Following on from the fantastic success of their previously shared singles ‘Lost In This World’ and ‘Vacant Stare’, which dropped earlier this year, Reading-based indie-rockers Mellor have returned with their new EP ‘Fragment Of Imagination’. Despite the current global pandemic, Mellor maintained their momentum in 2020, releasing single ‘Heaven isn’t Yours to Give’ and signing a management deal with Eighty4 Music.
Taking their sound to soaring new heights, ‘Fragment Of Imagination’ is a mighty roar from Mellor. Blistering guitars ricochet off a battering drum assault as the band announce the EP with the explosive indie rock bravado of ‘Cool, Calm, Deranged’. This track is utterly thrilling as a sharp guitar refrain shrills throughout a muggy angst-riddled backdrop – a pretty exciting start to an EP.
Mellor have become known for their tight, energetic guitar melodies and solos, and within ‘Fragment Of Imagination’ they deliver on these exhilarating air guitar worthy moments without fail. The guitar travels from epic solos to majestic embellishments, and everything between to give the listener a shot of adrenaline throughout the EP.
‘Version Of A Life’ and ‘Vacant Stare’ pulse with desert rock guitars and a 60’s – esque rock n’ roll swagger however it is the galloping ‘Shame’ that is the perfect example of the band’s deft guitar prowess. Mellor weave a raw guitar melody through a dense onslaught of drums and bass, creating an intoxicating wall of sound that is ecstasy to the ears and equally spectacular with each subsequent listen.
Gary Kingham’s vocals hold all the instrumental chaos together. His effortless warm tone drifts over the songs earworm melodies with ease and showcases the band’s expressive lyrical ability “So start a fire, When I’m not there, Put it out with her vacant stare”
Mellor are constantly evolving their sound, and ‘Fragment Of Imagination’ is a fine example of this. The energy, passion and vigor bursting from this EP is admirable, while the awe-inspiring display of refined musicianship within makes Mellor one of the most exciting bands out there at the moment.
Frontman Gary Kingham from Reading quartet Mellor has kindly recorded an acoustic version of the bands tracks ‘Arms Length’ and ‘Delicate’ for us here at Indie Buddie to help relieve the boredom of the lockdown. The recordings add a new dimension to these catchy tracks. If you were planning to go to one of the bands shows before the Covid – 19 madness had them rudely reschedule this will satisfy those cravings for a live Mellor show, for a little while at least.
Mellor have received radio support from Abbie McCarthy, Radio 1; Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music; John Kennedy, Radio X; Charlie Ashcroft, Elise Cobain, Frankie Francis, Jim Gellatly and Scott McGerty from Amazing Radio to name a few. The band have also featured on Spotify’s Hot New Bands, Indie List and Transistor playlists as well as Amazons Best New Bands playlist, and Apple Music’s Breaking Rock & The A-List.
You can watch the acoustic videos for ‘Arms Length’ and ‘Delicate’ below
Reading quartet Mellor are set to release their new EP ‘Dive into the strange’ on December 6th. The current line up with Gary Kingham on vocals, Sam Igoe on drums, Kristian Bell on guitar, and Josh Woodward on bass formed in 2017. The band have received radio support from Abbie McCarthy, Radio 1; Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music; John Kennedy, Radio X; Charlie Ashcroft, Elise Cobain, Frankie Francis, Jim Gellatly and Scott McGerty from Amazing Radio to name a few. The band have also featured on Spotify’s Hot New Bands, Indie List and Transistor playlists as well as Amazons Best New Bands playlist, and Apple Music’s Breaking Rock & The A-List.
After a busy summer of festivals packing out tents at Isle of Wight, Truck, and Camden Rocks just to name a few, Mellor decided to build a home studio to self record a five track EP.
‘Dive into the strange’ wraps Mellor’s blistering, guitar-heavy sound into a tight and satisfying body of work. Following the high intensity and energetic blasts of previous releases this year ‘I Don’t Know Where You’re Sleeping Tonight’ and ‘Helsinki’, Mellor present an EP equally as energetic and brimming with the scorching instrumentation this band do superbly. Each track flows seamlessly into the next with ease. From opener ‘Control’ the band execute their refined ability to create sweet majestic guitar melodies and express them to its fullest potential.
