Greg Davies has released his latest album ‘Greg Davies Isolated’.Greg Davies saw the perfect opportunity to use his lockdown to create the album he has always wanted to release. The idea formed from a need to invite the best musicians associated with Greg himself and join him on a guitar driven, instrumental ride.Greg Davies is a rock musician based outside of Manchester UK. Greg has been playing the guitar since the age of 12 and has been performing on the UK music scene for over 20 years. Having played in a series of bands as well as doing regular session work across the UK and Europe, Greg Davies recently released an EP ‘A Different Order’ with the band ‘Elements’ which has been successful on UK rock charts. In the last 10 years Greg Davies has performed alongside some of the best guitarists & musicians the UK has to offer including Guthrie Govan, Andy James and Alex Hutchings. As well as his work as a recording artist and performer Greg Davies is a well respected music teacher and music therapist who runs a business called ‘Access Music’.
‘Greg Davies Isolated’ is a shredding guitar driven instrumental album which showcases the slick, nimble and bewitching guitar prowess of Greg Davies. Seamlessly slipping from gritty blues to funk, rock, country and even metal the album exudes swagger and energy. Pulling in some collaborators along the way it’s quite the thrill ride. The more country tangs of ‘The Birds’ Morning Sunrise’ adds a laid back smooth quality to the album while the blistering rock and blues tracks show how much of a guitar virtuoso Davies is. There is something for everyone here from the heavier metal hues between country rock twangs on ‘A Shackled Mind’, chilled atmospheric ‘Stillness’ and blazing blues between jazzy keys on ‘Get Me Out (Lockdown Blues)’ Davies provides a tantalizing, meaty album full of instrumental goodness.
Diamonds in the Dark have released their debut self-titled EP which was recorded between Liverpool’s Motor Museum studio by producer Loic Gaillard and 2flystudios in Sheffield with former Arctic Monkey’s producer Alan Smyth.Diamonds in the Dark have grown from a two-man songwriting project to a six-man energetic live act. Already gaining recognition from UK radio, the Merseyside band have been championed by Dave Monks on his BBC Introducing show. Dedicated to this release, Diamonds in the Dark spent a year perfecting their music and recording in different locations surrounding a live gig schedule.
A full bodied, cohesive body of work – ‘Diamonds in the Dark’ EP is a whirlwind journey through multiple genres and refined songwriting. Through five tracks the band explore themes of detachment, surrealism and romance within a number of styles including alt-rock, dream pop, psychedelia and 80s synth driven music. Shredding guitars, brawny drums and beefy bass grooves create the bands alternative rock assault with the aid of epic builds and punchy moments in ‘Getaway’ and ‘Bliss’.The blending of genres makes the EP fresh and engaging as each track holds its own character with powerful vocals and catchy melodies creating that earworm hook throughout each song. The contrasting 80’s synth driven ‘Humble Remarks’ gives a danceable disco vibe to the EP while the indie pop swoon of ‘Berlin’ wisps the tone of the EP into a romantic nostalgic daze. With twinkling guitars, steady beat and melancholic melody this track is quite the bittersweet gem. The band bring the EP to a close with ‘I Love The Way’. This dream-pop, indie-infused number is an emotional power ballad set to an ethereal backdrop with twinkling piano, 60’s – esque vibes and lush harmonies – it’s a sublime end to an eclectic EP.
Diamonds in the Dark present a powerful EP brimming with emotive tunes and sublime musicianship. Looking forward to hearing more from them.
Roscommon Rock and Roll Teens The Flies have released their sophomore EP ‘Looser’. The band have been playing together for three years, starting off playing shows in local schools and at small festivals as well as playing headline shows in Sligo and Carrick-on-Shannon in the period before the Covid 19 pandemic.Last year the band released their debut EP – ‘Catch Up To You’ which received radio play including national radio play on RTE 2FM after it’s release The Flies played shows including a show in Dublin supporting the inimitable Jinx Lennon and their final gig before the lockdown hit was a support slot with The Stunning.
‘Looser’ is an EP laced in shredding instrumentation as The Flies develop their sound through some pretty slick tunes. The band use punchy drums, blistering guitars and groove layered bass lines to whisk their sound into an adrenaline shot of exhilarating alternative rock. ‘Back Pocket’ and ‘Director’s Cut’ blast through brawny sonic soundscapes with slinky frills on guitar and drums which provide a glimmer of the bands own character and musical prowess however it is in ‘Fool’ where The Flies show the most promise. With a blazing solo, lighter indie sound and lamenting tone bursting through robust instrumentation, the track surges with emotion, passion and earnest songwriting. Oozing a swaggered confidence and rock n roll tone the quartet set the EP up to impress. There is no shortage of catchy melodies and hooks within this band’s music and their tight wall of sound is impressive. The rapid punch of ‘Council House’ brings the EP to a close with early Arctic Monkeys vibes and a crowd friendly sing along “da da da” lyric that is just too infectious to resist.
