RockFrenzi
Nottingham based music blog
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
LIVE REVIEW: Cages For Preachers | 05.05.23
Sunday, 24 January 2021
BÖHMEN: WILDSIDE
Alt-rock Manchurian band BÖHMEN released their debut single ‘Torrent’ in October and have gained an incredible following since then, with over 500 monthly listeners across streaming platforms.
Taking influence from bands such as Inhaler, Catfish And The Bottlemen and Courteeners, they’ve created an energetic, indie-rock song with melodic vocals and heart warming lyrics that they hope to catch the attention of music lovers from all around.
This song is one that we can’t wait to hear live, it’s got all the elements to be a jumpy and lively atmosphere when gigs can eventually go back on again. The band played their first show in Greater Manchester earlier this year at The Old Pint Pot in Salford. They’re now more than ready to expand their live exposure even further.
You can watch Wildside (previously called SUD) performed live HERE
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Distant Blue: THE GHOST OF MY EMPTY GLASS
Written by Niamh Christian
What’s that emerging from the darkness? It’s only the one
and only, Distant Blue, finally breaking their silence as they get ready to
drop their latest single – The Ghost Of My Empty Glass.
Having had to cancel all plans for gigs this year due to the
cursed pandemic, they decided to take their efforts back into the studio,
working hard to finalise some new music for our enjoyment.
The band has become quite a fixture in Nottingham’s local
music scene over the years, while simultaneously spreading their music to other
cities across the UK. Now after staying quiet for so long, they’re back and
better than ever.
With bigger riffs and bouncier beats, they’ve thrown themselves
in the deep end of this new sound and have displayed it wondrously. They’ve hit us with a lightning bolt of power
as they take their abilities further, in a way that’ll have you wanting to get
up and dance.
It’s funky, flirty and ferocious, painting a mental image of
a hectic night out you probably wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon (depending
on how intoxicated you are). The dirty breakdowns compliment the groovy chorus in
a way that’s dynamic and bold.
Distant Blue kindly took the time to answer some questions
for me about their new single and what it means for the future of their band.
“The Ghost Of My Empty Glass” shows a very different
side of you from your original pop-punk days, what does new direction mean for
you as a band?
It’s a weird one because this song is a bit of a one-off, we
experimented with a slightly more funky and poppy sound while still trying to
maintain our heavier roots. Depending on how people take to this track we might
or might not do something like this again.
Where did the inspiration come from for the song?
The Nottingham club scene, nights out in town with your
mates drinking and interactions with lovely ladies.
With Covid-19 cancelling all your gig plans this year,
have you got any other plans coming up?
We’ve mainly been focusing on writing and recording throughout this pandemic. Although we miss the live shows so much, we don’t want to rush back into it, have to cancel things and let people down. It’s all very up in the air at the moment, but when we get the green light you’ll be sure to know about it.
Can you sum up your song in a sentence?
One of the best nights I’ve ever had in song format.
You’ve said lyrically ‘The Ghost Of My Empty Glass’
describes Nottingham’s nightlife, how would a usual night out go for you?
First of all, pres with the boys usually at someones yard,
get the tunes on and get pumped. Second, get your look right get fresh garms
and make sure you stand out. Third, jump the train to town head to spoons for
your second round of pres. From there, It all gets a little blurry but we
usually end up in Rescue Rooms, Stealth or MOJO. After that, we see where the
night takes us but more than likely it’s a fat scran and bed.
What are your favourite venues to play at and why?
Got to say Bodega and Rescue Rooms for our hometown shows.
Outside of Nottingham, we really enjoyed West Street Live in Sheff, Verve Bar
in Leeds because it had the best interior we’ve ever seen.
What venues do you hope to play in the near future?
Jimmys in Manchester, the Rock City main stage, Camden
Underworld.
What new cities are you wanting to play next?
Manchester and London are the big ones, but it’d be nice to
work our way up to Scotland and down to Brighton as soon as we can.
Have you always been interested in music? Was there a
particular moment that made you say "Woah! I want to do this!"?
Watching live Green Day and Nirvana shows on the internet
when we were youths. Generally, music has always been a big part of our
everyday lives, we don’t remember a time when we didn’t want to do this.
Has your musical journey had a deliberate direction,
or did it simply gradually evolve in whatever direction it found?
We’ve always wanted to make Rock music as we are all big
fans of it, however there was no deliberate direction. It’s just evolved into
what our sound is today.
What music are you currently listening to?
