UK metalcore band InRetrospect have released their fourth single ‘Safe Haven’ from their new EP.InRetrospect have shared stages with Lastelle, Invisions, Death Blooms, Graphic Nature, Blood Youth, Monasteries, Gassed Up and more, and also played at Burn It Down Festival in 2021. The band’s previous singles have deservedly garnered support from BBC, Amazing Radio, Primordial Radio, Distortion Radio, and more. Furthermore, the band have had support from Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, Tidal and Apple music, surpassing 200,000+ streams on Spotify alone. 2022 sees the band continuing to tour intensely, sharing stages with the likes of We Struck Gold, Tyrants and more.
‘Safe Haven’ roars with the intense and compelling sound of InRetrospect. The band take their heavy metalcore sound and flourish it with melodic choruses and raw brooding verses to create a thrilling listening experience. With gravelly vocal screams over jagged guitar riffs and pummeling drums, the track boasts a heavy and thunderous wall of sound. The song travels at a neck-snapping speed up to the soaring emotive chorus which provides a slight release from the dense instrumental onslaught. Blending angst, rampant basslines and emotive lyrics; “An event so disturbing even earth began to give, What happened to love, What happened to peace” with expressive soundscapes ‘Safe Haven’ is a fantastic new single from InRetrospect.
Sam Wickens has released his new single, ‘The Devils With Me Now’. In 2017 Wickens worked with legendary American record producer Tony Visconti (producer of scores of albums by major artists including: David Bowie, T.Rex, Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn, Moody Blues, Marc Almond, Kaiser Chiefs, etc) as a featured artist on a Sky Arts documentary about Tony’s amazing life and career ‘Tony Visconti’s Unsigned Heroes’. This led to Wickens working closely with music icons including Stuart Copeland, Nitin Sawhney, and Imelda May, and performing live at Union Chapel, London supported by legendary saxophonist Howie Casey (Paul McCartney) and top afro-urban band the Compozers.
‘The Devils With Me Now’ is a wonderful anthem from Sam Wickens. With just guitar accompaniment, subtle piano twinkles and warm delicate soundscapes encasing his voice, the track highlights Wickens’ ability to convey emotion through evocative minimalist arrangements. Wickens has become known for creating meaningful and emotive music and ‘The Devils With Me Now’ follows this trend superbly; the song surges with refined musicianship and poignant songwriting. His velvety vocals croon earnest lyrics, “I hate all that I wanna be. My life keeps bringing me down. I’m helpless but at best I just keep pushing things around“ over a jubilant guitar strum that chugs along with a foot-tapping groove while the rich tones within his voice soothe and provide comfort from the hard-hitting lyrics. An interesting aspect of the song is the vibrant folk tone that runs throughout the soundscape of the track. This radiant element contrasts the track’s lyrical content and exudes a carefree vibe that is sure to lift listener’s spirits. ‘The Devils With Me Now’ is an exciting glimpse into the many facets of Wickens’ sound while at the same time giving listeners a catchy little ditty to indulge in.
The Black Skies have released their debut single ‘Unchained’. Band members James Handley (Vocals) and Luke Falkingham (Guitar) formed the British rock/soul band in 2020 and describe their sound as a mix of melancholy rock and soul. During lockdown The Black Skies decided to work on their unique sound in Reel Production Studios with Ben Hammond and producer Paul Gorry, with the band eventually recording their first release, ‘Unchained’. The single has been mixed by world-renowned record producer George Shilling whose credits include Oasis, Primal Scream, Blur and Ocean Colour Scene. ‘
‘Unchained’ is a powerful tune that boasts the sleek and tantalising sound of The Black Skies. The band weave chic guitar melodies through a gyrating bass groove and stomping beat to create an expressive soundscape throughout while soulful vocals and soft brass elements twinkle in the background. This song unfolds beautifully revealing new sounds and layers with each verse. Showcasing string elements and shredding guitar melodies, the track is an enticing delight with a full-bodied wall of sound that balances alternative pop with R&B/funk flirtations. ‘Unchained’ is an irresistible new song from The Black Skies.
