Industry news & advice blog

ELLiS*D - ‘Drifting’​ 
Serving up a super-charged blend of psychedelic indie with traces of krautrock and art punk, ELLiS*D’s latest single ‘Drifting’ is a deliciously offbeat and compelling offering which will leave you craving more.
 
Exhibiting thrilling changes in tempo and texture, lilting melodic guitars which ebb and flow into chunky garage rock grooves throughout, and of course Ellis’ edgy, petulant vocals, the song is a 7 minute tumultuous extravaganza. He tells us how it came about; “'Drifting' was born out of a day spent locked away in my shared studio space just messing around on instruments without a firm idea in mind - essentially attempting to have a jam session with myself! Whereas I would usually build song structures around initial drum patterns I tried to push myself out of my comfort zone by hopping between various melodies and putting the song together piece by piece.”
 
Raising the roof on the live front, the band can count their first headline tour, gigs at The Windmill Brixton and The Shacklewell Arms, plus a performance at Brighton's 234 Festival as real stand-out shows. The release of their debut EP 'We Are The Last Generation' in December 2021 has driven continued airplay from Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing and Boogaloo Radio.
 
Keen to get out on the road again, ELLiS*D will be performing at a bunch of shows over the course of this year's Alternative Escape festival in May, plus a headline slot at The Shacklewell Arms in June which will act as a release show for a forthcoming single. With even more singles lined-up and an EP primed and ready to go later this year, we can’t wait to immerse ourselves in the deep and murky waters of ELLiS*D during 2022.
 
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Hutch - ‘Radiator Centre’

It’s impossible to feel anything but joyful after just one listen to Hutch’s debut single release ‘Radiator Centre’. With its playful ‘60s cadence, drifting in and out of dream-like time signatures, it builds into a psychedelic haze as swirling harp and guitars weave together with four-part harmonies. The inspiration behind the song sparks as much intrigue as the band’s unconventional sound, and hints at their light-hearted and charming approach to life; “We were mesmerised by a local shop in Brighton called 'The Radiator Centre'. It made us think of a shop that was incredibly hot with all the radiators on: making the room sweltering. We were dreaming of opening windows a lot.”

Formed by Jack Pritchard and Dan Shepherd, childhood neighbours who have been playing in bands together since they were 10 years old, Hutch came to life in February 2020 with the addition of bassist Charlie Bogg. The lockdowns which followed pushed Hutch to write songs about fictional characters, viewing the world through rose-tinted glasses and crafting escapist songs, which were matched with rigorous rehearsals in their conservatory where they perfected their harmonies. As rehearsals eventually moved to the practice room, the trio completed their line-up with drummer Owen Bullock and harpist Eva Lunny.

Although the Brighton five-piece have already played some coveted support slots, alongside the likes of Do Nothing, Oracle Sisters and Yin Yin, to name but a few, they also sold out their first headline show in April to mark the unveiling of ‘Radiator Centre’; an achievement which won’t be forgotten in a hurry… “to see everyone in the crowd wearing special Hutch ‘twang-vision’ glasses was a big moment for us!”

With gig and festival performances still under wraps, the band are certainly excited to hit the circuit this summer, so keep an eye on their social media for announcements. They’re currently on the Glastonbury Festival longlist so we’re keeping everything crossed that Hutch make an appearance there. ‘Radiator Centre’ is out now on all platforms, and the band also have new material ready to record and release, so we wait with baited breath for more of their spellbinding psychedelia.

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Holy Coves - ‘Desert Storm’

Having picked up a lot of descriptors of their music along the way - psychedelic, garage, grunge, alternative and stoner - North Wales band Holy Coves are more than happy to consider themselves a straightforward rock band, although they definitely have a dark and brooding depth to their sound that sets them apart from the standard.

‘Desert Storm’ is their latest single, boasting layers of rumbling guitars, droning undertones and a driving beat, dusted with songwriter Scott’s hazy, melancholic tinged vocals, and a chorus that will reverberate through your mind for days to come. There’s even a twang of Americana lilt, adding another precious component to the mix. Scott tells us more about the origin of the track and its meaning;

“I started writing this song five years ago. It started on a demo EP I recorded with John Lawrence and Erik Wofford called ‘Scars’. It was this idea of four songs which all ended up being on the core base of the new Holy Coves record. I wanted to play something repetitive which could take you on a journey to somewhere different. A journey which drones but takes you somewhere special and brings you back again. Trippy with expanse and swagger.”

