Industry news & advice blog

Mirror Shot – ‘Crutch’ 

Mirror Shot started out as an instrumental project, not entirely by choice. After an extensive search for a suitable vocalist to front the band, guitarist Niall decided to take one for the team and sheepishly stepped up to the plate. It is easy to imagine his band mates quietly cursing him for not coming forward sooner, as it turns out that he's pretty darn good. Still, the temporary lack of a melodic focal point has undoubtedly played a part in shaping the intricacies of the band's songwriting and could well be a blessing in disguise.

After such a winding road to the band's debut single, the London based 4-piece aren't in the mood for any faffing about. Since its release, 'Crutch' has gained them airplay on Amazing Radio and BBC Music Introducing in London, a shed load of blog coverage and even a revered spot on Spotify's Fresh Finds playlist.

Such attention is to be expected when Mirror Shot seems to hit the mark so adroitly at the first attempt. The textures feel instantly familiar, melding together the band's American indie, shoegaze and dreampop influences. Their touchstones are "all the shiniest bits of alternative guitar music over the decades", with Car Seat Headrest, Pavement and Television quoted as regular comparisons.

Part of this familiarity could well come from the fact that it was recorded at Bark Studio with Brian O'Shaughnessy (MBV, Primal Scream, The Clientele), a studio packed with vintage equipment that lends itself perfectly to the natural warmth of ‘Crutch’.

The track creeped into Niall's head almost fully-formed whilst he was on his honeymoon. Although it wasn't the obvious choice for a debut single, the authenticity of its sentiment added to its appeal:

"I never imagined myself marrying as young as I did, so it all poured out of the strange mix of feelings at the heart of that fairly easily. We were conscious that as a bit of a ballad, it's not massively representative of the rest of our sound... but we thought (or at least hoped) there was something a bit special about it!"

Mirror Shot are mainly burrowed away recording material until the New Year. They're venturing out for their last gig of 2019 today (7th November), at Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney. It'd be silly to miss that one if you're in the area.

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Sun, Moon & Talia – ‘Depend On’

Sun, Moon & Talia are an alternative-pop duo from Manchester consisting of Max Homberger (keys) and Natalia Tavini (vocals, guitar and keys). Their distinctive sound draws influence from all corners of the alternative, culminating in an avant-garde soundscape that is hard to pin down, but instantly absorbing. They do a great job of translating this to the stage as well, gaining them a stellar reputation for putting on a good show. Their personal highlight came last year, in the shape of a slot to support Ambiere at one of their favourite venues, The Deaf Institute.

Their latest single, 'Depend On', is the conclusion of a storyline played out in two previous releases, 'Darc' and 'Elusive. The passage through the three tracks is hypnotic, each single seems to ascend ever skywards until 'Depend On' finally pierces the atmosphere and propels its listener into outer space.

Amongst the off kilter percussion and pulsating pads, it is clear that Sun, Moon & Talia thrive on the collision of the synthetic and the organic. There is an otherworldly elegance in Natalia's vocal, levitating ethereally above a pixelated orchestra. Natalia and Max astutely describe this deliberate contrast as, "A Four Tet meets Laura Marling kind-of-vibe." What more could you ask for?

There are even more single releases in the diary for Sun, Moon & Talia in the coming months, so give them a follow to stay in the know. They're also collaborating with the brand new film, art and music magazine, 'GULP', and are set to feature in their first edition. You can see them doing their live thang at GULP's launch party at Night & Day Cafe, Manchester on 29th November [ https://dice.fm/event/l38ox-gulp-magazine-launch-29th-nov-night-day-caf-manchester-tickets ] alongside Mister Strange, B.Spanks with Fruit and The Big Peach.