The guitar work for me is the highlight of the EP. The band create golden, light and ethereal moments within each track through the clean and precise guitar elements as they venture between harsh sharp strides and shredding nimble solo’s with sweet piercing capacities. The melodies are catchy and powerful ( as is always the case with Mellor ) however with this EP the band carefully create a wonderful sonic soundscape that ventures between dreamy aerial atmospherics and deft heavy magnitude. Title track ‘Dive into the strange’ has a quirky obscurity lying beneath its eerie undertone. With a sublime haunting bass groove and obscure guitar progression the band present a sinister fun-house with danger around every corner while a smooth, vulnerable and naive melody innocently wanders into this instrumental entrapment – consumed by the end of the song by the harsh devouring backdrop.
Punchy drums and playful bass lines are another wonderful element to this bands sound that automatically hook you in – ‘Delicate’ and ‘Hey now, sister’ are prime examples of this. Mellor have clearly spent time carefully layering and placing each component part of their tracks to create a wholly invigorating sound. Gary Kingham’s vocals make Mellor’s tracks instantly recognisable. His warm rasp and dynamic tone emblazon a Mellor stamp on their blistering tracks. When they travel into psych hued territory like with ‘Hey now, sister’ ( which again features magnificent guitar work) his vocals carry this frenzied track wonderfully and maintain the smooth and polished stance while the instruments swirl frantically and chaotically around Kinghams’s steady pace creating a sublime contrast. ‘What if there’s love’ is a spinning concoction which brings us to the end of the EP. It’s a jittery itchy number of abrasive guitars, dizzying bass and manic drums as Kingham screams and wails for the chorus. The track continuously builds in intensity to its expressive crescendo. Mellor end the EP with one blazing track.
‘Dive into the strange’ is a blazing and solid EP as Mellor flesh out their catchy sound adding more substance and intricate elements to create something to be proud of.
You can catch Mellor live at :
11th December – Purple Turtle, Reading (BBC Introducing)
12th December – The Monarch, London (This Feeling)
‘Dive into the strange’ is out on 6th December you can pre order the EP here
Mellor are set to release their first new material of the year, single ‘Helsinki’ on March 22 via AWAL. After a reshuffle of members the new line-up has settled on: Gary Kingham , Sam Igoe , Kristian Bell and Josh Woodward. Mellor have been featured on the Spotify Indie list, Transistor and Hot New bands playlists, Apple Music’s Breaking Bands playlist, had national and local radio support from Tom Robinson, John Kennedy, Frank Skinner and most recently Abbie McCarthy on BBC Radio 1 and have also played at festivals such as HURL Fest, Butefest, Truck Festival, Tex Fest, Are You Listening, Tramlines and Camden Rocks.
‘Helsinki’ is another absorbing indie mammoth from Mellor. Traveling on blistering guitars and a relentless bass groove this track is set to high voltage from the start. Swagger drenched guitars wail, soar and majestically intensify the song while a punchy drum and elastic bass rumble keep that snappy foot tapping foundation that is sure to have a live audience going wild. With a surge of adrenaline through every pulse, beat and guitar tickle this song is one electrifying thrill. The track is tight, as Mellor create an exhilarating wall of sound that crashes into every fiber of your being- filling you with instant energy. Gary Kingham’s warm raspy vocals lace the song in passion and expression as he effortlessly and powerfully holds his own over the mighty instrumental hop and dynamic soundscape. It’s one whirling rush of fantastic indie. Make sure to check ‘Helsinki’ out when its released on March 22nd.
About the track the band said :” ‘Helsinki’ is about someone who has been lead on and given false hope for so long, that they eventually have that realisation, where they should just cut that controlling, self-indulgent person off completely.”
Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Mellor
Reading quartet Mellor are set to release their new single ‘Safe Word’ on August 17 via self release. The Mellor name has been around for about 5 years, but this current line up with Gary Kingham on vocals, Sam Igoe on drums, Kristian Bell on guitar, and Josh Woodward on bass has been together for around eighteen months. The lads took the moniker in homage to a certain Joe Strummer aka John Mellor! It’s this current line up that the band have felt comfortable with the music and sound they’re producing. Kristian, Gary, and Josh have known each other since college, and Sam joined the band thereafter. Last year was the first year of releases with the current lineup, they released four singles ‘Fire on Fire’, ‘Bone Idle’, ‘You Were Right’ and ‘Arms Length’ culminating in an EP at the end of the year. With airplay supports from Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music; John Kennedy, Radio X; Charlie Ashcroft, Elise Cobain, Amazing Radio; Tim Cocker, Virgin Radio; Frank Skinner, Absolute Radio; Linda Serck, BBC Intro Berks the lads are making a name for themselves for sure.
‘Safe Word’ is a strident, scorching example of the refined airtight indie rock this four piece do so well. Raucous guitars grate, shrill and pierce throughout blasting out some slick licks, shredding riffs and thrilling solos that will have you in a kinetic frenzy of awe. The punchy drums batter, bash and rumble out a bounce-able rhythm to make you jump up and down in a state of ecstasy. The groove infested bass weaves an elastic, sensual foundation through this exhilarating piece of gritty indie perfection. The pop drizzled melody is doused in melodious goodness that is sweet nectar to our honey bee ears as it smoothly flows upon the blistering backdrop cooling the mania with its delicious flow and catchiness. The vocal delivery from Kingham once again exudes swagger and passion wrapped in a raspy dynamic coating. Another magnetic and invigorating track from the Reading lads. These guys are travelling full steam ahead and have a bright future.
‘Safe Word’ touches on the aspect of everyone having a comfort zone in their life and how many of us often go through life regretting that we didn’t do certain things. Speaking of the track the band said, “People get very comfy doing the same thing day in day out. We think it’s an interesting thought that can applied to many aspects in life, whether it be work, personal, or social.”
You can catch Mellor Live at :
30th June – Texfest, Leicester
20th July – Actress and Bishop, Birmingham
22nd July – Tramlines Fringe, Sheffield (Record Junkie)
Reading indie quartet Mellor have released their new single ‘Tri-State Blues’. Having recently been tipped by promoters ‘This Feeling’ and Subculture to be ‘Big in 2018’, Mellor’s music has gained exposure from Amazing Radio, BBC 6 Music along with inclusions on Spotify playlists ‘Hot New Bands’, ‘The Indie List’ and ‘Transistor’ (which have a combined following of over 250,000 listeners). The band have had previous gigs playing alongside The Kooks, Bay Rays, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Flyte, and Blaenavon and have now released another catchy banger to wrap your ears around.
A shrilling suave guitar wail introduces ‘Tri-State Blues’ with a choppy steamy swagger that commands your attention. Once that drum kicks in, your hooked. This boisterous panache-soaked track is steeped in adrenaline rushing guitars, punchy drums and dynamic vocals to create a thrilling roller-coaster ride. It’s slick and polished with ear worm melodies that are so smooth and delicious its like they are soaked in honey just to tempt and lure us music mad little bees. The electrifying guitar quivers are riveting while neck snapping hefty elements insure a sweaty, frenzied live performance. Its frenetic yet at the same time cool and chilled as a cucumber. Another sing along ready smasher from the Reading quartet.
You can catch Mellor live at:
28/04/18 – Are You Listening Festival? – Reading
03/05/18 – The Monarch, Camden
12/05/18 – The Horn at The Half Moon, Bishops Stortford
Bio: Alternative rock trio Dramalove, originally from Italy but now based in Canterbury have released their new single ‘Play With You’ It is the lead single off their first full-English EP titled “How To Wear A Broken Heart” and it includes 5 songs picked up from a selection of a 20 demo song package that the band managed to home-record during this first year and a half living in the U.K. It has been mastered in Ashford at the Anchor Baby Recording Company and is due to be released in early 2018, The trio have already achieved a certain level of stardom by reaching the semi-finals of the Italian version of X Factor of which the Italian version allowed bands to apply and team up with artists such Skin from Skunk Anansie and Mika. Dramalove fast gained a dedicated local following in Canterbury, and summer 2017 already saw them touring across the country with gigs in Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester and London.
