North-East based alternative rock group Holiday In Tokyo have released their brand new single. ‘White Marquee’, their latest tune since 2021’s ‘Make My Day’, is a thoughtful letter of admiration and thanks for the music parents pass down to their children.
The four-man outfit work together to provide a nostalgic narrative that pays tribute to a childhood memory. Specifically, the story tails back to a caravan park in Slaley and recalls lead singer Matty Rogers’ father nervously playing guitar in public for the first time under the white marquee.
The song itself provides a warm, thoughtful glow within the safety of a fond memory. Lyrics build the scene well, with a concise description that elevates the stage of a simple caravan park on a dreary Sunday afternoon to that of legend. It feels that this core memory has inspired the singer - as he relates to his father on a personal basis not only as his son, but now as a musician.
The main guitar riff provides a soothing melody that, paired with a certain depth and reverb on the vocal, leaves the listener in a sentimental haze. All the while, singing of watching his dad performing in front of a crowd of 22, this is juxtaposed by the almost aspirational name dropping of musical influences like Pauls Simon and Weller. The track even artfully pays homage to Simon’s 1986 ‘You Can Call Me Al’.
Aside from parental influences in the mix, the band’s perhaps more obvious inspirations come from the likes of Liz Lawrence, Nilufer Yanya and Courtney Barnett. Lyrically, Holiday In Tokyo adopt a kitchen sink style of writing, focussing on a self-critical nature. Other songs in their repertory reflect on topics like jealousy, complacency and mental-health awareness. This is a band that isn’t afraid to delve deep in their creative meanings.
Their debut EP ‘Las Yucas is Overgrown’, received positive critical reception among local music outlets and garnered enough hype to grant the group their first sold out headline gig. This hype is likely to continue as the collective are now working towards a series of gigs and single releases to promote their first full length album.
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