Highly regarded Taunton band October Drift are set to play The Social in London tonight (19 April) as part of the Hopscotch night organised by Kerrang! Radio’s Jack Oliver Saunders. Still in the midst of the new band thing themselves, the group have put together a playlist of their contemporaries who they believe will help “inspire a new direction” in the UK. “We’ve come across a hell of a lot of bands over the past year or so,” explains drummer Chris Holmes. “These are some of our favourites that effect an emotional response and a new direction either in life itself, or from a musical perspective.”
Black Honey – You Said It All
“We were lucky enough to share the stage with these guys at Tramlines last year. They were the highlight of the weekend for me. They worked the audience so well. I’ve picked this track out because I think it shows what they do best by giving you a feeling of nostalgia, but at the same time sounding really current and fresh.”
The Naturals – 2HGS
“We first came across The Naturals a few years ago. I remember watching their live set and being blown away. It literally made me want to start a band. It was even crazier that they were only 13/14 at the time. The vast majority of bands that I’ve seen don’t even come close to how good these guys were at that age. But one of the most impressive things about them is the way they’ve changed over the years. They’ve gone from being an indie-rock band to playing music that is pretty much unclassifiable and sits in a genre completely of its own. Our singer Kiran saw them at their album launch a few months ago and said it was one of the best shows he’s ever seen.”
Sienna Chrous – Sideways
“If I had to describe Sienna Chorus to anyone, I’d say it’s like if the characters from Top Gun started a band. They supported us on our second ever show, at The Louisiana in Bristol back in February 2015. I remember standing at the back of the room for their soundcheck and as soon as they kicked in with Sideways, a massive grin just came over my face. It sounded so fucking good! The harmonies were massive and it had this deep bass gluing everything together. I couldn’t help but just crack up. This is my favourite track of theirs – though Perfect Remedy comes a close second – and it’s become the song me and Kiran warm up our vocals to.”
Virgin Kids – My Alone
“Garage-y surf rock seems to be really ‘in’ at the moment and I haven’t come across anyone doing it better than Virgin Kids. They kinda remind me a little bit of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, but more trashy. We grew up with guitarist Asher and bassist Paul in Taunton and used to be regulars at our local music venue and record shop. I’ve chosen My Alone for this playlist, because it seems to transport me to American every time I listen to it – and who doesn’t want to go to America?”
Black Foxxes – River
“These guys are from a similar area to us and I came across them recently through BBC introducing in Devon. They’re pretty heavy, but I like that their music seems to be melody lead. This song ‘River’ is a slow builder, but keeps you completely engaged until it reaches a euphoric climax.”
Slow Readers Club – I Saw A Ghost (acoustic)
“This makes me feel things. The acoustic version is haunting. The emotion in the performance gets me every time. It’s like he’s been through something really horrific and is making you feel exactly how he felt. That to me is what good song writing does. We’re playing with these guys at a couple of shows for our March tour and I can’t wait to see them live again.”
Oliver Wilde – Perret’s Brook
“I own both the albums Oliver Wilde has released and they are probably the most played CDs in our van. His song writing is so good it makes me want to cry, because I know that I could never write anything as sophisticated as him. His arrangements are the best I’ve ever come across. This track Perret’s Brook is my favourite of his, but to truly appreciate his ability you have to listen to both albums in their entirety.”
Spectres – Where Flies Sleep
“Spectres are a band that we’ve all followed for a while now. We saw them live back in 2011 and thought they were awesome. They’re not afraid to present some pretty brave opinions and I really respect that. They say exactly what they think – and a lot of bands nowadays are too scared to do so. I mean, how many bands would put out a video of themselves murdering the entire Radio 1 team? Where Flies Sleep is relentless and comes with an awesome video courtesy of film maker James Hankins.”
Tigercub – Blue Blood
“Our bassist Alex saw these guys at The Cavern in Exeter a few months back and then came to band practice raving about them. I like that they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. They remind me of the grunge bands of the 90s, but mixed with the personality of Pavement. Blue Blood is a stand out track for me. Makes me feel like I’m 14 again and mad at my parents.”
Psyence – Zebra
“We met Psyence on our last tour. A couple of them turned up to our show in Stoke and we got chatting. Later that night I went and listened to some of their stuff and was taken aback with how good it was. This track is reminiscent of 60s psych and the verses kinda remind me of The Fat White Family. We’re playing with them in Bristol this month and I’m really excited to see them live.”
For more head to Octoberdrift.co.uk.
