For fans of The Beatles and The Velvet Underground to The Verve and Primal Scream, The Watchmakers are the band plugging a Mancunian attitude into wielding psych. Think the glistening realms of The Temples, meets the iconic groove of The Stone Roses, with a deep push for expanding experimentation.
The Manchester band are seeing a growing reputation with tips from XFM to BBC Introducing and NME. They were also recently selected as a This Feeling ‘Band of The Month’.
‘To Be Part Of You’ sold out as December’s limited edition release on Blak Hand Records. Diving into a 60s enthused spin; The Watchmakers add a pounding charisma to the modern psychedelic world. Mysterious and atmospheric, the track floats into and elevates the soul with kaleidoscopic sound.
‘Kiss The Sun,’ out now on Loaded Soul Records, sees the four-piece continue to chime in classic song-craft, adding a contemporary allure. With circling instrumentation to spell the listener into a daze, vocals latch onto the ears in a magnetic bliss, ‘You’re the only one, only one, only one, only one to kiss the sun.’ The Watchmakers bring the catching lyrical hook of indie-rock into the absorbing sound of psych with a refreshing breeze.
The Watchmakers play Manchester’s Night & Day this Saturday on the This Feeling bill (August 29th)
Having begun by supporting the likes of the successful The Rifles and The Orwells, to prestigious big names from James to The Courteeners, it’s no surprise Blossoms are starting to be the band on everybody’s lips. Forming back in 2013, Blossoms develop their own genre ‘Ethereal Nostalgic Sonance’. Although that may sound too pretentious for some, it captures the bands new approach to the psychedelic. Sure, the likes of The Temples to The Moons have been approaching this genre for a while, but Blossoms mark out their own special stamp on it.
The band forms a flourish from Stockport and Manchester. Tom Ogden performs lead on vocals and plays guitar, Charlie Salt on bass, Josh Dewhurst on lead guitar, and Joe Donovan takes drums, whilst Myles Kellock hits keys. The groovy group’s debut single has already been aired on the likes Radio One and Xfm. With the influence of The Coral’s James Skelly as producer, the boys create a perplexing official debut, (see ‘Their official debut…’ below).
The video to ‘You Pulled A Gun On Me’, paints Blossoms as enigmatic, in plunges of darkness and spirals of smoke. The track of slow moving psychedelia, is enough to bewitch. Clicks of percussion and tinkers of cymbal, build with helter-skeltering guitar. ‘Won’t you make love to me like you did?’ pleads Ogden, with a smooth and sultry, enchanting voice. The speed and rhythm, along with dancing underlying bass, adds a Merseybeat feel, to the cooling record.
Their official debut single ‘Blow’, sees the band come out of the darkness slightly in its video, moving into a foggy basement. However, they certainly don’t come out of an entrancing darkness in sound. Lashings of drums and an oozing bass line flowers, into a seductive swagger. The track twists and turns, like a kaleidoscope. A tale of cold or unrequited love, is spookily sung, ‘And I don’t know if it’s love she wants…’ The chorus at times dives underwater before leaping back out again, with a spitting attitude, it belts ‘Yeah she blows!’ It’s guitar solo breaks down with infectious, fuzzy, 60s-esque funk.
With the ability to pen great lyrics, they follow in the way of many classic song writing bands before them. However, their gloomy, wielding psychdellia, sets them out from the crowd. Blossoms moody spirals twinkle with electric light and mystifying shade.
You can pre-order the single ‘Blow’ on limited edition vinyl now at: www.blossoms.tmstor.es/
‘Blow’ sees release October 20th, on James Skelly’s Skeleton Key Records.
Blossoms have a vast series of live dates, across the country, through from September to November, to catch a show near you, see their website for details: http://www.blossomsband.co.uk
It is no surprise that Childhood was declared a ‘band to watch in 2014’, by the BBC and The Guardian. The London based, indie quartet, produce the most soothing of psychedelic sounds. The euphoric ensemble came together at Nottingham University, in 2010. Lead, Ben Romans-Hopcraft and fellow student, guitarist, Leo Dobsen came together. They together concocted the founding’s of the band’s dreamy spell. Later, Daniel Salamons took up bass, whilst Chris O’Driscoll became Childhood’s drummer. O’Driscoll was later replaced, with the groups now drummer, Jonny Williams.
The single that burst them onto the British press was 2012’s ‘Blue Velvet’. A track of swanky and sauntering bass, decorated with dreamy spirals of guitar. Romans-Hopcraft’s vocals bounce and float across the band’s debut, playfully. It is immediate that the group take influence from 60s pschycedellia right through to 70s funk, with their both transcendental and bouncy feel. Childhood’s follow up release, was the soaringly seductive ‘Solemn Skies’, a year later.
What helped to increased Childhood’s rise to attention, was their place as Palma Violets support band, in 2013. However, where are Palma Violets now? It seems Childhood have swept past their formers, in the indie band stakes. Moving forwards, Childhood are now set to support the legendary likes of Jonny Marr in October.
This year, the band bring even more sonic releases to our ears. ‘Falls Away’ begins dark and mysteriously, rising with sweeping vocals and layers of guitar work. Romans sings ‘it falls so hard, it falls away,’ with a whimsical whisper. He drifts us into a utopian realm of listening.
Their latest track ‘As I Am’, although not officially released, is now streaming on SoundCloud. Cooling oohs and twangles of guitar begin the piece, with sweet sounds of summer. It rises to a funky beat and Childhood’s trademark floating vocals. ‘So tell me what you want to do and take me as I am,’ asks Romans-Hopcraft in a handsome cool breeze. The song spirals and swirls, in sweeps of sweetening sound.
With debut album ‘Lacuna’ around the corner, The MOVER is in anticipation. It is certain that Temples have competition, in the psychedlic realm, with this band. But Childhood approach psych with a new agenda. Their style is of a more seductive sweetness, than the likes of Temples brash collisions of sound. And it’s as refreshing as an ice cold drink on a summer’s day.
‘Lacuna’ is out on August 11th
Childhood celebrate their albums release with a launch show in London. And they are set for their own live dates in October, alongside supporting Jonny Marr. For further details see their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/childhoodband
The MOVER 