For an exclusive premiere, charismatic Nottingham five-piece Blondes unleash their uplifting new single into the world, and show no intentions of taking their foot off the gas.
Following a path previously trodden by the like of London Grammar and Amber Run, Blondes are fast becoming one of the University of Nottingham’s hottest exports. Despite the country-wide closure of music venues, the band have played three of their biggest shows to date in the opening months of 2020. February saw them coordinate an intimate charity show at Rough Trade, alongside friends and frequent stage sharers Mega Happy, before March saw their first support slot at The Bodega with the talented singer-songwriter Zuzu.
Perhaps their most energetic show to date came mid-March, where they opened for up-and-coming rock outfit Blackwaters at our Amnesty X The Mic Charity show, where the five-piece were instrumental in raising over a thousand pounds for Amnesty International. If this tells us anything about these talented young men, it is that they are not ones to shy away from the big stage. Always seeking an avenue to get their music heard, always looking to entertain, new single Coming Of Age perfectly captures their youthful desire to please, in the most wholesome and sunny of ways.
The track begins with a trademark Blondes riff: compelling, likeable, but unlike previous tracks, it doesn’t give much away about what to expect. The opening minute oozes with the relaxed, summery ambience that you would expect from a lost Two Door Cinema Club demo, however, it is when Will Potter’s vocals are introduced that the track really kicks into life. Soft but gripping, within two minutes through its first listen it already shaped up to be the best vocal line that the band have produced to date.
Optimistic mantra “Here something really could happen” spurs the track into dream-rock territory, allowing the resurgence of the dynamic riff that initially compels the listener. The vocal cutaway provides a cooling moment of rest bite, essential to the ambience they have strived to create. Cutting a more composed figure during live performances, Potter often allows guitarist Alex Davison to cheerfully and chirpily woo the audience between tracks. However, with such a forceful line so central to the song, fans will be keen to see how this is handled by the quietly confident frontman of the band.
From the shrewd structuring of this single, listeners can tell that Blondes are a group of friends that have worked hard to master their craft. From the song title to the carefully crafted lyrics (“My back is turned, will I ever learn?”), the track pours with a youthful buoyancy and the positivity that you want to see from such a likeable group of boys. With the five-piece chowing down to anything from New Order to Miles Davis in their spare time, it seems inevitable that their sound will continue to develop. But while we are in the here and now, Blondes have succeeded in producing a remarkably well-crafted track that will only raise their profile in the Nottingham scene. Another first-rate offering from the five-piece, we hope it will not be too long to witness Coming Of Age showcased to the masses before too long.
Readers can hear the track here now.
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