Reading-based alternative three-piece doops have released their new EP ‘deflections.’ In true doops manner, the band weaves their refined alternative indie into a first-rate tapestry of musical mastery.
Simmering in dark, ominous soundscapes, ‘The Things We Are,’ and ‘Shangri-La’ set the EP’s tone. Psychedelic, sweet, and shrouded in mystery, the band blend 60’s dreamy melodies with ethereal guitar and reverb vocals to create a whimsical intro before the tracks unfold into a punchy punk rock display. Almost rap-like vocals rapidly spit over rolling, fuzzed bass lines and snappy drums. There is a sense of innocence in ‘The Things We Are,’ which is enhanced by the vibrant instrumentation, whereas ‘Shangri-La’ takes on a more sultry tone. These two wonderfully dark tracks are meticulously layered and announce doops new EP with triumphant vigor.
Perhaps my favourite track on the album is ‘Loopholes’; deep brooding vocals croon over a building disoriented instrumental while a tearful guitar laments in the background. The guitar mirrors the lyrics’ theme of entrapment as it wriggles in panic through the chorus while the sweet melody and steady beat succumb to the hazy musical bewilderment.
Just as the ghostly waft of ‘Loopholes’ reaches a cinematic end, the brash drone of ‘Rehash’ enters like a fire-spewing demon of alternative rock. The buzzing on guitar builds, becoming more distorted and harsh as the bass stomps with destructive tendencies in the backdrop. The vocals are urgent and race with an echo of drama and mania as the track spirals to its explosive crescendo. The song is a mesmerising display of deft musicianship.
Filled with cinematic soundscapes and impressive guitar hooks, doop’s ferocious alternative sound is well crafted. They allow it to blossom and venture down a path of sweet psychedelia in ‘Pull Back The Shades’ before firmly wrenching it back into a shredding maelstrom of emotional chaos.
There is a residue of electronic dance within the haunting ‘F.W.W.M’ before the harrowing strides on guitar billow out into a more funk impulse. This lighter tone contrasts the haunting vocals and lyrics, “It’s killing me. Is it killing you. So who’s killing who”. Building to a compelling guitar solo, the track is a fantastic and prodigious finale to the EP.
doops have knocked it out of the park with ‘deflections’. The EP is a breathtaking display of proficient musicianship. The pacing, attention to detail, and sheer beauty within this EP is captivating. The songs are confident, slick, and riddled with tangled emotion. ‘deflections’ is a magnificent glimpse into the artistic mind of doops.
Leaving their identity aside to let the compositions’ introspective nature take the lead, ‘Unrest’ is the first installment of a series of EPs from the mysterious new ambient project known as indistinct voices over PA.
‘Unrest’ is a hypnotic and unique collection of experimental instrumental songs that display indistinct voices over PA’s profoundly evolving and ambient sound. The EP combines lush mystical soundscapes with ethereal synths, sustained tranquilizing notes, and reverb to create a lulling sense of calm through the title track ‘Unrest’ and a sinister sense of childlike innocence in ‘A beam of shadow.’ Underneath this calming yet uneasy atmosphere the EP exudes a dark horror movie undertone, ‘Wrecked Ship’ displays this perfectly as the track ripples in ominous synth vibrations and deep eerie rumbles.
The EP is a vast and cinematic listening experience. Each track lures you deeper into the dark and expansive world of ‘Unrest’. The layering and textures within are so precise it’s harrowing at times while revealing hidden tones, musical themes and sonics to entice the listener.
‘Unrest’ is an intriguing EP. indistinct voices over PA’ explore a unique world through this timeless creation which is seeped in ominous tones and mystery.
Since forming a little over a year ago, London’s desert-rockers The Howlers have quickly identified themselves as one of the UK’s must-see live acts. I caught up with frontman Adam Young to discuss the release of their upcoming EP and their UK tour set for the Spring.
The London-based three-piece have become known for their old school, gritty, desert sound reminiscent of Spaghetti Westerns. Their tracks feel like they could be the soundtrack to a Sergio Leone movie with an indie rock twist. Even their fashion sense reflects their musical style. An impressive impact to have for such a young band and movies is where this sound originated from.
