Band

English Teacher release ‘Nearly Daffodils’

11th Oct 2023 — Leave a comment

It may be winter but there will be daffodils soon…

English Teacher-Photo Credit Tatiana Pozuelo

Art Punk tour de Force from Leeds, English Teacher, are back with their latest slice of abstract audio, exploring the brutalise of not prospering from your sacrifices.

Comprised of Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth) Douglas Frost (drums, vocals) Nicholas Eden (bass) and Lewis Whiting (lead guitar), the quartet have been releasing music under the moniker of ‘English Teacher’ since 2020. Their latest addition being ethereal “Nearly Daffodils”

Lily Fontaine explained: “‘Nearly Daffodils’ is about heartbreak and acceptance of unfulfilled potential. How, no matter how much you may want something, no matter how much effort you may put into something’s growth or development, no matter how beautiful you can envision its fruition; life is a bitch and about as unstoppable as a freight train”.

Nearly Daffodils English Teacher

Water your seeds and watch how the flowers grow. In this life, rife with hustle culture, pushing through and defying boundaries, exceeding expectations effotlessly it is easy to drown in the deluge of those all tending their gardens. You can dig, plant, care and hope but sometimes, there is frost and snow, an unstoppable obstacle in the way of letting you reap with you sow.

English Teacher delve masterfully into the agonising heartache of what may not be in ethereal track, Nearly Daffodils which boasts a radiant melody, full of optimism and wonder whilst the choppy instrumentals introduce the storm of overshadowing into the forecast. There are so many fields, how will you fill them?

English Teacher-Photo Credit Tatiana Pozuelo

How will creativity survive your own success? Look around, haven’t you got everything you wanted? Why is there so much space in a slight gap when the room is already full? That gap, that space, the size of failure, something not yet achieved, one more effort to prove yourself, but will you do it? How? When?

What happened to doing something out of true devotion rather than to keep up with someone else, a glass square on a glass screen, unseeing eyes can still feel mean. We are all so focused, so fascinating, it’s frustrating when it feels as though despite the superglue, the tape the nails and the screws, everything always comes loose. To fall is too feel and to feel is to be alive, failure is not a dead end it is a diversion, it is up to you where you go with it.

“Sometimes I want to make a home on it,

To look between the wheels I’m scared of being under.

I’ve started knitting in the mornings,

I like to hear the birds sing.”

Nearly Daffodils is the cognitive dissonance of what if and what is. It is hopeful, it is mournful ,it is humanity dressed up as an insightful indie song. It is however hard to pigeon hole into just one genre, somewhere in the haze of layered harmonies, and gritty guitar riffs this song wanders the corridors of the mind, a musical remedy for the mist. Flowing seamlessly from euphonious song to arresting spoken word, this track showcases the creative prowess of the quartet as they cartwheel over metamorphic metaphors and breakdown ballads, to produce a lyrical pool to dive into as you explore your own psyche.

English Teacher’s biting social commentary and unique musical soundscapes have certainly positioned the quartet as influential figures within the emerging indie elite.

Join them on their biggest UK Headline Tour to date:

21st Oct – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
22nd Oct – McChuills, Glasgow
23rd Oct – Cluny 2, Newcastle
24th Oct – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (sold-out)
26th Oct – Scala, London
27th Oct – The Louisiana, Bristol (sold-out)
28th Oct – Heartbreakers, Southampton (sold-out)
29th Oct – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton (sold-out)
31st Oct – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
1st Nov – Night & Day Cafe, Manchester (sold-out)

18th Nov – Elsewhere / Zone One, Brooklyn, NY
22nd Nov – Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA

Afterdrive Release Indie banger “Bad Vibes”

20th Sep 2023 — Leave a comment

Ipswich based indie band Afterdrive have spoiled us with their latest single, ‘Bad Vibes’, contrary to the title, it is sure to have you heading straight to that dance floor on your next night out.

Littered with lyrical alarm bells this song is an auditory warning against siren strangers, those that we may look to when we find no other eyes whilst always knowing they could easily leave us behind, we all want the dancing girl until the lights come on and she isn’t smiling anymore.

