Meet ‘Echotape’. Formed in late 2010, this indie quartet has racked up some pretty impressive credentials in their three years together.
After producer and bassist of ‘Killing Joke’, Youth (you might know him as Martin Glover) was impressed by an early demo, Marc, Dan, Mike and oh, Dan, were able to spend a week nestled in the Spanish hills recording 17 tracks in his personal studio. Soon after this, the band released EP ‘Sky Above Quarley Hill’ to journalistic acclaim, and their debut single ‘Unstable’ made it into the ‘US College Radio Top 200’.
‘Echotape’ have since headlined a tour of the UK and Ireland, including a sell out show at The Barfly in Camden, have amassed global radio play for their debut album ‘Collective’ and have received support from BBC Introducing. Not bad for four lads from what they describe as ‘a small, off-the-map town in the south of England’, eh? Maybe, just maybe then, it’s about time we knew who they are, so we had a listen to the band’s latest single, ‘We Should Feel Like We Are In Love’.
Opening with the pneumatic march of guitars, Echotape pace themselves intuitively with the minimalist spacing of their vocals. A hesitant indie twang attempts to interject every now and again, anticipating the outbreak that occurs later in the song. This aural teasing pays off as the track successfully layers its way towards the title line. What sounds like a rugged choir break into a sing-your-heart-out chorus and we are launched into a powerful yet controlled riot. A passionate motive pushes the lyrics forward encouraging us to lose ourselves, yet the precise musical composition reminds us that like intelligent anarchists, these guys have a clear intention and will not lose sight of it. This rare combination of blinding passion and the musical design needed to communicate it result in a track made for stadiums but equally at home in a dingy crowded pub.
Echotape are set to tour the UK and Ireland this spring with their new and as yet un-named album, available later on this summer.