‘Looser’ is an energetic EP with thrilling surprises within each song. Whether its a sharp guitar flourish, elastic bass wriggle or ground shaking drum rumble the band keep each track interesting while balancing the right amount of heavy rock and engaging indie. The Flies present a fun vibrant sound sure to get anyone up and dancing. A solid second EP from this promising band.
Bitch Falcon have recently released their new single ‘Test Trip’ taken from their forthcoming debut LP, ‘Staring At Clocks’, to be released 6th November via Small Pond Records (Clt Drp, Wild Cat Strike).BITCH FALCON was formed by frontwoman Lizzie Fitzpatrick in Dublin in 2014, and are mainstays of the festival circuit in both Ireland and abroad (packing out rooms in the US, Canada and Europe). Since these freshman days, the lineup has galvanised around the rhythm section of Barry O’Sullivan on Bass and Nigel Kenny on Drums.The trio has played shows with Girl Band, Fontaines DC, Torche, Black Peaks and Pussy Riot.
Once again Bitch Falcon deliver another slice of grunge perfection with latest release ‘Test Trip’. A relentless bass rumbles through eerie soundscapes for the verses while drums tease and foreshadow the chaos to come. The track oozes spine-tingling instrumentation, tension and dark atmospherics as the trio push and pull the verses into the heavy chorus with majestic and masterful musical flair. The band place droplets of dreamy tones through the track which gives brief moments of release between the striking guitars while the harsh riffs and pummeling drums provide a thunderous backdrop for Lizzie Fitzpatrick’s powerful vocals (which is the all commanding constant within the bands songs.) Her range is bewitching as she controls her icy lulls and mighty wails with dignified dominance while the crazed guitar fuzz, shattering bass and dead summoning drums explode into a frenzy behind her. Her cool, calm approach has a sense of passionate nonchalance which she unleashes without warning, making each track the band release an energetic shock to the system. Bitch Falcon’s sound is absolutely thrilling and first class. These guys are in a league of their own.
About the track frontwoman Lizzie Fitzpatrick said : “I wrote this about running away from home. When I was young I would always pack my bags in a bid to manipulate my mother into forgiving me for something I did (too stubborn to just apologize). I linked this with manipulation in love. When the partner ‘tests’ each other by trying to leave when they just want to be fought for. Really it’s a take on myself, rather than dealing with the situation, just packing your bags and running away (which is not the answer).”
I caught up with frontman James McGregor from Galway quartet The Clockworks to talk about the band’s new single ‘Can I Speak to A Manager?’, their move to London as well as how they prep for live shows.
Written in 2018 while the band were still living in their hometown of Galway, McGregor found himself taking refuge from the drudgery of his 9-5 in a number of café’s and pubs during his lunch break. Infuriated by the plastic world around him and nauseous with the monotony of a rat-run routine, his paranoid thoughts and pent-up rage spilled into a song that dares to point out the failings of an ailing society. Inspired by the straight-up social commentary of lyrical icons like John Cooper Clarke, Mike Skinner, and Ray Davies of The Kinks, ‘Can I Speak To Manager?’ sees McGregor exercising his songwriting abilities with a similar no-nonsense and observational approach.
“Initially I had the idea of the first verse, so the idea of a really specific story of something just happening like a really mundane story and trying to make it sort of dramatic. That’s why, the first line is like “my god what a palava” because it’s just so mundane and you expect it to do with something crazy and dramatic, but it’s not. And then from there I wanted to see where I could go with that and the feeling of everything is kind of broken was sort of on my mind and came out through that. That’s the inspiration for it anyway, that’s sort of how it started. It was sort of written nearly in order. It was the first verse and a really particular story and then trying to make it, I guess…a more universal idea.”
I wondered when he was writing the track did he think of the vocal melody as well and how he was going to sing it, or was it just mostly words and getting it to flow.
“Oh that’s a good question, I haven’t been asked that before. The very first lines I had, so like that first line “my god what a palava” and the “Wrong model and no charger” and then, “Now at a loss, I’m sitting”, I had that straight away, it was the first thing that came to me and then the rest I guess was more rhythmical and then the melody followed.”
There is a sublime build in this track especially how the band venture from a hypnotic rhythm and then lead into a blasting crescendo.The band definitely enhance the instrumental backdrop to match and highlight the lyrical content to create something quite cinematic
“Yeah, we usually try to make the instrumental music reflect the lyrics in a way that maybe a soundtrack might, and so that song is about something that’s quite ridiculous and maybe light hearted, finding who you are. You could say it’s light hearted or not but something ridiculous that becomes crazy and the whole thing is, like, “when I become a cynical”, it’s one of the lines and it’s all about the descent into cynicism, that you might get from something as simple as your laptop breaking might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and send you into that frenzy toward the end where you think that everyone is all out to get you. Obviously I don’t want to dictate how anyone would listen to that song but for me, that was kind of the impetus. It was that something simple happens that isn’t really a big deal. You know, you’re not going to remember it five minutes later maybe or five days later, for sure, but at the time it just sends you off.”
