Here is a hypothetical mixtape of influences and inspirations for my new mini album Growing Towards The Light…
Adrian Borland – Walking In The Opposite Direction
Adrian Borland was one of the very best to ever do it and I identify completely with the ideas and themes behind this beautiful song. Sad, but roaringly defiant.
Broadcast – Puzzle
The release of the final Broadcast demos had a profound effect on me. These recordings, stripped to their very essence, convey an almost overwhelming weight and emotional pull. Magic is real but real ones are rare.
April Magazine – Jungle City Beat
Key players in the San Francisco lofi fog pop movement, April Magazine’s fragile but all-consuming recordings fill my heart and never fail to lift me from whatever reality I might be facing.
Carla dal Forno – I Go Back
The directness and purity of spirit within Carla dal Forno’s most recent recordings are both refreshing and inspirational. Music to break tired patterns and help chart a new course.
Paul McCartney – Waterfalls
My first exposure to DIY pop, I picked up McCartney II as a teenager with my Dad at a record stall in Canterbury, England. Whilst it took me a beat to catch on, I now consider it an absolute all timer.
Nick Drake – Road
A forever inspiration, the quiet solitude and raw power of Nick Drake’s sparse recordings are charged with an almost supernatural force. Music from another time and place to shake us from the here and now.
Arthur Russell – Fuzzbuster #06
Nobody does it quite like Arthur Russell, and I struggle to find the words to convey the hold his music has over me. Arthur’s wide and varied body of work fully captures the human experience in all its tragic beauty.
Linda Smith – I So Liked Spring
Hearing Linda Smith’s home recordings for the first time was like something waking up inside of me. Songs and stories that have only strengthened with the passing of time, inspiring others like myself to sing their truth.
Escape (official lyric video)
Eight home recorded reflections on nature, you can check out Growing Towards The Light here.
Growing Towards The Light, a new mini album I’ve been steadily working on since the completion of Home Truths (YYZ Records), is out now. Bandcamp only for the time being, you can check it out here.
This collection sees me experimenting with different recording techniques and a (slightly) wider sonic palette, whilst (hopefully) staying true to my lofi, in-the-moment ethos.
Growing Towards The Light chronicles the hope that comes with finding peace through nature, to the tune of fractured electronica, lofi folk and video game baroque. The album’s title was inspired by a photograph shared by Shane Speed (Sea Of Days). It portrayed a fallen tree clinging by its roots, growing towards the light. It reminded me that whilst we are all a little broken, what else is there to do but try?
As some of you will have already seen, I have just released a new single comprising acoustic sketches recorded during my recent trip to Hydra, Greece.
Just a short walk from our apartment, Kamini Harbour gave the dual gifts of a gentle ocean sunset, followed immediately by the rising moon illuminating the hills. I’ve attempted to capture a little of this magic in the video for lead track Kamini…
Kamini (official video)
Recorded using my daughter’s freshly restrung Yamaha F310, Kamini fell to me very quickly, the unfamiliar guitar suggesting new shapes and sounds.
Second track Whilst The Water Waves Goodbye is a composite of two separate acoustic sketches, held together by field recordings captured around the grounds and harbour of our Kamini base.
I originally envisioned this project stretching to an EP, but ultimately my gut was telling me that I’d captured all I needed to. The single is pay what you want on Bandcamp, or if streaming is your jam you can do so here. Much love.
Happy midsummer all, and the warmest welcome to my new subscribers. Thank you. Last weekend marked Father’s Day here in the UK, always a mixed bag for me. My beautiful children gifted me the newly remastered Arthur Russell compilation for which I’m enormously grateful.
I’ve had a fun few days preparing a streaming only EP comprising singles and rare tracks recorded back in 2024. It’ll be out come the autumn, in the meantime here’s a video of me performing a few of those songs in my living room last year. I’d been out of the game for a while and possibly drank a little too much to calm my nerves…
Additionally, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a new mini album, which I’m planning to release early next year. I guess it’s a little bit of a departure from my previous work, I’m excited for folk to hear it when the time is right.