Taylor Byrne has released his new single, ‘Flashback Polaroid’. Taylor Byrne is a multi-instrumental singer/songwriter based in Dublin, Ireland. He has spent the last year honing his craft on Grafton Street in the tradition of buskers such as Glen Hansard and Damien Rice. Drawing inspiration from a vast tapestry of influences, the single speaks to the universal pangs of love, loss, and longing in an intimate, vulnerable fashion.
‘Flashback Polaroid’ is a mellow, laid back tune that uses minimalist arrangements to create a heart-gripping listening experience. A warm guitar and wispy soundscapes create a summer afternoon vibe while honest lyrics express themes of love, lust and longing; “bad sex to fill the void come down before you get too high, Swipe right on vanity desperate for clarity, wings clipped before we reach the sky….“I want you, you want me”. The song is a joy to listen to and a fine example of Byrne’s blossoming sound and expressive songwriting. Well crafted, catchy and wonderfully emotive, ‘Flashback Polaroid’ is an impressive new single from Taylor Byrne
Alexis Kings have released their new single, ‘Sundaze’. Playing shows across the country and internationally, Alexis Kings have been making an impact performing sold-out London dates, an impressive set on Gaby Roslin’s BBC London show whilst accumulating over 2 million streams on Spotify. The band consists of frontman Brendan Aherne (Vocals) and Fabio Bocca (Drums) whose varying influences fuse Alexis King’s distinctive and soulful sonic identity.
‘Sundaze’ blends elements of soul, R&B and pop to create a sweet sunkissed tune for listeners to indulge in. The track is an easy on the ears delight as Alexis Kings’ velvety sound surges with emotion and irresistible grooves, enhanced by the track’s smooth delicate melody, elastic bassline and shimmering synths. In true Alexis Kings style the song is quite the earworm; bubbling R&B beats, soft brass elements and chiming keys inject a chic, strut-like quality into the tune that is just irresistible. Filled with warm vocals and polished production, ‘Sundaze’ is a mind soothing musical gem laced with refined musicianship and the charming sound of Alexis Kings.
Talking about the new track, Alexis Kings share: “The song is about people being locked away in the pandemic away from the opposite sex, lustfully daydreaming. The lyrics tell a story of a guy sitting in a smoky room who scripts his thoughts. At the end of the day we all went through the same thing so we know many people will relate.”
Irish indie-pop-rockers modernlove. have released their new single, ‘Islands’.The Drogheda band have also announced details of their brand new EP, ‘Oh My Mind’ EP which is set for release on July 29th on Akira Records (Phoria, Henry Green, Mt. Wolf, Rosie Carney, Shura). It follows the recent announcement of their debut UK and Ireland headline tour which will take place in November this year, including dates at London’s Camden Assembly and Dublin’s Button Factory.
Filled with earnest lyrics, effervescent synths, glittering guitars and slick basslines, ‘Islands’ is an invigorating display of indie pop. modernlove. take a sweet melody laced in melancholic tones and surround it with vibrant soundscapes to create an infectious tune for listeners to enjoy. However, the track deals with heavy subject matter as the lyrics depict the conflicting pressures and aching emotions caused by torn relationships “I don’t know what to say when my brother says is it his? is it hers? are we moving house?”. modernlove. are such an exciting band to listen to. They are masterful storytellers whose powerfully emotive songwriting is encased in upbeat vibrant instrumentation. The result is catchy tunes that pack a punch both lyrically and musically.
About the new single, the band said, “Islands is a classic coming of age story. Trying to cope with the fallout of a family coming apart due to divorce and one’s own romantic relationship coming to an end at the same time. It tells the story of both, blurring them into one at times.
“The song is about the distances between people in their relationships and how for some, it seems too impossible a task to even try to bridge those gaps.
These people are made into “islands” by the oceans they must travel each day to meet and see each other eye to eye.