Ed’s been on the gangsta rap vibes recently, Peter has been listening to Underoath and the new Ghostemane album, Kieran’s been delving into the depths of Hip Hop history as usual and Jack has been listening to Thundercat a lot.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your current
release?
Not being able to book a release show due to COVID.
Do you plan your music releases, or do you just finish
a song and release it?
We like to plan our releases, but we have a bad history of
sticking to the plan. However, in the end it all comes together through the 4 brains
we have between us. We did plan this release a lot better than we usually do.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
We used to have one which included energy drinks but after
one show where we played the set at 300mph, we put a stop to it. Now we like to
just huddle up and get hyped right before the show.
Last year you went on tour, what was that like? What
were your favourite moments?
It was the best time of our lives so far, we had so much fun
being on tour, playing with quality bands, exploring the cities, and getting
messy after the shows.
Have you had moments where you considered giving all
this up?
We’ve never come across such problems that put us in that
kind of mindset. I guess that somewhat shows we are cut out for it. We’ve all
had arguments and get on each other nerves, but at the end of the day, we could
never see ourselves doing anything else.
In years to come, what do you hope your fans remember
you for?
Iconic live shows, Crazy after-parties, emotionally
relatable records, and the journey from here to the top.
FaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDistantBlue/
Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ESxqEPFrn0rfAuTzqfPKQ
Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/artist/36gtG3aOBV2x6jKQgIWAWu
Twitter- https://twitter.com/distantblueuk
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/distantblueuk/
Listen to The Ghost Of My Empty Jar HERE
Friday, 2 October 2020
Fading Blonde: 25
Written by Niamh Christian
Fading Blonde really outdid theirselves with the re-work on this song, it's emotionally raw with gripping guitars that'll have you wanting to get up and dance.
Thursday, 24 September 2020
South Hours: OUTSIDE
Rising through Essex's music scene, South Hours have been packing out venues for the past few years, and have now begun to release songs that have only ever been heard live before. Starting out in college and writing music in a shed, they have begun to bring their music alive in the beauty of studios and venues throughout East Essex.
The trio really started to catch attention after the release of their first single back in early 2018, 'Bruises'. After recording and releasing this debut single themselves, they were overwhelmed by the attraction it got, and the number of playlists it instantly started getting added to.
Their most recent single release 'Outside' came out during lockdown period back in May, pleasing their followers in these troubled times. Working closely with Monster Florence’s Tom Donovan on ‘Outside’ just months after he had been working with Miles Kane, this song really is a milestone for the boys.
The mystical sound created by atmospheric guitars holds everything we love most about the indie-pop genre, from the melodic, lighthearted vocals to the emphasised harmonies.
It's heartfelt lyrics and catchy tune really bring this song alive, combined with gentle vocals and a slow but dramatic instrumental rhythm.
Currently studying at universities in London and Southampton, they are working towards really gaining an understanding of the industry as they make their mark on the music scene.
You can listen to South Hours 'Outside' HERE
Sunday, 20 September 2020
Two Neighbours: SELF TITLED EP - TWO NEIGHBOURS
The first single released for this EP was 'Back Then', released back in June, we can assume this was the song that built up the anticipation for 'Two Neighbours'. A passionate song written about a fallible modern romance, with synthy backing vocals and a soulful chorus. It's full of attitude and moxie and creates an amorous image for the listener.
The electropop duo stated when asked about their debut release “This EP is for people still wiggling in their skin. It’s inspired by longing… longing for success, love, for the past, the experience of someone trying to find their own sound and path”
Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Springs: DESIRE
Are you in need of a new indie bop to break your heart? Birmingham band Springs may have just brought out the song for you with their latest release 'Desire'. This indie/alt-rock anthem is loaded with raw emotion and lyrics sung like a heartfelt diary entry.
Starting out in late 2019, it's coming up to a year since Springs started creating music, with each release showing their development as musicians. I would definitely say this is their best one yet, showing how they've grown from friends creating music to serious musicians in no more than a few months.
'Desire' brings a sense of nostalgia to listeners with references to a painful memory, with vulnerable vocals that pull on your heartstrings singing 'wanted to die to feel alive'.
The simplified guitar riffs compliment the vocals in a way that makes them stand out when they hit hardest, building up to a dramatic crescendo at the end.
In the words of frontman Didds; 'The story takes place in a single night and is about a whirlwind romance. It's about breaking someone's heart, which we all do but all choose to push out of our minds'.
He also added 'We're really excited about this new direction of our sound!'
Listen to 'Desire' HERE



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