Afterdrive
Bad Vibes by Afterdrive

These individuals have a bewitching power, they captivate us with their false promises, wrapped up our wildest dreams they are the people we want to be with despite our intuition telling us to run. Adrenaline and fun, a promise of all that we want, so despite the bad vibes we choose to party all night, driving with them by our side 

Made up of Ben Watts on vocals, Luke Ellis on guitar, Ed Ruff on bass and Joe Watts on drums Afterdrive are a Pop/indie band  defined by their distinctive sound that is begingin to turn heads in the indie scene especially as they have already released three singles; a nostalgic indie track called 99 (which we previously reviewed)and their poignant debut release stick Around, it is no surprise they have a worldwide audience, including fans in Mexico City ,Santiago and London setting them up for international success.

Afterdrive

Lights low, eyes wide, drunken nights and a stranger with a nice smile. The music is loud and the drinks are strong, between the dancing, you get to talking only to realise this person is a walking bad vibe, only making you fall further into their eyes. Through the haze of synth like harmonies, gazey guitar riffs and a proleptic drum beats this song explores the sticky stories smeared on the dancefloor, brought to light by the harsh 6am sun.

“And girl you give me Bad Vibes, Bad Vibes

This ain’t the right time

Long nails, jeans black, sippin’ white wine

She said, she said she want it all night

And I bet you want it all night”

Lyrics to ‘bad vibes’ by Afterdrive

Afterdrive

Bad Vibes offer an eye into the emotional inventory of the narrator, a hand emerges from the wreckage of another failed relationship to guide you through the mist once more. The instrumentals offer a useful framework for interpreting the rollicking pop-rock fervour to come especially with the layered vocals, evocative of words running wild, a tennis match argument that leaves both rackets broken, but both players ready and wanting more, the allure of chaos.

Make some dancefloor stories of your own at their next gig on the 30th of September in iconic, Ipswich venue the Baths, tickets on sale here.

Indie Powerhouse The Publics release explosive new track: Karen’s Song.

8th Aug 2023 — 1 Comment

Someone get the manager…

We all know one, we’ve all heard the horror stories, some of us have even been unfortunate enough to endure one, the Karen experience is a memorable one. In the moment a source of rage but later a laughable dinner time anecdote, the Karen is defined by their outrageous rhetoric and need to micromanage strangers in the streets. Never satisfied, the Karen lives to complain.

Karen’s song

Yet the Karen creatures ways have inspired viral trends, haircuts and now an energy infused song by indie favourite The Publics. Infused with wit and attitude Karen’s song is a trumpet driven, tongue in cheek homage to all those so called ‘Karens’ in the music industry. With a propulsive drum beat, distinctive guitar solos and a booming baseline The Publics have once again delivered, this time dropping the sound of summer, one that will give you the audible armour to show Karen the door before they even open their mouths.

Elliot Stephenson, Ollie Siggee, Ebony Broughton, Josh Porter and Tom Scott- a.k.a The Publics.

Its a song so good Karen themselves would probably be inclined to tap their foot too it, a song dedicated to their relentless mission. It offers the schoolboy charm of rebuttalling a teacher who’s out of place, mischievous yet assertive Karen’s song like the creature itself gets stuck in your head, but this time for all the right reasons, for those of you that have listened to the tack I bet those additive “da dada da dada da’ have come back to the forefront of your brain, hopefully they’ll be there, blocking any Karens out.

Lead guitarist, Elliot Stephenson, has described the song as “a party from start to finish, with the single’s chanty chorus, a fitting juxtaposition to the relentless nagging of a textbook ‘Karen’. The track is proven in winning over large crowds unleashing dance moves from the masses, with a recent live performance even enticing a standing ovation from an audience member in a wheelchair”

The Publics with honourary member Taylor Gadsby.

Maybe it is the refreshed format that have got the band landing on the right ears, since Bassist Tom Scott (formerly of The Crooks) and drummer Ollie Siggee joined the band in April, alongside established trio: Josh Porter (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Elliot Stephenson (Lead Guitar) and Ebony Broughton
(Keyboard/trumpet) the band have seen debut performances at Splendour and YNOT? festival.

Although this does come after a slew of successful gigs, including a sold out headline show at Rough Trade a sold-out Rough Trade supporting the likes for music giants The Reytons, Reverend
and the Makers and Corella, it is perhaps just the feel good formula The Publics posses that is finally landing them their well deserved success.

A formula that is seeing them perform on some of the biggest stages of their career in late 2023; Supporting The sherlocks at rock city and playing alongside noughties favourites McFly at Camper Calling and headlining their own show at The Bodega on December 2nd.

Upcoming gigs
27/08/23 – Camper Calling
14/10/23 – Rock City (supporting The Sherlocks)
02/12/23 – The Bodega (first headline Nottingham show in 18 months)