/
Post War Glamour Girls at The Corner House, Cambridge on 27th May
F A L L S at The Old Blue Last, London on May 30th.

Second time on Beehive Candy for Grieving having featured their first song share a few weeks back on the 3rd April. The band continue to impress with 'Ownership' demonstrating they are far more than a one trick pony. Plenty of energy again along with passion in the vocals and music. The EP is teasingly not out until July, by which time I reckon there will be considerable interest.

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Genre Mix Up: The Person & The People - Emily Rodgers - Grieving

The Person & The People - Hot Summer Nights.

Background bio - For nearly a decade The Person and The People have been a fixture in the Twin Cities’ “indie” scene and their experience is evident not only in their enchanting, nuanced live performances but also in their seemingly endless arsenal of catchy rock songs. Based on their past releases and their ability to navigate seamlessly from crunchy, beer-drinking guitar riffs to wistful ballads to angsty break-up songs, one can truly expect anything from their upcoming release Dark and Low.

The album promises to be collection of infectious melodies, dreamy hooks, punch-drunk guitar riffs, and sharp, relatable lyrics that poke fun at themes like society, love, and self-doubt. This creates delicate balance between everyday realism and confident farce. There are moments when we feel caught between the pull of the past and the promise of the future. Dark and Low stands on this precipice, draws a deep breath, and takes the next step. For The Person & The People, it’s fine. Album release date: Friday, April 22, 2016.

'Dark and Low' is a cracking album. 'Hot Summer Nights' the third of eleven tracks on the new release, is but a toe in the water of this fine collection of songs. The band crank things up on some songs, whilst on others there is a more leisurely and confident rock'n'roll swagger. But always there's the layered guitar riffs and melodies. If you like the featured track, I reckon you will be delighted with the album.

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Emily Rodgers - No Last Call.

Background promo - It’s clear from note one of Emily Rodgers’ new album, Two Years: she’s up to something a little different. Different from her past records, but different especially from so many of her contemporaries. In a world of indie-folk sameness, where epic and bombastic are the rule, Rodgers is deliberate and intense, quiet and bookish. And it's in its very quiet intensity that her music commands a listener’s full attention.

On paper, Rodgers’ music might seem like it would add up to folk or alt-country: A band with guitars, a pedal steel, some fiddles here and there. But on listening, you’re as likely to pick up on an undercurrent of shoegaze, chamber pop, even post-rock on Two Years. The violins oscillate under Rodgers’ melodies, more Dirty Three than country. The pedal steel soars. Rodgers’ voice, beautiful and world-weary, echoes.

On Two Years, her first album since 2009’s Bright Day, Rodgers worked with legendary producer Kramer, who was responsible for the sounds of first-generation shoegaze and slow-core innovators like Galaxie 500 and Low. (Kramer mixed and mastered Bright Day, and returned as producer this time around; he also produced two videos from the new album.) It’s fair to look at the album as a product of Rodgers’ unconventional writing -- she’s an English professor, and looks to literary sources for inspiration -- and Kramer’s sonic genius. Low comes to mind as a reference point; so does Tara Jane O’Neil.

That Two Years is her first recording in nearly seven betrays the fact that Rodgers isn’t rushing things. Song by song, she avoids the temptation to try to cram too many words into a phrase; there’s a deliberate confidence in her delivery. Rodgers takes her words seriously, and wants you to, too. (And not just her own words -- the album closes with a haunting, otherworldly cover of Neil Young’s “I Believe In You” that turns the original on its head.)

Make no mistake: Emily Rodgers’ songs generally aren’t happy. But in their contemplative melancholy, there’s a thread of fearlessness. Uplift and bombast may be the rage these days, but as Emily Rodgers makes clear, there’s something to be said for courage, contemplation and taking the time to let the words set in. Why create more of the same when something a little different can turn out this beautiful? Emily Rodgers "Two Years" (Misra Records) Release Date June 10th, 2016.

First of ten songs on the forthcoming album 'No Last Call' sets the standard on what is a treasure trove of beautiful songs. The songs don't so much switch across genres, but rather they melt them together. There is a feast of instruments, each one ideally suited for the melodies and the emotion of the songs. There may have been a lengthy gap since her last album, however if the material is going to be this good, then Emily Rodgers music is well worth the wait.

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Grieving - No Sleep.

Background promo - Grieving are a new band from Cambridge, playing direct, twisting indie-punk. The band played their first shows over the last couple of months, alongside the likes of Tellison and the much buzzed about Muncie Girls and have recorded six songs with Matty Moon (Bloody Knees, Lonely The Brave) set for release as a series of singles over the coming year.

In debt to the likes of Dismemberment Plan, Jets To Brazil, Drive Like Jehu and elsewhere the lo-fi pop of Guided By Voices, Bob Mould etc. you can hear the anxious, anthemic indie-punk of “No Sleep”.

Bassist Jack Hurst told The Fader: “No Sleep is one of the first songs we wrote as a band. It came together real naturally and I think we all knew when we left the rehearsal room with it finished that we had something there. Lyrically it’s about a previous bout of insomnia, how it can burden and disorientate you, especially as you get that little bit older and responsibilities weigh down on you further. There’s no time for a muddled head anymore. Zopiclone, referenced in the second verse, is a “nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent” according to Wikipedia. It works. Do not operate heavy machinery the next day.”

Straight down the line indie punk - no flowers in vases here, just good old honest bad attitude guitar riffs. Vocals give the song it's individual identity. A refreshing reminder that a few chords and plenty of energy can do wonders.

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