It’s time for another instalment of the semi-regular music feature that we were calling Six Degrees of Band Separation, but are now renaming Lend Me a Band (because Six Degrees of Band Separation is objectively a terrible title, and also takes ages to type, and I don’t want to get RSI).
The premise of Lend Me a Band is simple: we ask a band or artist we like to nominate a band or artist they like, who then nominates a band or artist they like, and so on, until we have a load of new and interesting music to listen to. Case in point: last time, we asked experimental rockers Squid to begin our chain of recommendations, and we ended up with a seriously eclectic array of artists, from dissonant folk musicians to a trippy cosmic shaman bloke.
Starting things off this time is singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone, who had a real breakout moment during the long, bleak Covid period. You can understand why: full of longing and isolation, the shimmering pop-rock songs on her debut EP Falling Asleep at the Wheel really chimed with those lockdown times. Holly is releasing her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black next week, and it sees her deepen and broaden her sound, incorporating everything from stark electronic pop to gentle folk.
For Lend Me a Band, Holly starts a chain that takes in funk-tinged lo-fi and some Spanish-language electropop. Here’s what she recommended.
Holly Humberstone recommends: The Japanese House
“At the moment I can’t stop listening to The Japanese House record In the End It Always Does. It is so vulnerable and Amber observes her interior world in a way that resonates with me. My favourite song is Sad to Breathe. Even the title stopped me in my tracks. The piano is so haunting. The lyrics are so brutal and beautiful.”
The Japanese House recommends: Mk.gee
“My producer and I have been listening to Mk.gee’s new singles nonstop while in the studio recently. He used to tour as part of Dijon’s live band and you can hear that influence in this new stuff. We’re always looking for interesting, unique production inspiration while working and the sound of the two tracks is just so different to a lot of what’s out there. A little funky, a little lo-fi. Very chill and easy to listen to. Looking forward to hearing more from him.”
Mk.gee recommends: Paul Dally
“Paul Dally is a perfect writer with great little stories. Pink Eldorado was the first song of his I heard, maybe a year or so ago and I’ve become a fan ever since. He sings like he speaks and knows himself.”
Paul Dally recommends: Meth Math
“I saw Meth Math perform in a gallery in Chinatown in NY a few years ago and have been thinking about it ever since. A beautiful and raw show, performed I think with just a laptop and some vocal effects. With all of the available myriad options for making music and performing, I so respect an artist who presents a level of intention with each element; music in space, movement, visual, timbre, songs, mood, etc … I don’t speak Spanish but the translation I found for one of my favourite songs, Muro De Los Lamentos opens with the line: ‘I want our bones to be together’.”
Ángel Ballesteros from Meth Math recommends: tumy
“A moment that makes me appreciate technology is when the Soundcloud algorithm recommends a song for me to listen to. That’s how I discovered the French artist tumy. When I listen to their music, I visualise myself waking up in a cold field, with the clouds touching the grass, and the only source of light is from the moon. This is the moment where I ask myself, ‘If I were to break this moment of tranquility, what would I break it with?’ This type of thought is what inspires us to know what kind of songs we want to make. That’s the feeling I always search for with music: mental multi-dimensional moments, with a nice beat that guides you through those thoughts.“
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