Current Listening:
Yea-Ming and The Rumours – Residue
Tara Clerkin Trio – Somewhere Good
Arthur Russell – Love Is Overtaking Me
Lastly, I finally got around to freshening up my Linktree. If you’re enjoying what I’m doing musically, it’s probably the only resource you need. You can check it out here.
Hi all, I hope you’re well? First blog post in a while, and things are going to be a little different around here going forward. Less formal, more personal, no set rules or structure (that shit plays havoc with my OCD.) I appreciate your patience, and understand should you decide to bow out at this point.
Having recently ruined my back gardening, I’ve been spending extended periods exploring the local woodlands (prolonged rest being no good at all for a bulging disc.) It’s heavily influenced my mood, mindset and songwriting, more on that further down the line.
When not out wandering, I’ve mostly been finding comfort in Carla dal Forno’s back catalogue, archival Ian Brown footage and the WWE Vault.
I’ve had a lovely response to my recent single release, thank you. I recently joined brand new co-op streaming/download endeavour Subvert. You can sign up and grab a free download of my recent Arthur Russell cover here.
Current listening:
Carla dal Forno – Confession
The Sleeves – The Sleeves
Cindy – Another Country
I’m kind of over social media just now. If you’ve happened upon this blogpost and enjoyed it, please consider spreading the word to a like-minded soul. It would be sweet to step away from the algorithms and build something organic.
Hi all, it’s been a minute. As some of you may know, I’ve been busy putting together and releasing my debut mini album Home Truths. It was released 6th February via the wonderful Manchester/Brighton based label YYZ Records, there is a very limited CD edition available in addition to the standard digital download.
If you would like to check out the album over at Bandcamp, you can do so here. If streaming is your jam, it is also available here. I will be celebrating its release with a hometown gig on 21st March, opening the first Tea and Oranges of the year at The Fickle Pickle. Tickets are available here.
Gliding into London after a breathless week of shows across the UK (with special mention given by the band to Coventry’s Just Dropped In, a venue I NEED to visit), LA quintet Mo Dotti dissolved The Shacklewell Arms with their rapturously received shoegaze soundscapes.
From the opening rip of debut album highlight Lucky Boy it was clear we were witnessing a band fully locked in and aware of the giddy power they were harnessing. Smiles exchanged on stage, players completely lost in the sonic dreams they were weaving, it was a joy to behold.
Older EP tracks such as Waiting For You and storming set closer Loser Smile highlighted the band’s glorious beginnings, whilst the new material weaved into the set hinted at a glorious future to come. Mo Dotti are truly one of the best live bands out there doing it, there was no better way to see out my gig-going year.
Mo Dotti are: Gina Negrini (vocals, guitar), Guy Valdez (guitar), Sophie Negrini (guitar, backing vocals), Greg Shilton (bass) and Andrew James MacKelvie (drums).
At the time of writing, UK readers can pick up the band’s early EP collection Blurring/Guided Imagery here. You can check out the band’s full length debut Opaque over at Bandcamp.
All of the emotions I can never quite find the words to express seem to exist effortlessly within April Magazine’s hushed melodies and glacial textures. Each release further refines their unmatched lofi beauty, making Falling Window their most affecting release to date.
As is customary, Falling Window’s enveloping wash of sound is best experienced in a full sitting, making the singling out of individual tracks different. Having said that, Katiana Mashikian’s breathtaking wordless melodies on As You Turn are a worthy entry point for the uninitiated, as is the languid acoustic driven wonder of the Peter Hurley fronted Hollow Stars.
Capturing the DIY spirit of the Bay Area underground at its fullest and most free, April Magazine channel all of life’s highs, lows, light and darkness through their captivating soundworlds. Essential.
Falling Window is available for digital download here. You can pick up a very limited tape edition via World Of Echo here.