“I don’t think it was a decision we made, it was natural to us. It was something that we were drawn to. We were all drawn to the iconography of the fashion and things like the 60s and 70s, and you know, spaghetti westerns are just comical and hilarious. It’s just the pageantry. When you watch a film like that, you know, that was filmed in the 60s and 70s, and it’s badly synced up with how the audio and the film is, and the story is rubbish. It’s almost like a parody of life. We really like the film scores from those movies, you know, Sergio Leone movies and Ennio Morricone soundtracks. They are just so emotive and we, as a band use our music to express how we’re emotionally feeling. We try and stay away from politics as much as possible because we think, every band at the moment thinks that to be a musician, you’ve got to be angry at the government. We’re all angry at the government, but people need a little bit of hope. So singing about, how we deal with our mental health or how we’ve gone through some of the most horrendous things we would never wish on anybody, I think is a refreshing take on it and so I guess it naturally falls into a sound that no one else is doing. Plus it’s pretty cool, to create an atmosphere on stage is a very hard thing to do. Everyone can go up there and jump around like they are at Wembley Stadium, but to create something that is emotive… bands like The Murder Capital, they do it amazingly well. They get on stage and express emotion in a very visceral way and I guess we’re trying to do that in a slightly different way.”
Snugly wrapped within this western – esque indie rock sound is the band’s emotive lyrics. The listener gets a glimpse of the pain and emotion Adam is working through. In particular ‘In My Apologies’ captures this perfectly.
“When it came to writing lyrics. Up until the more recent tunes that we’ve written which haven’t been released yet, they are being released in a couple of weeks, couple of months. I used to write by myself, I’m on the autistic spectrum, I have dyslexia and so how my brain works is a complete mess. I use songs as a way of expressing how my mind is just absolutely crushed or, you know, it’s quite a lonely place to be sometimes, and the boys often say that I pulled songs like ‘My Apologies’ and ‘County Lines’ out my ass. They just come out of nowhere but I just sort of walk into a room and go, what do you think of this I wrote this last night, and it was just one of those things.”
“Our songwriting, especially now, for the new material, we’ve taken the songwriting I had and was doing, and the rest of the boys have got involved as well and now it represents all of us and it is miles better. So, with ‘My Apologies’, I wrote that song the day before we recorded it in the studio and, I recorded it in one take. The lyrics came from a time in my life where I was realizing that I wasn’t happy and I met someone that changed my perspective of it and I gambled everything to chase that feeling. I wanted it to be quite raw. There’s a track that we’ve recorded that is as dark but I don’t know, sometimes I find it really hard to talk about my songwriting and art. I like for people to be able to just listen to it, feel moved in their own way. I think that’s quite important to let people understand our music differently.”
The Howlers have gained widespread praise from radio royalty, including BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, KEXP’s Cheryl Waters, and BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, Sophie K, and Huw Stephens. In under 10 months, all 3 of their singles debuted on BBC Radio 1. It’s a fantastic achievement for an unsigned band to get such recognition. However, it wasn’t easy. The band had a tough time and a lot of fast learning to do within the industry.
“Yeah, unfortunately, because we had a bit of success that obviously attracts the more horrible people in the industry and we’ve been through a lot. People took advantage of that and we’ve just recently got back to ourselves. We built a team around us now, the most amazing individuals. The achievements we have with no major label backing, you know, it is amazing, but we’re always striving for the next thing. We’re not egotistical, we don’t go ‘yeah we’ve had this, we’ve made it’. It’s almost like, ‘we’ve got it that’s good, let’s go bigger.’ We will put in a good show and we’ll come offstage and we’ll beat ourselves up for like 10 minutes going ‘Nah that’s rubbish’ and that’s how we keep moving forward. Some of the best shows we’ve ever played, some of the shows where we got some of the best opportunities we’ve ever had, we came off stage and were depressed for like 10 or 15 minutes. It was just one of those things where I think as a band we appreciate everyone’s time. We want to keep giving people something that they appreciate and the same with radio and stuff, it’s nice to have that recognition. “
Since the beginning of 2020, The Howlers have been working on a series of records with Theo Verney (Traams, Fur, Egyption Blue, Pip Blom) and Tarek Musa (Spring King) producing and mixing as well as Third Man Records (The Black Keys, YAK, Jack White) conducting the Mastering. This collection of tracks sees the band deal with some heavy topics through the wonderfully expressive musicianship the band is known for.