“The song explores ways people try to deal with this struggle and this loneliness whether it be drink, drugs or sex but in the end it recognises that they are simply in a painful situation that they must accept and let happen as the song ends with the repeated words: “It’s coming apart and I can’t face it, I don’t wanna break down but I can’t take it”.
modernlove. 2022 November UK & Ireland Tour Dates:
The Backseat Lovers performed their debut Irish show, in The Button Factory last Wednesday night as part of Eastbound Dublin. Their show was completely sold out, following two venue upgrades. The Salt Lake City four-piece have had huge streaming success. They independently released, their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ which smashed through industry ceilings after its 2019 release with 120m+ Spotify streams for the international phenomenon that is their single ‘Kilby Girl’ along with achieving a sold-out, first-ever 48-date US Tour and a Lollapalooza debut last year.
I spoke to Joshua Harmon (vocals/guitars), Jonas Swanson (vocals/guitars), Juice Welch (drums) and KJ Ward (bass) before their show in The Button Factory.
The Backseat Lovers have become known for their sun-kissed indie rock sound. The guitar in particular is an irresistible factor in this band’s songs. The sweet mellow and nimble guitar melodies weave soothing tones through each song, making every track utterly glorious to the ears.
Joshua: “ I think we look at guitar melodies pretty similar to the vocal melodies. They both guide the song and sometimes either/or will come first, especially with our older stuff, some of those songs will revolve around a riff or it would revolve around the melody and the riff would come later. It’s always sort of different”
Though the songs are laid back and melodious there is enough grit to keep each song interesting. ‘Pool House’, is a fine example of this, the song builds to a shredding guitar-heavy crescendo that is just exhilarating and the band explained to me how they crafted the song.
Joshua: “Well, I started writing that song on a classical acoustic guitar at a party somewhere. I guess it’s the morning after a very bad party and I was in Southern California. So it kind of…came from weird, some sort of beachy energy somehow. When we started playing it as a band, it kept that energy. I remember the moment we were in my parent’s basement, we were jamming it and I hadn’t written the chorus yet. It was once we kind of written that chorus we were just jamming it and I just started singing that “wait outside”, just that melody. It wasn’t even any lyrics yet, it was just singing that melody, and it got heavier as we kept jamming it, so it’s naturally the evolution, having a heavier side once it got to the chorus.”
The Backseat Lovers have an intricate sound. They carefully build the tracks to create catchy, light tunes filled with oodles of passion that is enhanced by delicately placed instrumentation. This creates a mature and lush listening experience. I wondered how the band write their songs and if they approached writing like a jamming session or if each member brings bits they have written to each other to work with.
Jonas: “I think that one depends too, a lot of the songs we have out were songs that Josh had written and then brought to us and we all arranged our parts. But as we’ve kept playing together as a band, we’ve started to, write songs more out of just jams or, either me or Josh coming up with a seed of an idea and then bringing that to the band and it growing from there. But there’s lots of different ways. We like to continue to explore new ways too.”
Well crafted and clever lyrical content is an obvious element in each of the band’s songs. Lines such as “Feels like a night to carry a tune, I’ve been carrying yours since you wrecked my room” “So we chase jack with love” from Kilby Girl eloquently express subtle messages and poetic undertones. The band explained to me the effort that goes into coining these lyrical elements and how they don’t feel pressure from outside influences to write poignant lyrical content.
Joshua: ” I feel Jonas and I are the main lyric writers and yeah, we’ve probably spent hours and hours most days churning through lyrics. Sometimes you’re just singing a melody and the lyrics are making their way into the melody in a very natural way in real time and sometimes it’s much more methodical, like trying out different puzzle pieces to fit the rhythm of the song and make a rhyme, and a certain cadence. It’s a combination between the two. It’s really fun, and it’s incredibly frustrating. It’s the best and worst part in my opinion”
Joshua: “ We don’t really feel pressure from outside. I think we have a certain amount of pressure that we create for ourselves. I think, at least for me, when I’m writing a song, it’s so much more.The only reason I’m doing it is to feel like I’m doing something for myself and I’m connecting with myself. When I think of something and it clicks and I’ve been working on it, for a second I feel it click in place. It’s the most satisfying feeling, it’s like Oh, I haven’t done that before, that pushed a little further than I went last time, you know. So that’s where the pressure comes from.”
Jonas: “Sometimes the most satisfying lyrics, feel the most genuine and I feel a connection to, are really simple ones that don’t really have a lot, I guess, super poetic value to it. But because they’re just saying exactly how it is, sometimes that’s even better than something that’s really flowery, I think.”