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Cavalcade – ‘Blueness Is A Heavy Stone’

Mental health is topic on the lips of many in recent years…and rightfully so… but London four piece Cavalcade have managed to skilfully craft and elevate a sensitive subject into a bonafide rock anthem with ‘Blueness is a Heavy Stone’. But as the band attest to themselves, picking yourself up when times are bad is key:

“At the time I remember there being a lot of personal stuff going on within each member of the bands lives, and we were all really supportive of each other and discussed our mental health very openly. I think this inspired Connor’s lyrics and suited the mood and feeling of the band at the time, which was a real brotherly love and uplifting spirit when times were shit. As a group of young men, we felt it important to talk about our experiences while also giving this sense of optimism through both the lyrics and musicality of the song. It’s a great tune, and I’m really proud of how it’s turned out and the reception it’s received.”

With Cavalcade’s debut single ‘Alkaline’ being championed as John Kennedy’s ‘X-Posure Hot One’, it was inevitable that ‘Blueness Is A Heavy Stone’ would be a hotly anticipated release, and the blog reaction alone to the single underlines that fact. Vent, Gigslutz, Northern Exposure, Indie Is Not A Genre, and countless other tastemaker blogs are firmly on board.

Newly signed to These Bloody Thieves Records, the band have also built a cast-iron reputation live with performances at Isle of Wight Festival, plus 2 shows in Gibraltar coming up this December. If you can’t make it to Gibraltar, then fear not as Cavalcade are regulars on the London circuit…and we strongly suggest you check them out.

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MaRRius – ‘Back To Strangers’

A sophisticated amalgam of warped synths with soulful vocals, ‘Back To Strangers’ is a smoothly produced pop gem that keeps you on edge. The intense yet infectious vibe certainly comes from those offbeat piercing electronic sounds, and perhaps also from the lyrics themselves; this ain’t your average slick love song. MaRRius and co-writer Livingstone Brown (Kylie, Shakira, Ed Sheeran) have built the track around the theme of the destructive process in relationships, and the subject matter fits perfectly with the spiky yet svelte music.

Releasing his second EP ‘Borrowed Time’ tomorrow (8th November 8th), MaRRius has written and recorded the 4 tracks between London and Paris, with French producer Vincent Choquet.

Born and bred in London has made support for the single from BBC Introducing London particularly special for MaRRius. Other highlights include supporting Alt-J, performing at The Nelson Mandela festival and The Transmusical Festival.

Busy rehearsing for his headline show on 16th December at The Waiting Room in London, MaRRius also has his sights set on 2020 with 2 new songs ready to go, and more new material in the pipeline. Watch this space!

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The Losing Touch – ‘There Must Be More’

The Losing Touch have put in the graft to ensure that their debut EP is a fitting introduction to their world. Their 'Midnight Again' EP was written, recorded and mixed by the band, with string sections contributed by Lucy Revis and engineered by Wulfman Fury's George Moran. The result certainly feels a lot bigger than a five-piece. It was important to the band that their first effort hit the mark: "Nevyn and Gilroy spent a long time adding the different layers of guitar/piano and other instruments to make it sound as melodic and grand as we knew the tunes deserved."

'There Must Be More' was the first track that the band recorded for the EP. They usually like to build a rough demo before getting properly stuck into a track, and had ‘There Must Be More’ earmarked as a single from fairly early on:

"Gilroy had the skeleton of the song from start to finish, acoustic guitar, piano and vocals. I [Nevyn] added some guitar parts and a choir line for the verses... We usually work like that, work out the parts as a demo and then record it properly when we are happy with the tempo and structure."

With all this tinkering, along with the addition of the strings and choral elements, it would be easy for the mix to get a little overcrowded - but the band's careful arrangement ensures that the instruments coalesce into a jubilant blast of indie. This exuberant air brings to mind the likes of Arcade Fire or Elbow but they have also been shaped by more classic influences, citing Bruce Springsteen's songwriting as an important benchmark.

With the first EP safely under their belt, The Losing Touch have been out on the road to promote its release and still have a few dates left to play. They play Manchester for the first time this Saturday (9th November), joining Farfisa at AATMA. They're finishing the year with a headline slot at Annie Murrays in Barnsley on 14th December - tickets are nearly sold out for that one so you'll have to move fast.

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