“To understand it a little better. I lost a family member to COVID-19. We dealt with it the only way we knew how to, which was to lock ourselves away in a North London factory, a windowless room and we just spent 9,10 hours a day in that room just writing music together expressing the grief and the emotion and helping us go through that period. It just happened to be at the same time that the Black Lives Matter protest was going on. So, we would go to and from the studio every day to sirens and chanting and people queuing outside shops in masks. It was this time when we realized we were going to be who we want to be and we just tore up everything and went ‘let’s be ourselves, let’s get back to being who we are’. We were already close anyway we’re unbelievably tight both as musicians and more like family than friends, we’re like brothers to each other, and the new tunes represent that. It is the first time that Cam helped with songwriting in terms of lyrical content. He writes poetry and I said let’s use some of your poetry. Let’s get it in there. It’s the first time that we worked on every bit of a song together. We are unbelievably proud of what we’ve done.”
“It follows the same line, what we’ve done before, same sort of sound, that desert-y sound. It has gone a little bit more, West Coast. So, you know bands like the Allah-Las, Night Beats, Black Keys, things like that. We’ve just gone, ‘you know what, f*ck it let’s just do our thing’ and from the demos that we created, we managed to get this team around us, which is unbelievable. I still pinch myself and go how the bloody hell did we get there. The tracks were mastered and worked on by Third Man Records in America and it was the same guy who did Jack White’s debut album, The Black Keys’ albums, The Kills and he’s working on our records and that’s amazing. So yeah, I think people are gonna like it. It is miles better than what we’ve done before. So if you like what we did before you can’t, not like it.”
With no live gigs 2020 was a challenging year. However, The Howlers have scheduled a UK tour this Spring. The prospect of seeing The Howlers live I’m sure has excited many, considering the band is at their most raw and compelling in a live setting. Although it’s difficult for Adam to be hopeful for the shows to go ahead.
“I mean, it’s definitely getting postponed. So, yeah, it WILL happen. When it will happen I don’t know, it’s probably gonna get postponed to the end of the year. All the tickets will remain valid because I think it’s right to honor the people that supported us when we really needed them to, but we’ll see. We are known as a live band and I’m buzzing to get back to it”
Adam explained the difficult times the band had within the industry with people mistreating them. It is a scary journey sometimes for a new band to find their feet. Budding artists don’t know much about management or the industry and that does leave them open to people taking advantage. From his experience, Adam gave advice for anyone who might like to pursue a career in the music industry.
“As a band, we’re not stupid. We’ve all studied music and we’re very clued on. Unfortunately, we have been through some stuff that made us very vulnerable and people took advantage of that and as a result, we’ve got ourselves out of those situations and now we’re back to what is important… us. My advice for an artist is, you don’t always need to have the big goals that people strive for like a label or a publisher or anything like that sometimes you can do things on your own. We’re very fortunate that we’ve got a really good publisher behind us and that’s all we need really at the moment. Be prepared for it to be shit. You know, we’re sold this Hollywood dream that it’s champagne and cocaine and it’s more like pot noodles and cans of coke. That’s literally it, it’s one of those things, but it’s the best experience you’ll ever have and it’s the best job in the world. I’m very fortunate. It comes with tears and breakdowns and unbelievable happiness and frustration, but at the same time, I wouldn’t change it for the world. So, yeah, I just advise people to know what they’re entering into, realistically.“
The Howlers create intoxicating tunes bursting from the seams with emotion. Blood, sweat, and tears go into every song to make the blistering, infectious desert-soaked sound we have come to love from the band. The upcoming EP is no exception. After listening, I was blown away by the band’s proficient musicianship. Keep an eye out for the upcoming EP. It’s a doozy.