Not only does the band provide powerful punk rock and an abrasive wall of sound they pack in some serious themes and lyrical depth. Themes of isolation, paranoia, and helplessness all glimmer through their songs and hit hard through their lyrical content.This is something McGregor strives to achieve when crafting the tracks, that all important connection with the listeners.
“For us personally it’s important. I’m not gonna speak for how I think every musician should be. Because I think everyone plays music for different reasons or writes songs for different reasons. But for us, it’s expressing a feeling, or an emotion and hoping that the message,I guess is that, this is something we feel, you know, this is something that we maybe think about, do you? I’ve always been fascinated with the fact that maybe if you’re feeling nostalgic you might listen to one song. You might listen to, I don’t know, Frank Sinatra, you might listen to maybe the early indie music or The Beatles or something if you’re feeling like getting back to the music you listened to when you were a child or something. Then if you’re feeling heartbroken you might listen to Damien Rice and these people speak to you in ways that they wouldn’t normally. I remember one of the lads, saying to me before that they’d never got Sam Smith, until they were heartbroken and then suddenly Sam Smith makes sense. I think it’s like, these people are putting an emotion out there, or, an observation or something that you could relate to, and it takes maybe a certain situation or turn of events to relate to that. That really fascinates me. It’s not something that I would think about all the time but it’s definitely something that we try to do across the songs. I would try to have different songs for different times, different songs for different rooms in your mind, that you might need to go to.”
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The Clockworks relocated to London last year and the quartet signed to Alan McGee’s new record label ‘Creation23’ almost overnight. We discussed the advantages of moving to London for artists
“I think there are definitely more opportunities here than in Galway, I can only speak for living in Galway. I don’t think that’s any fault of Galway, as a place. I think firstly, there’s a slightly different cultural relationship to music or maybe our type of music, or rock music or contemporary music…and I feel people generally feel like it’s more of a young person’s thing to maybe go to gigs loads and stuff. I think secondly, obviously, it’s just the music industry itself, it’s all here. If we play, you know, here somewhere, we’ve had plenty of gigs where people who didn’t know us have turned up and they’ve been this person or that person in the music industry, you know,”
Like other bands of his generation The Clockworks have the power and influence of streaming platforms which gives artists huge exposure however it doesn’t make them money. They have the opportunity to reach more people but don’t reap the benefits as much as an artist would with album sales and touring. However McGregor doesn’t think it has bothered the band that much
“ I think we’re lucky enough as it’s all we know. So I think maybe if you’ve come from, the age where buying albums and making money from people buying your albums was the norm it would be a lot more shocking and maybe more overwhelming. For us we don’t expect people to have paid to listen to our music. So I guess it doesn’t affect us as much. I definitely do understand what you mean about like, you can see, Spotify plays, you can see Facebook likes, Instagram followers. All these numbers and then you see like, zero pounds or euros. Or you might have this many followers, and play a gig in Whelan’s to nobody. You know, in the past, especially when we sort of didn’t know how things worked as well, we would support a band, and be like ‘oh this band has this many followers. This is gonna be a packed gig. This is gonna be huge’ and then we’d be playing to nobody and they may be playing to a handful of people, and it never made sense to us. But because of the fact that we were post that change we have always played in the Spotify age, I guess, we are lucky because we don’t know any better. Sort of blissfully ignorant.”
The music scene in the UK and Ireland is very vibrant lately – there are so many amazing acts gigging and producing great music.I wondered is there competition between the bands and does McGregor feel pressure to fit into the scene.
“I think its cool. I think it’s good. Galway again, because its not Dublin it’s so far removed from 90% of music in Ireland, but it was great for us because we were just, the opposite to the thing you’re talking about, there was a handful of bands, a lot of singer songwriters or, you know, singers or instrumental musicians or whatever, who sort of all supported each other and there was no clique per se, so that was great. We were able to just do our own thing and we came over to London and I think we’ve carried that with us so we’re not too worried about trying to jostle through other bands in the same venue to be, like the cool band in this group of bands. We’ve never done that and I think, historically it always works out better if you just support other bands and make friends where you can and apart from that keep your head down and just get on with it. Again, I think we’re also lucky because we moved to Northwest London, which is the equivalent of Galway, London-wise. There’s no bands that we know of around us. Most of the bands are in South London, that we know. The bands that we know would be in South London, East London or West London or different parts of North London but Northwest London we’re kind of removed, so again there’s no scene here, there’s no scene where we are. It’s nice because we can sort of not worry about fitting into it.”
