Induction Party
Mush, the Leeds band who specialise in wryly-observational, exquisite lo-fi guitar pop, have signed to Memphis Industries and announced details of their debut EP. Recorded at Glasgow’s thriving Green Door Studio with Ronan Fay (also guitarist of ascendant Scottish rockers Sweaty Palms), the EP’s six tracks follow the proud lineage of art-rock from both sides of the pond. Mush cite Pavement, Sonic Youth, Television and The Fall as their primary influences: “fundamentally we identify as music fans as much as artists. I write music that I want to hear for my own enjoyment,” says vocalist / guitarist Dan Hyndman. “I’ve always admired people who can create visceral and inspiring art without carrying on as some transcendent being. Having your influences on your sleeve and being open is just an extension of that.” here’s both consolidation and progression at play on Induction Party. The four-piece - Hyndman, guitarist Steve Tyson, bassist Nick Grant and drummer Phil Porter – are now cemented as more of a song writing entity than the “noise project” they would describe their early incarnation. Debut single "Alternative Facts" (released on a Too Pure Singles Club 7”) received regular radio play from Marc Riley, Steve Lamacq and Matt Wilkinson despite clocking in at a glorious ten minutes. Much of Induction Party hones “Alternative’s Facts”’ and follow-up single, the BBC 6 Music-playlisted "Gig Economy"'s slanted take on social and political trends. Mush have idiosyncrasies all of their own and Induction Party is far more than an endearing homage to the bands listed above. Hyndman’s excitable half-sung, half-yelped vocal snipes and lolls around each song as though sometimes even he doesn’t know where the melody’s going to go next. There’s a sense that not a second of music’s been wasted, a refinement in the band’s song writing process that means nothing clocks in at over four minutes. On "Litvinenko" and Induction Party they prove themselves truly as a product of our time.