Hopefully, the bands live dates can go ahead if so you can catch The Howlers Live at
Joe T. Johnson is back with his incredibly spectacular new music video for his single ‘FRIENDS’.In the past, Joe T. Johnson has performed at Glastonbury Festival 2019 and achieved local success in 2020 after three singles. Joe teamed up with cult British photographer ‘Rob Bremner’ for his single artworks to create a vintage world that’s now become Joe’s signature style.
The new music video tells the story of two grandma’s enjoying a day out at Western Super-Mare Beach. Using a lo-fi retro filter, we see the grannies get up to all sorts of mischief. It’s a quirky, light-hearted, and fun video to accompany the melodic tune. ‘FRIENDS’ is taken from Joe’s up and coming debut EP ‘English Elegance’ available to buy in Rough Trade Record stores in February 2021!
Grey Whistle Test are due to release their new track ‘Nylon’ this month. The track, which is set for release on January 22nd, was inspired in part by the feelings brought on by the first lockdown. The lyrics tell the story of the band getting bogged on a camping trip and facing a “bad fate,” later to be rescued by a heroic local who advised them: “don’t get rope, get nylon.” This expression has stayed with the three-piece for years, becoming a metaphor for the need to surround yourself with good people and form genuine connections.
‘Nylon’ is a bright burst of indie as Grey Whistle Test spread their warm music over a fluctuant soothing backdrop. The band use tropical beats to create a rippling backbone as the song unfolds with glistening, cosy guitar embellishments and soulful backing vocals. The dreamy melody caressed by the nonchalant vocal provides a sweet sense of comfort, allowing the beat to create a hypnotic pacifying haze. The entire track is submerged in tranquility as Grey Whistle Test use their mellow tones and rich, intricate textures to create a wonderful nostalgia-soaked delight.
‘Paris – Kavkaz’ is the new album to come from genre-blending Гибкий Чаплинъ. This is the band’s sixth studio album. Гибкий Чаплинъ also known as Gibkiy, are an independent band from Ukraine, Chaplin that formed in 2015. Over the past five years, they have released five studio albums, including one on vinyl, and have amassed an impressive following over social media. Creators of eclectic musical styles, their sound ranges from alternative, art-rock, jazz-rock, and rock, to poetry, neoclassical music, indie, experimental, and instrumental compositions.
‘Paris – Kavkaz’ is a rich collection of tracks tightly weaved together through various genre blends of alternative, rock, and ethnic folk. Deep guitar refrains, punchy drum, and bass combinations create catchy hooks and hypnotic elements within the tracks which tease and entice the listener further into the intriguing sound of Гибкий Чаплинъ. Heavier tracks like ‘mop’ balance the lighter, more melodious tunes such as ‘Kavkaz,’ which exudes a soothing backdrop filled with twinkling guitar and soft rhythms.
Within each track, resonant vocals ooze charisma and passion while also creating suspense and drama for the darker, more cinematic tunes. Using both Russian and English to express poetic lyrics, ‘Paris – Kavkaz’ is an acquired taste. However with moments of ethnic folk warming the album between dark gnarly elements, ‘Paris – Kavkaz’ is an engaging and immersive listening experience.
Nathan Mac returns with his new single ‘Domestic Wars’ featuring his sister Emily Hazel. The siblings create a fiery infectious alternative pop tune surging with vibrant melodies and suspenseful electronic bursts.
Emily’s sweet and warm vocals blend beautifully with Nathan’s while providing a dash of sass and power. ‘Domestic Wars’ marks a slight shift in Nathan’s sound as he uses an extensive instrumental repertoire to create an engaging and full-bodied listening experience. Boasting elegant strings, warm brass and shimmering 80’s hued synths the track packs one hell of a punch. Vocals glide upon a smooth melody with ease as the duo beautifully harmonise while an infectious bubbling rhythmic section creates a dance-infused backdrop.
Through quirky metaphors, the witty lyrics set the scene of the common sibling fights, Emily and Nathan play a lyrical tug of war which is engaging and fun to listen to. Love it.
When asked about working with his sister, Nathan had this to say: “I love my sister to bits. She’s one of the most talented singers I know, and I knew instantly that I wouldn’t have enough ‘attitude’ to pull this song off alone. Now it’s become a fan favourite, and I’m 100% sure that she’s the reason.”