I saw The Clockworks perform a few years ago in The Workmans Club supporting BLESS. and SISTERAY. The intense energy they had and expression through their music was impressive. It’s no surprise they have had slots at festivals including Eurosonic and Electric Picnic. The band have also performed to a huge crowd at Sefton Park in Liverpool in support of Kings of Leon. Preparation is the key to a good live show but the band don’t overthink it.
“oh yeah and I burst in ( on Indie Buddie’s interview with SISTERAY at the time).We go in and play but we do give ourselves a little pep talk before we go on. We’ve always done that just, sort of like, jump up and down and say, you know, ‘this is it’ kind of thing.I think it’s especially important when there’s three people in the room and back in the day you know when you play maybe, Róisín Dubh for the 40th time. Some days would be busy sometimes it wouldn’t and we were lucky to be able to play there so much and really practice. Obviously you have to apply yourself in a certain way, when you’re playing to three people, you know, because you’re not playing to sold out crowd singing back your words at you and we’ve always thought that those three people are worth as much, every person is worth as much as every other person in the room, regardless of how many there are, of course. Just because there’s more people in the room you shouldn’t give them more of yourself. You should try and give everything to any gig because, what are you on the stage for if you’re not gonna do your best. So I guess we go in with the mindset of just giving everything we can. Every time and just before we go on, I guess we say that, but we’re not actors and it’s not like ‘alright, let’s go into costume and change character now’ it’s not like that, which is fine if you are like, David Bowie, he literally got into costume and changed his name.But that’s just not what we do. “
With live shows cancelled it’s easy to see how bands and artists can become overwhelmed with the pressure of making the most of their spare time and McGregor did fall pray to this at first.
“ I think I put pressure on it. Because, obviously, everyone was immediately super productive, you were just seeing people everywhere immediately like fit and healthy and taken up four new languages and cleaned their house and had done everything they have ever wanted to do. That isn’t what happened but that’s how you felt. Everyone was being super productive and for the first few weeks.”
“What I usually do is write lyrics in pubs, or cafes. I don’t know why, but I like to be that little bit removed from home.I haven’t quite worked out exactly why but maybe I don’t want to ask myself too much because I don’t want to ruin it if I find out the answer. But obviously without being able to do that sort of thing at home I found it a bit stifling for lack of a better word.”
“Once I got used to that it was alright. It was good. We got some good writing done. We got a few new songs on the go and because obviously it was so extended, initially we thought it could be a couple of weeks and for the first few weeks it was like, ‘Yeah, I can wait to go back to the pub or whatever to get some writing done again’. Then once you were like ‘no we’re in this for the long haul’ I sort of, had to surrender to it, and go right, ‘well if you don’t write them, what are you gonna do’…just because you technically have more time because you’re not, you know, going into work every day. It was, it was a stressful time. I think everyone, regardless of what, personally happened to you or your family, with this I think it was stressful for everyone at least a little bit and still is for a lot of people.”
The Clockworks have been touring and releasing music for a few years. From McGregor’s experience of the Irish and UK music scene and life as a band in general I wondered what advice he would give to someone who wants to start a band. His answer imparted words of wisdom which any budding artist should take onboard.
“Industry-wise I think everyone says it but then it is so true. I would say just write, write as much as you can and read as well. Or, take in stuff as well, listen to music, read books, watch films, whatever it is that you do to build your imagination and write as much as you can, because it’s like turning on an old tap that hasn’t been used. It’s like you have to run the water until it stops being brown. I think it’s easy to turn the tap off again. If you don’t write for a while. Personally I find if I don’t write for a while it takes me a while to get back into it, like I just said over the summer, so I stopped for a couple of weeks and then suddenly you know you get back into it again. Write as much as you can. You can have the worst gig ever, you can have terrible reviews, you can have every label, manager, agent in the world, turn you down. But as long as you’re still writing music, if you can still write music and enjoy doing that. Then, you know, all is not lost. You’re still doing the thing that’s the most fundamental thing and I think it’s very easy to get caught up in the peripheral things like reviews or bad reviews or bad comments from someone or someone turning you down or a gig that you don’t get or whatever it is. So I guess maybe for both industry and creatively, I think, to focus on the fact that writing is THE THING , and everything else is peripheral.”
“I can’t remember who said this, I read it the other day and I can’t remember – this could be anyone from like Oscar Wilde to like a gossip magazine. Someone said ‘Don’t take on criticism from someone you wouldn’t be prepared to take advice from’ which I thought was a great quote. It’s really difficult and a lot of people get very anxious about it. I think that’s what I was getting at with being in Galway and being now in North London is that we’ve tried to make sure that we don’t feel like we have to conform to a sound that’s been dictated to us by someone else musically, you know, or dress a certain way or whatever, You can’t be restricted by it because you end up running around chasing other people’s expectations and that can be very dangerous. To chase other peoples expectations of you, is probably impossible.”