The Backseat Lovers’ song titles are interesting. They aren’t obvious song titles, they appear random with hints to the lyrics within the song. This adds a new dimension and meaning to the songs. Maple Syrup is a superb example of this. We spoke about what sparked that name for the song.
Joshua: “With the first album there is a strange arrangement of song titles. It’s something that’s fun when you can think of a song.. because naming a song isn’t very fun, generally, in my opinion it’s kind of like the last part, it’s like okaynow we have to name the song. But with those ones, it was really quite fun, because there were certain important backstories behind certain lyrics that only I would know about, that would end up making their way into the song title and Maple Syrup, I wrote about my friend. In the second verse, I’m talking about the purple sweater that he left at my house and he smelled like maple syrup. So that was where that came from.”
The band have been making waves in the music industry independently. With over 120m streams, their UK and Irish run of shows all sold out and they return to the US to support Jack White on his Arena tours. I asked the band if they had any advice for any upcoming independent artists and if we can look forward to their next album soon.
Joshua: “I think, take it with a grain of salt because we don’t know what the hell we are doing. We’ve always understood the reason why we’re making music in the first place. Ask [yourself] that question, then answer it and then act with that as the centre of what you’re doing. If you want to make music to get attention, then you have to know that’s why you’re doing it. But if you’re making music because it fulfils you, and because it’s something that you care about and you want to share it with people and that’s why you’re doing it doesn’t really modify it, essentially, if you’re acting on principles [that are] reasonably good.”
Jonas: “Yeah, we’ve been recording [album] for the last year. We still don’t have a date yet, but it’s getting close.”
Joshua:”Yeah, it’s about done”
The Backseat Lovers are crafting their sound beautifully to create tunes filled with compelling indie rock, wonderful intricate melodies and first-rate musicianship. Their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ is just a glimpse into the many talents of this band. I’m looking forward to hearing what delicious musical gems they have in store for us with their next release.
SODAPOP has released his new single ‘Kevin’s Famous Chili’. This luscious indie-pop ditty is a glorious example of SODAPOP’s sweet and charming sound. He coats a candied melody in hazy sun-kissed vibes to create a bright atmosphere while a light spritz on guitar injects a dash of zest into the song’s opulent soundscape. The ethereal and dreamy effect SODAPOP’s songs have is mesmerising, he has a talent for creating songs that flood with smooth melodies backed by expressive instrumentation making each release absolute manna to the ears. Filled with bouncy rhythms, smooth vocals and an upbeat atmosphere ‘Kevin’s Famous Chili’ is a magnificent example of this.
About the track SODAPOP said: “This song is a homage to the scene from The Office where Kevin spills his Kevin’s Famous Chili and desperately tries to scoop it back into the pot with loose papers. It’s simultaneously hilarious and depressing, which is how I feel about my life a good portion of the time. A while back I used Spotify’s Listen Alike feature and found me and Kevin’s actor’s listening habits are apparently 85% similar. So I can relate to him in many ways lol. My goal with this song is for Kev to hear it and be like ‘nice.’”
Dublin Producer, Songwriter & Multi-Instrumentalist, Cabin has released his new single ‘Whatever You Have’. The fourth single to be released under Cabin, ‘Whatever You Have’, completes the collection of four tracks conceived and produced within a particular time, that ultimately led to the inception of Cabin as a musical project. Cabin (aka Adam McCabe) began crafting his songwriting and production skills as part of post-punk outfit Brass Phantoms. He has had his music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, Spotify’s Hot New Bands and more.
‘Whatever You Have’ delves deep into Cabin’s expressive psychedelic pop sound. The track is a wonderfully emotive listening experience and doused in pristine soundscapes of twinkling keys, intense electronic pulses and driving rhythms. Soul-infused vocals ripple throughout, gently guiding the listener through the track’s rich instrumental bed before the song dissolves into its powerful psychedelic finale. The track is a joy to listen to and is a mesmerising example of Cabin’s writing and production skills.
On the track, Cabin says; “This is a piece that embodies how I look at and approach creating music as an individual. That we now have the ability to create something far larger than ourselves, we should strive towards that.”