Seablite: Jen Mundy, Andy Pastalaniec, Galine Tumasyan, Lauren Matsui (Courtesy: Michael Aguilar and Kasey Kalis)
There wasn’t a dry eye in the indie pop house last week as Bay Area underground icons Seablite announced their farewell show.
Active since 2017, Seablite specialised in nineties inspired shoegaze and baggy fusions, shot through with unmistakable California cool. When they fully hit their stride across 2023’s epic Lemon Lights, they hit upon shimmering soundscapes that were completely and uniquely their own. You can read this writers thoughts on that LP here.
Seablite – Melancholy Molly
With established projects such as Chime School and Rhymies already dazzling audiences, and the promise of more to come (watch this space), it’s heartening to know that an abundance of beautiful sounds lie ahead from the members of this exceptionally talented fourpiece.
heavymetalkids.uk reached out to the band for their thoughts as this particular chapter in their creative journey closes:
“Looking back on nine years with Seablite feels like a dream. It’s hard to believe all the amazing things we were able to do together. I’m so grateful to the band—it helped me grow so much as a musician. Playing side by side with Lauren was endlessly inspiring, sharing the rhythm section with Andy was always a blast, and I loved hearing the melodies Mundy would sprinkle over our songs. “Lemon Lights” stands out as a highlight for me; it felt like the moment we truly sounded like ourselves and became what we’d always aimed to be. We were such a strong unit, and I’ll forever cherish the years we spent making music together. And who knows—maybe in 20 years we’ll play again! :D” – Galine
“I’m lucky to have had so many incredible adventures with my forever ‘Sea Friends’, Galine, Andy and Jen. I love my Blites so much and am grateful to have played with them for the last nine years. Thank you for all the amazing adventures we shared, the people we’ve played with and the new friends we met along the way.” – Lauren
“I’ve grown so much as a musician since we started playing together in 2017. I’m so proud of the two LPs we made, especially “Lemon Lights” which I put a ton of effort into mixing. I think my best show as a ‘Blite was Oakland Weekender 2024, I really wanted to just absolutely destroy that set, and I think it was my best set as a drummer, ever! Touring the UK (a first for me at the time) with seablite and the Umbrellas for Chickfactor 2022 was an unforgettable experience. I’m very grateful to have had this partnership for so many years.” – Andy
“Playing in Seablite for the last nine years has been one of the most fulfilling, memorable, and rewarding experiences of my musical journey and my life. When Galine contacted me asking if I wanted to play, at first I was hesitant about joining a new band. But I had left my previous band, Wax Idols, a year and a half ago and I really missed playing music. So we all met up at their practice space and it felt comfortable and we all clicked right away, and the rest is history. I am so proud of everything that we have accomplished over the years. I will always cherish my incredible memories in Seablite and the music we made together. These are some of my favorite shows:The Ocean Blue at Troubadour, Los Angeles, The Charlatans at Great American Music Hall, Ladytron at UC Theaterand the UK tour with our buds, The Umbrellas” – Mundy
Seablite – Time Is Weird
Seablite’s farewell show takes place on 5th December at Makeout Room, supported by The Umbrellas and April Magazine. A line up for the ages to celebrate a band like no other.
Thank you so much to Galine, Lauren, Andy and Mundy for sharing such vivid, beautiful memories. Seablite’s sophomore album Lemon Lights is available via Mt.St.Mtn here. A fully remastered edition of their debut Grass Stains and Novocaine is out on Dandy Boy Records here. You can revisit the band’s earliest recordings via their Bandcamp page here.
Los Angeles based shoegaze collective Mo Dotti totally captured my heart when I caught them live at the 4 Star Theater on my recent visit to San Francisco. The band’s sound is truly a wonder, with blissed out melodies fighting for air amongst ocean deep chord changes and seismic, swirling feedback.