JC Stewart has released his new single, ‘Break My Heart’. Over the course of the last year, JC Stewart has already achieved a growing following of 3.1 million monthly listeners at Spotify, plus extensive airplay across Radio 1, Radio 2, Capital, and Kiss. The song is accompanied by an official video directed by Charlie Sarsfield (Stormzy, Dermot Kennedy), who also directed the video for JC’s previous single, ‘I Need You To Hate Me’.
‘Break My Heart’ is a passionate burst of alternative pop as JC Stewart spreads a heartfelt melody over a dynamic instrumental backdrop. This heart-racing track drives on a pulsing beat and warm guitar laments while Stewart’s velvety vocals explode with emotion. The song builds superbly simmering through the verses before the catchy sing-along chorus kicks in. There is a confidence and swaggered undertone to ‘Break My Heart,’ which tells the story of a romance that has to be all or nothing. Stewart displays his wide musical range on this song, surging adrenaline into his passionate songwriting to create a fiery anthem that is a joy to listen to. Drenched in kinetic energy, ‘Break My Heart’ is an incredibly catchy song sure to be chiming in your head for days.
About the track, Stewart says: “‘Break My Heart’ is big, fast and fun. It’s about someone who can catch you so off guard that they can ruin a city for you and tear your life apart. But sometimes that can be addicting.”
The video features JC as one-half of a couple who share an erratic relationship. It switches between a whirlwind of ups and downs: the joy of hitting the open road and blissed-out moment home alone, juxtaposed with awkward silences and icy stares.
Ria Rua has released her new single, ‘Bad Girl.’ Ria Rua is a modern Irish female electronic art-pop singer, songwriter, and producer. After spending years as a professional drummer and touring the world with orchestras, she decided to take a chance on her own material. Her first three releases received national radio play in Ireland and the UK, and she was nominated for 2020 International Artist of the Year by a UK radio station.
Ria Rua’s first-rate musicianship soars to new heights with her latest track ‘Bad Girl.’ From the well-formed turn of phrase to rich musicianship, this bewitching track is intricately crafted. Crisp vocals swirl around infectious rhythms and dark electronic pulses, while tropical embellishments and edgy indie textures add depth and colour to a tantalizing luring soundscape. Within moments the listener is captivated and in awe of the superb display of skilful production.
Lyrically Ria pulls no punches. She exudes an empowering attitude through witty lyrics, which at times cuts deep like a knife. “Yeah, you’re nice to me now say it’s great to see ya. Where was this year’s ago when I was no senorita. I know it’s a fake, only your mistake fire in disguise, let’s go burn this f*cking snake”. Radiating swagger and sass throughout, Ria’s wonderful, pristine vocal delivery heightens the honest lyrical approach.
‘Bad Girl’ is a fantastic display of production wizardry and deft songwriting ability. I can not wait to hear more from Ria Rua. Ria is a talented artist and one to get very excited about.
About the track, Ria Rua said: “I spent three months creating this song – recording over 500 individual tracks in the process! The lyrics are about being bullied by people you once trusted when you ‘become who you are.’ So in a sense, it’s about betrayal, but more importantly, it’s about standing up to bullies and being brave enough to embrace your potential! “
The Crayon Set have released their new single ‘Moment’. The song is taken from their third upcoming album ‘Downer Disco’ due for release this Summer. The Crayon Set formed in 2010 and quickly came to prominence when they won a national competition to play the Sundae in the Park Festival in London.
‘Moment’ is a delightful slice of indie as The Crayon Set spread their vibrant musicianship over catchy melodies and blossoming instrumental builds. Glistening synths wisp through an ethereal backdrop while lush harmonies and a pop sprinkled melody exude a sweet angelic radiance. The Crayon Set display their intricate and prismatic musicianship through subtle synth-pop elements melded between lo-fi tones, psychedelic pepperings, and indie-pop hues. The band create lush textures and upbeat explosions of positivity through the song’s instrumental backdrop, softening and cushioning the heartfelt lyrics which discuss depression and not giving up on life. ‘Moment’ is a beautifully arranged track from The Crayon Set ready to soothe the soul.
Stream ‘Moment’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