Dublin Four-piece Emily 7 have released their new single and fan favourite from live sets ‘Oh Me Oh My’. I spoke to Kyle and Scott Bellow, Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig about their new single, songwriting and their energetic stage presence.
The last time I spoke with Emily 7 the band was a two-piece consisting of brothers Kyle and Scott Bellow. At that time we discussed the potential of adding more members to the band and I was intrigued to find out what sparked the decision to welcome Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig into the Emily 7 family.
Scott:“Well, over lockdown myself and Kyle, we really started to look into the production side of things a bit more, looking at it a bit more carefully and looking at the live sound at the time wasn’t half as, I suppose, good as it could be. We knew both Daniel and Brandon. I knew Brandon through college and we knew Daniel from gigging in the past together and just being on the scene. We always got on, we just made the decision to go from two to four, what was the worst that could have happened you know, and we’re happy we did”
The addition of two new members has given the band the ability to expand and evolve their sound to create rich diverse tunes and dynamic live performances.
Daniel: “Yeah, the sound definitely changed a lot just because it was like the two boys to begin with. So when me and Brandon came in we were like, what else can we do because the songs are already class to begin with. It was just supporting the arrangement bit that was their big thing.”
Brandon: “Yeah broadening the harmonic structure as well along with filling out the sound especially in recording and we looked to adding more instruments as well in the recording.”
Daniel: “Yeah I think in ‘Oh Me Oh My’ we have a piano. We’re changing constantly, seeing what we can do better and what we can add. It is the four brains thinking there and we all have different influences. It’s like, oh, what can I put in.”
Brandon: “We gel it together as well with our own unique styles and it blends you know. “
Daniel: “ It oddly works.”
Writing songs as part of Emily 7 is a collaborative process. Each member brings their strengths and styles into the rehearsal room and the result is a melting pot of shredding guitar, resounding drums, catchy melodies and a plethora of indie rock goodness.
Kyle: “I suppose the four of us would have our own ideas individually. Then we just bring them to the rehearsal and flesh it out from there. The odd time, we could come in with fully formed songs or whatever, but more often than not it’s bringing in the bare-bones structure to see what as a collective piece we can add to the song to make it the type of song we’d be happy to put out.”
Emily 7 have released their new single ‘Oh Me Oh My’. It’s a catchy tune that pivots around indie guitar hooks and buoyant rhythms which translate well in the recording. The song depicts the feelings of regret the day after a night out and the lyrics slowly reveal the memories of the protagonist as the song progresses.
Kyle: “That song in particular came very quick. Some songs you can find yourself gruelling over for a long period of time but fortunately that was very quick. From the initial writing of the song compared to the version we released, it’s completely different. When we were in the studio recording it, as Daniel mentioned, there was the four of our brains bouncing off each other. As the lads mentioned, there’s a piano in the final recording which was just one of them spur of the moment ideas and the backing vocals as well because that’s something we’ve never really experimented with before. It was just on the fly in the studio. So, it went through some development, from the initial song to what we came out with but we’re very happy with how it turned out in the end.”
Kyle and Daniel share main vocals on some of Emily 7’s songs providing a refreshing listening experience throughout their tunes. We discussed how they share out the different vocal parts and if they write songs with the other in mind for the vocal.
Daniel: “ It kind of just comes when I write the song. I’m like, oh, I won’t be able to sing this so I’ll ask Kyle to do it, type thing. It’s just something that clicks. I just know Kyle’s voice. So it’s like, oh, he’ll sound like he has more meaning when he’s saying this, as opposed to me.”
Kyle: “Yeah, If I bring the idea of a song in, I’ll end up singing it or vice versa if Daniel brings something in and I suppose just going from there and just figuring out the arrangements and then help to flesh it out and make it into the fully finished song that we’d like. It’s just something that happens naturally.”
“There’s a handful of songs I suppose where Daniel comes in with a song, he’ll sing the verse, I might do the chorus or vice versa and then I suppose thinking about the backing vocals and such but there’s no power struggles.”