Following an introduction through long-time friend and producer David Wrench, the band were put in touch with Texan producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels, Explosions In The Sky) who they have gone on to build quite a magical working relationship with. Erik provides mixing and mastering duties on ‘Desert Storm’ and other material, and his input has played an integral part in Holy Coves’ current sound.

With radio airplay for ‘Desert Storm’ rapidly picking up since its release on prolific local label Yr Wyddfa Records, the band are bound to fuel more attention as they embark on their ‘Druids & Bards’ tour across England, Scotland and Wales. Kicking off in August, and encompassing a massive 24 dates, do yourself a favour and make sure you catch them live. And keep your ear to the ground for a new Holy Coves offering, coming out in August!

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Tomi Tomaski - ‘Coming Back’

Busy crafting his own genre ‘post-indie’ and carving his own uber-cool, lo-fi niche is French born, London resident Tomi Tomaski, who never stops creating; “I record and play everything myself in all sorts of spaces, from my bedroom to my place of work, or different makeshift studios. So the process is very DIY. I'm trying to keep it crisp and dreamy with lots of complementary rhythmical elements.”

And he certainly keeps things fresh! ‘Coming Back’ is his second single, laden with shimmering synths and pulsating guitar, an easy, relaxed groove, and sprinkled with an infectious melody.

Despite its breezy, casual feel, ‘Coming Back’ has struggled to find its place in the world…until now, as Tomi explains: “Coming Back is about FOMO and under-achieving. It stayed with me for a long time as it was never fitting sonically in my previous projects. I wrote the main riff when I first moved to London in 2013 without thinking too much of it. I then took it with me to a writing session with my old band Childhood in my hometown. Then to Atlanta in 2017 as it was supposed to be featured on our album 'Universal High'. We also tried to see if it fitted with my current band Swim Deep. But I just decided I probably should release it myself after all. Sometimes you just gotta do it yourself.”

Having played every instrument under the sun with bands like Swim Deep (drums), Childhood (bass), Oscar Scheller (toybox keys), and Fake Laugh (piano) since he moved to the UK nearly a decade ago, Tomi has been fortunate to experience some stand-out moments so far with his other projects. Touring and headlining major Asian festivals with Swim Deep, recording with Ben Allen (Deerhunter, Animal Collective) in Atlanta, to name just a few. But setting off on a solo musical adventure is a big one too, and has finally given Tomi the opportunity to find his own sound. And if this is what ‘post-indie’ sounds like, we’re full on board.

Another song is on the horizon for summer time, and then we can expect an EP of some description, although Tomi is undecided at present on whether to showcase fresh material, or feature ‘Coming Back’ plus his debut single ‘Pure Love’, and hopefully a couple of extra treats too. Whatever shape it takes, we cannot wait!

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xoxo - ‘My New Habit’
 
The new kids on the Brighton block, xoxo, bring a fresh, cheery and blissed out take on indie pop, dancing halfway between Taylor Swift and Polyphia. ‘My New Habit’ encompasses an eclectic mix of influences, with nods to garage and math rock, as well as enchanting melodic pop hooks.
 
Exploring and laying down their sound has been a significant process for the newly-formed band, and it’s pleasing to hear them approach it in such an open way;
 
“The track was a co-write with Dutch songwriter, Juul de Bruin, whom Vid met at a Twin Atlantic show in Camden. The band then took the ideas and workshopped them together until they formed the final song and arrangement. When we started working on this song, the four of us were basically strangers, so in some sense it’s the sound of a band becoming a band and we really bonded through the writing and recording process!”
 
‘My New Habit’ has already been picking up airplay, including a 3 week run on BBC Introducing in Sussex & Surrey. Following an energetic gig at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton in early April, the four-piece will be focusing on playing live, networking and building their repertoire over the coming months. But don’t worry, there’s more new material on the horizon too, as tracking for xoxo’s next few singles is underway. It’s safe to say things are off to a flying start; “We’re just generally really proud of where we’re at and what we’re doing, considering how new we are, and it’s super cool to see people reacting to and engaging with us so passionately!”
 
And we’re just as excited as the band to see where 2022 will take them!
 
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