Track: Play With You
Why We Like It: It’s a slick heavy dose of swagger soaked rock. This smooth criminal is sassy gritty and sensually steamy. With sticky eerie soundscapes smothered on vaporous sharp guitars lines and Matt Bellamy- esque falsetto vocals this track cruises in, in all its stuffy sizzling glory to take over your mind. It’s impressively commanding and luring.
You can follow Dramalove on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/dramalove
Watch the video for ‘Play With You’ below
Bad Family
Genre: Alternative Rock
Bio: Brighton’s Bad Family formed in late 2016 and quickly released EP1 to critical acclaim. They return with EP2 and are ready to claim their place among the indie elite.
Track: ‘On Your Wall’
Frontman Dane Etteridge explains about the track:“Have you ever been with someone, it doesn’t work out and they start sleeping with someone new way too soon after the breakup? Well, thats what ‘On your Wall’ is about, the horrible anxiety and hatred it causes towards the person that you once cared so deeply about, The idea that you shadow is the last thing to leave a room, and your former lover is with their next one before your shadow has had the chance to get out.”
Why We Like It: It’s a stinging knife edged rock track blistering with fiery sharp guitars crashing against punchy drums which creates a thrilling wall of sound. With a catchy chorus and delicious melody this track is instantly likable and fiery. Swirling guitar whines teamed with rumbling drums and a dark chanting bridge create a wholly unique eerie spiky experience. It’s an attitude drenched anthem.
Bio: Zach Leon is an alternative artist based out of Nashville, Tennessee and originally from Kansas City. He was front man for a rock band called ‘Project Zero’ in his earlier years and is now currently pursuing a solo career.
Track: A + K from his ‘Sailawayheart’ album
Why We Like It: It’s a luscious sweet ditty. Creamy smooth and sugar coated this track is melty, heart shaped candied romance. A soft delicate acoustic guitar twinkles along a boppy doo-wop beat while sing along friendly backing vocals and clap along joyous chorus creates a light heart-warming dreamy blissful atmosphere. This track will put a smile on your face and have you swaying happily in no time. With velvety passionate vocals and feathery light skip along rhythm this track is the perfect pick me up.
You can follow Zach Leon on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/zachleonmusicstuff/
Stream ‘A + K’ below
Mellor
Genre: Indie
Bio: Reading Indie four-piece Mellor have had a whole host of national and regional media support from the likes of Absolute Radio, BBC6 Music, BBC Berkshire, BBC London, and BBC Introducing. Labelled by Alt Reading as “one of Reading’s most exciting acts”, they bring a live show packed with high energy, raucous vocals, big guitar riffs, and pounding drums. The bands dedicated following is steadily on the rise thanks to shows up and down the UK sharing stages with the likes of The Kooks, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Flyte, and The Milk.
Track: You Were Right
Why We Like It: It’s a vibrant track stamped with Mellor’s signature infectious blistering indie- so irrepressible and effervescent it bubbles and boils intense adrenaline through your veins. Sharp guitars sting and wail with a brazen zest teasing then gushing through you leaving you craving almost gagging for more. Punchy drums and dynamic vocals bring the track to anthemic heights. It’s one for large crowds bellowing out at the top of their lungs.
You can follow Mellor on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/melloruk/
Stream ‘You Were Right Below’
The Fontaines
Genre: new wave rock
Bio: The Fontaines are a new wave rock duo based in Los Angeles, California comprised of siblings Charlotte Fontaine (vocals) and Hank Fontaine (guitar). They are backed by Xrys Kaplan (drums) and Daniel Zuker (bass) both live and in the studio.They have released a series of singles and EPs while performing across the United States – including a sold-out headlining performance at legendary venue The Troubadour. It was recently announced that The Fontaines will be returning to SXSW in 2018 in support of their new EP ‘Playboys’ which was recorded at Big Bad Sound LA (Rancid) and mixed by Xrys Kaplan and legendary producer Patrick Leonard (Madonna).