Emily 7 exude swagger and energy on stage. From suave guitar poses or standing on the drum stool to effortless banter with the crowd, the band appear to have a tight and flawless stage persona. For a young band, they know how to put on a show and get the crowd moshing in a manic frenzy.
Scott: “To be honest, it is completely on the fly. It really does come from the crowd’s energy. Every gig is different. Every gig is unique. We don’t work off a script or even on some nights we will decide to play a certain song that hasn’t been in our set in a good while. It really does depend on the crowd, the venue and the gig and just really how we’re feeling I suppose. We put more focus into creating good music because that’s really what it’s about at the end of the day it’s not about a swagger really as such. We’re there to create good music and if the swagger comes along with that so be it. If people enjoy it, they enjoy it, if not f*ck off.”
‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a great track live. I have seen Emily 7 live a few times and this particular song is a hit with their fans and the crowd seem to love bellowing back the lyrics.
Scott: “Yeah, well, for me personally I don’t write many of the lyrics but I see a lot of these tracks when they are just general ideas and we’re bouncing them around in the studio. When you work on something for a long time and then, you notice that other people are getting enjoyment out of it, it’s great. I think it’s the best feeling in the world. You can only keep these things secret for so long and you have to let it out to other people. I think I speak for the rest of the band as well there are some songs that I think we personally don’t even like ourselves. However, other people have gotten enjoyment out of it and I think that really is the main thing, to be honest.”
Daniel: “Yeah for me and Kyle [we] definitely have where it’s like, oh, I wrote this in my bedroom, and you’re like playing the venue and people are enjoying it.”
I wondered if it was the live reaction to the song that made the band release ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ as their next single.
Kyle: “We released a couple of tracks last year and any time we played that song people seemed to like it even if it wasn’t necessarily a gig like if we were in rehearsals, and some of our friends were with us they always seem to like that song so when it got around to recording the next single it was a no brainer really, considering other people liked [it] anytime we played it live. Hopefully, people like the recording as much as they like it live.”
Brandon: “ I’ve seen people singing it live before it was released as well. It wasso easy to catch on to as well, but a lot of people, even that we knew personally as well they would be listening to the song and you’ll hear them singing along in the rehearsal as well.”
The four-piece are a young band making their imprint on the music industry with people like Liam Gallagher giving them a shoutout and brand endorsements from Fred Perry and Dr. Martens as well as playing their own sell-out headline shows in Whelan’s, The Workmans and The Grand Social. From their experience so far the band had some advice for a budding young band trying to make a name for themselves.
Scott: “To be honest, getting involved with other people is the main thing anddon’t be too close to yourself. You really need to be willing and open to other ideas, collaborating with other people and communication is the main thing but just work really hard. I think that the decision I made years ago to start playing drums was probably the best decision. I’ve met some friends that I’ll know for the rest of my life. I’ve been in some wacky places and stuff. It’s not a choice that you’d regret. Give it your all and just enjoy what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“I’ve made the choice now that I’m not going to be a bank manager in a coupleof years. I just enjoy what I’m doing and the only reason someone would say don’t do it or anything they’ve obviously not tried it or experienced it themselves you know. I’m 19 and the stuff that we’ve done so far, I’m very proud of and I don’t think there is a lot of people this age that do stuff like that. I don’t think there’s a lot of people enjoying themselves this much in that sense. I’m really having the time of my life really. I love this band, I love gigging, I love releasing music it’s all great. It all just works out. It’s brilliant.”
Emily 7 have some exciting few months ahead and the quartet told me what is next on their plan for world domination
Scott; “ Well we will start with Dublin then the world. We will be playing This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd and we’re also supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May. So yeah we will be releasing more tracks, a collection of tracks, an EP at the end of the year. They’re really good tracks. I think in the past we’ve been patient to say the least in terms of releasing music. Yeah, we’ve been spending a lot of time rehearsing and, writing in the studio and we have a lot of new sounds and new ideas. But until then, you can catch us supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May and playing at This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd.”
Emily 7 are a hard-working and dynamic band who lace their songs with effervescent indie rock and oodles of talent. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a fine example of this. The track is filled with jaunty guitars, a bustling bass and drum foundation and warm vocals. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a satisfying new tune to indulge in again and again.
Stream ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