The bands previous single ‘The Future Is Not What It Was’ was praised at radio by BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac on her “New Names” showcase, BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq on his ‘Recommends’ show. The track received day-time radio play on RTÉ 2FM, and even impressed the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer show in the States on Sirius XM. The band are keeping the momentum going with their new single ‘Can I Speak to A Manager?’ as well as writing and building for when live shows finally do return.
“Definitely writing, we’re writing a lot at the moment and recording as well at the moment. We’re trying to next year, consolidate the gigs that we weren’t doing this year and see what we can do.Hopefully, everything is good to go by then. It’s quite a weird thing to be booking gigs, that you’ve already cancelled that you may have to cancel again.It’s strange, but that’s what we’re trying to do and it’s good to try. So, that’s it, just writing loads because that’s the fundamental, that’s the important thing. We’re doing everything else we can too. We have loads of time, we’re not playing gigs. The first thing we have to do is write and record music and then after that it’s everything we can try and get gigs, do interviews like this, meet people as we can, you know zoom meetings and all that.”
The Clockworks have created a unique and intense sound all their own. Their ability to craft songs which blend moody punk with frantic rock outbursts is impressive and the lyrical content carries depth and masterful poetic insight. I can not wait to hear more from them. THE CLOCKWORKS are definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Strangers With Guns have released their new EP ’Disenfranchised Fetus’. Strangers With Guns are a three piece metal band based in Dublin. Although they formed in January 2019, they already have toured all over Ireland and have supported acts as diverse as “Cherym” and “The Soap Girls” to playing on punk bills up North and even playing with stoner and doom metal bands in Limerick and Cork.
’Disenfranchised Fetus’ is a potent dose of the unadulterated metal-infused rock Strangers With Guns do so well. This EP is heavier than their debut album ‘Degenerate Art’ and the most sharp and fierce we have seen them yet.
Entering on a rooted bass rumble, intense guitars and pulverising drums the band kick start the EP with ‘Cants’. Acute guitars stain a gritty wall of sound with brain smashing riffage while pummelling drums batter the foundation with blood thirsty stamina. ‘Cants’ is a tasty appetizer of the manic onslaught Strangers With Guns have in store for the listener. The instrumental tension, sinister builds and aggression contrasted with cooler moments on vocals is a tantalizing joy to the senses.
‘Cool, Calm, Collect’ and ‘Last Tango In Paris’ follow with a punk-inflicted heavy metal style which holds moments of laid back composure yet is still forceful and in your face.The vocals venture from nonchalant verses to growls and dynamic exclaims, building on the band’s ability to mangle softer elements within their raucous wall of sound. Grooves on bass ooze harsh tones while deft guitar riffs build the tracks’ intensity into a blood-drawing, mosh-worthy crescendo. The climatic elements of each track are saturated in dark undertones and ominous thrills that fill your core with perilous adrenaline – a truly magnificent display of musicianship.
The band bring the EP to an end with the slick and witty ‘Somebody Needs A Hug’. A lighter track and perhaps the most radio friendly it travels on a meaty guitar and drum stomping foundation while exuding swagger-filled grooves and rock infused elements. However the band splurge slick guitar moments over the tracks rhythms and steamier tones to create a fun and danceable end to such a fiery EP.
’Disenfranchised Fetus’ shows Strangers With Guns are a force to be reckoned with. The machine gun whack on bass, coarse yet nimble guitar work and pummeling drums all build a tight and relentless wall of sound as this trio experiment and venture through catchy and crazed melodies to create a mind frazzling rough and ready EP. ’Disenfranchised Fetus’ is a metal and rock blended spectacle, absurd at times yet undeniably awesome.
Rising Irish act State Lights have released their new single ‘Give Me Something Human’. Over the past twelve months State Lights have firmly established themselves as one of Ireland’s best Live acts. The band recently sold out a headline show at Whelan’s in Dublin and London’s Islington and their track ‘Let You Go’ was ‘Track of the Week’ on the 2fm Breakfast show with Doireann and Eoghan.Recently the band were ‘Homegrown Hero’ on Today FM’s flagship morning show Dermot & Dave, they performed on the country’s biggest television entertainment chat show (and the longest running in the world!), ‘The Late Late Show’ and also tallied substantial airplay and support from KROQ Los Angeles, Radio X (UK) and a host of other International radio stations. This positive uptake resulted in a slot at the prestigious Electric Arena Stage at Electric Picnic, where they shared the stage with The Kooks, St Vincent and Cigarettes after Sex. This was followed up with support slots with The Fratellis and The Academic. Last summer the band also played the highly acclaimed Indiependence and Kaleidoscope Music Festivals.They are due to headline the Button Factory on Saturday February 20th 2021.