Track: ‘Playboys’, the title track from The Fontaines new EP
Why We Like It: It’s blusterous, sassy, attitude driven rock. With a snappy beat and rowdy guitars blazing through a twist ready shimmy and shake groove. This track oozes enough energy to whip you into a frenzy of dancing. It’s raw and gritty with a timeless doo- wop-ness that has been distorted and corrupted adding an edgy aggressive coating. Charlotte’s vocals seamlessly flicker from a soft coo to powerful bellow as the track becomes more dynamic. It’s a razor sharp jubilant frenzy causing number and catchy as hell.
Reading Indie four piece Mellor have released their new single ‘Bone Idle’. The band consisting of members Gary, Sam, Kris, and Josh have had a whole host of national and regional media support from the likes of Absolute Radio, BBC6 Music, BBC Berkshire, BBC London, and BBC Introducing. Labelled by Alt Reading as “one of Reading’s most exciting acts”, they bring a live show packed with high energy, raucous vocals, big guitar riffs, and pounding drums. The bands dedicated following is steadily on the rise thanks to shows up and down the UK sharing stages with the likes of The Kooks, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Flyte, and The Milk.
‘Bone Idle’ is a snappy infectious buzz filled blast of indie rock. Energetic and high powered it sends shivers down your spine creating groove induced dance and shimmy symptoms. Punchy drums slap against shredding razor sharp guitars while elastic bass rebounds with vigorous stamina. Its fizzing instantly catchy indie rock that explodes with youthful energy and some slick piercing guitar moments. With a delectable melody and anthemic chorus ‘Bone Idle’ is destined to be epic live. Raspy vocals and intricately weaved instrumentation add a nice little gritty texture and multi dimension to the track. Once again Mellor knock it out of the park with this peppy effervescent track. These guys just keep on belting out some pretty slick bangers.
Reading indie quartet Mellor have released their new single ‘Fire on Fire’. It’s a catchy number brimming with sweet ear worm melodies, punchy drums and warm blazing guitar moments. This adrenaline pumping anthem bursts with vibrant slick guitar licks and thrilling basslines. Intricate guitar melodies add depth and swagger soaked in effortless golden scintillation while the raspy vocals flood the track with passion and explosive emotion. With a western-like twang and oodles of rock & roll stamina and panache Mellor have knocked it out of the park again with an infectious rich textured track. These guys have a knack with melody, each track they produce is irresistible to the ear and this one is no different, it’s one to put on repeat.
Reading Indie four Piece Mellor have released their new single ‘The Visitor’. The band consisting of members Gary, Sam, Kris, and Josh have had a whole host of national and regional media support from the likes of Absolute Radio, BBC6 Music, BBC Berkshire, BBC London, and BBC Introducing. Labelled by Alt Reading as “one of Reading’s most exciting acts”, they bring a live show packed with high energy, raucous vocals, big guitar riffs, and pounding drums. The bands dedicated following is steadily on the rise thanks to shows up and down the UK sharing stages with the likes of The Kooks, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Carl Barat & The Jackals, Flyte, and The Milk.
New single ‘The Visitor‘ is a jaunty sliver of catchy pop smothered in laid back vibes and effortlessly cool swagger.Its blissfully bright lightweight indie however with meatier and more meaningful elements. Raspy vocals backed by blistering vibrant guitars and punchy drums, its a sway and a bop of vitality smoothened off and rounded with chilled tones and breezy summer vibes. The nimble elastic bass adds depth and movement as the track explodes into a mighty crescendo. Mellor present a track that is tightly bound and polished with all the bounce and slick shifts of a great Indie band while still having depth and a touch of raw edge to keep them fresh and interesting.
Stream ‘The Visitor’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
