Leeds five-piece about-faces arrived at the start of July with their debut single ‘Under the Sun’ and it’s a statement introduction to a band that are determined to leave their mark.
A true peacock of an embedded riff gets ‘Under the Sun’ off the mark, paired with a slick, almost Foals-like rolling drumbeat. Diaphanous keys drift from the beginning and float over a track that quickly establishes an impressive pace and a sense of urgency. This urgency is especially driven by the partnership in vocals, of Sennen Ludman and Danielle Capstick – as they tell a story of love, lust, and loss.
In Ludman’s lyricism and delivery, he reflects a personal journey. In essence, the song projects the tale of a relationship that once blossomed but now lies in decay. Highlighted are the flaws and pettiness in humanity’s reaction to a lost connection. There’s a longing look back at a time where the lovers called each other by their names but in times of turmoil, they’ve been replaced by “All those names Under the Sun”.
Poignant meaning from the press pack:
One standout lyric, ‘Wave a white flag, I’ll surrender’. finds its roots in Ludman’s fascination with early images of U2 performing, further reinforced by his exposure to The Peaky Blinders. The concept of surrender, as a truce or admission of defeat, proved irresistible and found its place within the song. Ludman brings a modern twist to this notion, incorporating voice notes sent between the two lovers as bargaining chips. Secrets and intimate moments hang in the balance, now devoid of the shared affection that once characterized their relationship.”
Both vocalists connect just as well as the rhythm section and with a tight, flowing track – it could be easy to be drawn away from the subtleties of the tune. However, live audiences have been far from deterred as the band have continued to grow their live presence. In quite impressive fashion, the band has already performed a sold out headline show at Oporto in Leeds, with it only being announced four days before the concert, and all before releasing any of their music.
Since ‘Under The Sun’ has been released,, the band have been interviewed on BBC Leeds and have been added to the Spotify playlist 'Fresh Finds UK & IE'.