With a stunning debut album under their belt and a UK tour fast approaching, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist Gina Negrini very kindly agreed to talk to the blog…
Hi Gina, thank you so much for chatting to heavymetalkids.uk. For folk here in the UK who may just be discovering Mo Dotti, could you tell us a little about the band’s origin story?
Mo Dotti started out as a solo project for me to play guitar and sing in. I used to play bass in a few bands, but I have always wanted to sing and play guitar. After experimenting with looping pedals and wacky demos, I felt myself becoming more confident on guitar; the project quickly evolved into a four piece. We all met playing the same venues in Los Angeles (in our old bands) and we also became closer working at the same movie theater. Guy and I first started playing music together in his old project which he fronted called Socorro. Mo Dotti is somewhat an evolution of Socorro (we really just combined our bands) with me as the singer. Greg Shilton (bass) used to be in French Vanilla, Post Life, and Jody. Andrew (drums) used to play in Moaning and currently plays in Fashion Club. Early incarnations of Mo Dotti used to play shows with all of those bands a lot. Currently, my sister Sophie who has a band called Janelane is our third guitar player. Experimenting with textures!
Mo Dotti – Whirling Sad
Opaque is a wonderful debut album. I find song titles such as Whirling Sad and Pale Blue Afternoon incredibly evocative. What do you consider to be your key songwriting influences?
Thank you Fran… When I think about how these songs make me feel, they make me pretty emotional. I don’t always understand how I am feeling. It’s more comfortable for me to work out what’s going on in my head in music. The Magnetic Fields, Ride, and Cocteau Twins are my biggest influences when it comes to songwriting style. Guy is especially inspired by Swervedriver and Dinosaur Jr. when it comes to his guitar playing style.
I was blown away by the recent 4 Star Theater show in San Francisco. How was the US tour? Is it live performance or studio craft which gives you the biggest artistic buzz?
Thanks for coming, Fran. We were so glad your San Francisco vacation aligned with our stop up there. The tour was great, we came home in one piece (Guy and I caught colds), and we played really well. I would say that we feel that specific buzz during the exact moment we are playing- but leading up to the show or after it I’m usually a ball of nerves. The most gratifying aspect of playing music is writing a song I am proud of. Recording an accurate representation of the music is probably second to that.
Mackenzie Dobias
I believe all of your music thus far has been self released. Is this an ethos you’re keen to continue with, or are you looking for label support for future releases?
Yes! We are control freaks… but, after the response from the LP, we plan to seek label support for LP 2. While it’s really gratifying to connect directly with our fanbase, it was a challenge to distribute overseas. We could have sold a lot more if the record was more accessible abroad. We are currently recording demos for the second album and are about half way finished.
Lastly, I’ve experienced firsthand on my travels how important mutual respect and support is amongst the underground independent scene. Are there any bands local to you or that you’ve played with on tour that you’d like to shout out to my readers?
April Magazine and Pink Breath of Heaven (who we both played with on this tour) absolutely blew me away. April Magazine played our SF show, and we played 3 shows on the road with PBOH. I came home feeling very inspired by them both. I love the sonic tapestry that April Magazine weaves: they take their time getting to a high vibrational frequency. It’s very effective on the audience. Liv from Pink Breath of Heaven has an amazing voice, I really feel like she took me to heaven. Her band also looks (and are) super cool. There were so many musicians I love in the audience at the SF gig, that made me especially happy. It’s always nerve wracking to play for people you regard highly, but we had a wonderful time. Los Angeles bands I’d love to shout out are Host Family, Shaki Tavi, and Valley Porno People. There are so many bands in California making really interesting guitar music today. In a time that feels so hopeless for so many reasons, the fact that people are getting together making music makes me super hopeful for the future of the California indie rock underground.
mo dotti – lucky boy
Thank you so much Gina for taking time out to talk to the blog. Check out Opaque here. The band’s double EP set Blurring/Guided Imagery is available here. You can catch Mo Dotti live across the UK this December, dates and ticket links are listed below…