Surging with exhilarating energy and biting instrumentation, ‘Give Me Something Human’ fleshes out State Lights majestic and blossoming sound. Their ability to express character and emotion through instrumentation is masterful and perfectly shown in this new release. Punchy drums and piercing bass grooves keep the track grounded as strong guitar strides lament and pine through the raw rhythmic foundation which creates wild chaotic outbursts for the chorus. The verses brood and simmer as the distinctively powerful vocals from Shobsy rush with passion and tenderness. With a catchy melody, epic rock explosions and elements of distortion ‘Give Me Something Human’ boasts wonderful cinematic soundscapes that are sure to give you goosebumps.
Birmingham based quartet Y!KES have released their new EP ‘MASS!VE’. A spine chilling collection of tracks filled with raw crunchy guitar lines, stabbing drums and manic dark soundscapes, ‘MASS!VE’ stays the course the band unleashed with their debut EP ‘Everything Pointless Is Correct’. The new EP captures the abrasive nature of Y!KES in a nutshell showcasing their unapologetic, gut-punching alternative grunge rock is a force to be reckoned with.
These guys have a knack with catchy guitar refrains which they mangle beneath wild unruly instrumentation while the odd guitar riff peers above the bands musical onslaught. ‘Pirouette’ follows this format perfectly. There is a ‘My Chemical Romance’ tone and Emo residue to the track which wallows within the songs underbelly – swarming with loathing and moody aggression.
Of course this bands instrumental prowess and flair is what makes them so intriguing however, it is Oli Long’s aggitated vocals which gives Y!KES enough drama and crazed intensity to take their sound to epic heights. His vocals are luring, moody and almost psychotic as he wails, growls and mumbles through the tracks creating quite the unique and exhilarating character for each song. This is especially shown in ‘Alice’. Long’s vocals slither with a gravelly texture truly displaying the sinister range and capabilities of his vocals. It’s utterly thrilling. With a 90’s rock bravado the verses are manic and full of surprises while the chorus is strong and melodic, all leading to a glorious ending, ‘Alice’ is one of the pinnacle moments on the EP.
The high intensity, mind frazzling rock doesn’t end after ‘Alice’, instead Y!kes expands from this point. The EP only gets better and heavier from here as the band push and explore the depths of their tantalizing sound. With a cinematic rush on guitars, shredding solos and melodic frantic flurries to delight the listener, ‘Door Frame Angel’ and ‘Faker’ take their triumphant place on the EP. Although just as coarse and sharp as previous tracks, the band inject sweeter melodies into the thrilling, alternative rock instrumental.
However it’s not all a screaming assault of alternative rock, final track ‘Step Away’ brings the album to a surprising close. Here the band effortlessly slip into a more indie pop outfit with light jaunty guitar riffage providing an indie spring through the buoyant drum progressions. There are glimmers of Sugar Cult, early Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes in this song. I have to hand it to these guys, they always deliver a slap in the face of some kind and this sunkissed and moody number is the rosy-hued ( yet dark themed ) gem to do it. Absolutely love it.
‘MASSIVE’ showcases Y!KES is growing and harnessing their raw unbridled rock to create music with a memorable balance between drama, anarchy and deft musicianship.The band have created an invigorating sound of their own to discuss themes of depression and conflicting emotions through anthemic tunes with choppy chords, gnarled vocals and ground shaking drums. It’s quite the masterpiece.
London based indie-alternative outfit, Oli Barton & The Movement have released their new live cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’. The band take the haunting track and put their unique spin on it, twisting and coiling the eerie moments into something just as dark but with a mighty punch behind it (even adding the chorus of Slowthai’s ‘Doorman’ into the track’s mammoth finale). With sharp guitars blazing through pounding drums the band present a blistering assault to the senses while maintaining the mystery and spine chilling momentum of the original. Oli’s vocals are harsh and brazen. He prances through the verses with attitude and sass as he wails, whispers and bellows. Oli Barton & The Movement take the chilling aesthetic of ‘Bad Guy’ and turn it upside down to create a rock-doused, swagger-drenched force to be reckoned with.
Watch ‘Oli Barton & The Movement’ live video for ‘Bad Guys’ below
Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement are back with their eagerly anticipated new single ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ which was co-produced in Attica Studios with Tommy McLoughlin (Villagers, SOAK).Hailing from Lucan, The Riptide Movement’s music has taken them all over the world from Main Stage at Electric Picnic to Glastonbury and Benicàssim. Their extensive recent ‘Something Special’ tour included a blistering headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. From busking on their native Grafton street to playing with the BBC Orchestra, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, music has taken the band from Lucan to India, America, Russia, Australia and everywhere in between.
I caught up with frontman Malachy Tuohy to talk about the new single, the changes in music promotion due to covid-19 and how the bands sound is growing as well as what they have planned for the coming months and next year.
I spoke with Tuohy and John Dalton last year before their fantastic show at The Olympia Theatre Dublin when the usual format for Indie Buddie was a video interview. However this time due to Covid-19 it is by phone. We began comparing the changes from video to phone interviews for me and that a lot of Tuohy’s interviews are by phone now and this has made promotion a bit easier for him.
“Do you prefer the video interviews? From our own perspective, some of it’s kind of better in some ways for the interviews, because some of the radio ones we would be driving around a lot. I remember last year when we were doing ‘Something Special’ and the fun going around doing all the radio interviews, but you could be driving from say Wexford, Waterford or up to Kilkenny and you’re trying to beat the clock the whole time to get to each interview.So it’s a bit more relaxed. If you’re doing them over the phone it’s more relaxed not to be racing from one part of the country to the other. It’s definitely got some positives anyway. In saying that it would be nice to have a mix, maybe.”
With six critically-acclaimed studio records to their name – most notably The RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album “Getting Through” – The Riptide Movement are renowned for their energetic live shows and soaring, guitar driven anthems. But live shows are something artists can not do at the moment. However the band have put up live streams on their socials as a way of reaching out to their fans and maintaining that buzz.
“Yeah, definitely. It’s a great way of connecting with people, I think, particularly during the lockdown anyway when people were stuck inside their house and you weren’t really allowed out. That was a great outlet for people, to be able to go on the couch, nine times out of ten during that lockdown, a band or an artist, that you like would be going live that evening. I know some of the sound quality would be better than others but if you had a good Facebook Live stream or YouTube stream that had good sound quality it was great, it was the next best thing to being at a gig. Obviously not near as good as going to a gig but, I think to still have that interaction is great”
“We did a couple of the facebook live streams from the house. And one thing I noticed was a lot of people that would be watching us were kind of talking amongst themselves on the stream. So it was a community kind of, a bit of a vibe going on as well, which I thought was interesting. It’s definitely a positive, but it’s not a replacement for live gigs. It will be nice to keep an element of that when things do eventually get back to some kind of normal”
The new single ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ is out now. It is a feel good anthem brimming with earworm melodies heartfelt instrumentation and good vibes and the fans are really enjoying this surprise release
“Yeah, it’s been really positive. It went out on Friday, all the feedback on our social media has been really positive. With radio, as well, we started getting some radio play with it already. It’s been really positive. We’re really happy with it.I think it’s time to release it now because we were holding back releasing the song. We were going to release it next year but we felt now was the right time to put it out. Just with everything that’s happening, and just that it’s a light hearted kind of love song as well, it’s not too serious or too dark so it’s the right kind of energy to put out in these times anyway.”
When I saw the band perform last year in the Olympia Theatre they played ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ as it was a part of the vinyl version on the album. I wondered had they planned to release it as a single.
“Yeah that’s right. Actually it was just on the vinyl because we never released ‘Fall A Little More In Love’ digitally, so it was only on the vinyl. We only sold them at that gig because they were a limited edition.What we are doing now is we are selling signed copies with Golden Disc for record store day this Friday and there’s a special on them as well so anyone that buys it online gets a signed copy, and it includes the new single ‘Fall A Little More In Love’ so kind of worked out well holding that song back.”
It feels like this track blends plenty of the lovable elements in their previous albums – the ‘Ghost’ album was quite keys or synth based then ‘Something Special’ was indie based with sharp guitar elements and ‘Getting Through’ was an anthemic-oriented album. ‘Fall a Little More in Love’ seems to take the best aspects of those albums and expand on this. This was a natural result of the bands progression and not intentional.
“ I think it’s just something that came organically. I think when you’re producing it, you’re just going to come up with all different ideas and stuff but it wouldn’t be a conscious thing where we go. Okay, what’s the best elements of the band and maybe put them together but actually that’s a really good way of looking at it maybe that’s something that we might try and think about when we’re writing newer songs ; what’s actually the best elements of the band and try and put all that into one song. I never actually thought about it like that before. You’re after planting a seed in my own brain now, that’s a really good idea. Yeah, that’s after hitting me for six there, good stuff.”
Tuohy misses the touring which comes with promoting new material. However he has found the break revitalising as The Riptide Movement have been touring for over 10 years, so time to do normal things is refreshing.
“Yeah, definitely. Usually you’d have a tour or something to coincide with this or a few live dates. So this time around everything’s very much online and then, even with that, because with the new restrictions that came in again. We were hoping maybe to do a full band Facebook Live session but last week the new restrictions brought in where you can’t have any more than a certain amount in the one place and from three different households so it’s kind of hard to perform as a band and put it out online as well, so it’s kind of just trying to figure out other ways of doing it”
“What we have done has worked well. On a few videos we’ve done it remotely, where, I’d play the guitar and sing and then I send the video on to the lads and they add their individual parts to it. Then we’d mix it all together, and edit it up as a video. So that works pretty well as well. I suppose you just have to find ways of doing it remotely. I’m looking forward to when gigs do eventually come back and get back playing. We have done a lot of touring, over the last 10 years. It’s unheard of, like, even just take Saturday night like a Saturday night in August. I can’t remember. it’s probably 10 years since the last time I ever had a weekend off, anytime during the summer. I’m enjoying it at the moment. It’s nice to have these weekends back and be able to get to live a normal life I suppose”
“I’m definitely looking forward to going back gigging. I’ll probably enjoy gigging even more now, because it’s been taken away from us for a while. As I said we have toured intensely the past 10 years or so, so it is nice to get some time away from it. The one thing I’ve learned myself throughout the lockdown is just appreciating the simple things really, as opposed to, I’ve found, I’ve always been so busy so it’s just been moving on to the next project and next thing. So the last six months feels like, even though we were still releasing stuff and writing it’s just everything has slowed down a bit. I’m just enjoying the downtime, really, to be honest and definitely feeling the benefit from it”
Artists have had to learn new skills to connect with fans such as navigating through platforms such as Zoom. The Riptide Movement have been editing their own videos and putting their own content online themselves but this wasn’t too much of an ordeal for Tuohy
“Last year I would have got into a lot of the edits and we started making the bands videos last year, and then the content for online and I was learning that as I was going last year so that’s come in very useful this year, because it makes it easier and quicker to get things up online, or to do these little videos remotely with the band. But that would be more so editing in terms of Zoom and stuff like that, I’m still trying to get my head around it. I suppose it just takes some getting used to. But everyone’s in the same boat aren’t they? Everyone’s trying to catch up on how all of this works.”
I wondered if Tuohy felt pressure to write during this time or is he just allowing his creative flair to decide when a song will come to fruition.
“I have been writing and some of it has been good and some of it has been bad and that’s just the way it is. You just have to keep at it, and I always write anyway. I suppose I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. At the start I thought, I’m going to write like a couple albums here. And that wasn’t happening, and I was thinking I don’t really want to put this kind of pressure on. So, for now I’m just writing as I go, and some of its good and some of it’s bad. Then when it comes time to start on an album which probably will be next year. I’ll start putting a little bit more pressure on myself because, pressure seems to work for me a little bit, if I’ve got a deadline or a timeline that I have to get something finished by”
“So it’s nice to have a lot of ideas in the can and some songs finished, some kind of half finished, and then to approach an album with a timeline. It makes you have to finish it then because there’s a definite deadline. Sometimes you can leave a song unfinished for years, which is no good because the longer you leave the song unfinished, the harder it is to finish it because you’re always trying to make it perfect, maybe, putting too much time into it as opposed to just letting it flow naturally. You can lose the whole essence of the song or that little spark that drives the song or that it’s built around, but then, other times, it can work the other way. You might have a really cool melody or riff and you’ve written a song to that, and you listen back to it and you actually go “no there’s nothing in that song that’s really that interesting or that good” and then you can re-write it into something else.That happened with one of our biggest songs ‘Changeling’ because that was a completely different song before we went into the studio and it came out a completely different song. It wrote itself really in the studio, so it does happen. I think with songs, they find their own way onto the albums.”
“It’s just trusting the process I suppose. In a mad way even though that sounds really all over the place. It kind of works and it tends to work for us when we’re in the studio. We have the songs and the ideas and the ones that make the album are always the ones that made themselves, because you could have 15 or 20 songs when you start the pre-production on an album and you bring that down usually to around 10 or 12 songs, and you’d be surprised the ones that always find a way on to it. It’s a mad way to think about it but they always find their own way and you just have to trust that process. “
The Riptide Movement will be celebrating 15 years as a band next year and they have something special planned.
“ I’d say this will probably be our only release this year and then next year, the band is together 15 years, believe it or not, which is Mad ! but we’re going to plan something special for that to celebrate 15 years together as a band. So, we have a couple of ideas with an orchestra, and we’re going to put out something next year. Then we’re going to be working on another new album, which we will probably bring out the year after. We’ve lots of ideas in the pipeline. It would be cool to have some sort of party or a concert with other bands, maybe for us to do something like that would be cool.”
What better way to mark 15 years as a band then another phenomenal live show from The Riptide Movement. With the bands soaring, guitar driven tracks and vibrant energy it would be the perfect thing to look forward to after all this Covid craziness ends. Seen as the band are always evolving and refining their sound, if ’Fall a Little More in Love’ is anything to go by the next album is going to be another smasher. I can not wait !
Stream ’Fall a Little More in Love’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
