High Hazels are back with a brand new single.
‘Days of No One’ is out on 23rd February, and sees the Sheffield four-piece trying out a brand new line-up, with James Leesley (vocals and guitar), Scott Howes (guitar), and Anthony Barlow (drums) joined by their friend, Paul Musgrave (bass guitar).
It’s a rich track with gorgeous tones and an enveloping melody, born from spending time around workshops in their hometown, as James explains:
“We rehearse in an old industrial workshop, sandwiched between a blast works and a wood turners, in the Kelham Island area of Sheffield. There’s no curtains at the window so if nothing musical comes you can sit for a few minutes and watch the workers working overtime to get things finished – that usually provokes me to start playing again. I think the sense of working and creation, whether by instrument or machine, is healthy when making music.
“Our sound may somehow absorb some of that atmosphere but don’t ask me how. It’s much busier in the mornings and the daytime with all the business coming and going from the surrounding workshops and you occasionally have to dodge the glare of harmless disapproval from a lorry driver, while you sit on your guitar case nursing a coffee, waiting for the others to arrive. The daylight provides a different atmosphere for the music for me, everything’s literally sharper and more in focus so it’s good when rehearsing in pairs or as a band – working out song structures and looking at the finer details.
“The new material often starts with an organ in a dark room – that influences more the beginnings of words and melodies, then it’s how we approach it as a band. Scott has been using a lot of slide of late and our rhythms have been thoughtful. Melodically we’ve been digging away at a particular style that really works for my voice; the words sound right more, it’s as if I’m melodically hitting less rocks. The whole process is a rolling one; the melodies can change depending on what the guitar’s doing, what the bass is doing, drums and vice-versa, everything’s fluid from the start, right up until it’s down on record.”
High Hazels released a couple of tracks last year, ‘Joined at The Lip’ and ‘Sequin Eyes’. They’re currently working on a new album.
Listen to ‘Days of No One’ below.
The band also have a few live shows coming, they’ll play Manchester on 27th April, London on 2nd May and Sheffield on 4th May.
The details are:
APRIL
27 Jimmy’s, Manchester
MAY
02 Sebright Arms, London
04 Leadmill, Sheffield
‘Days of No One’ is out on 23rd February, and sees the Sheffield four-piece trying out a brand new line-up, with James Leesley (vocals and guitar), Scott Howes (guitar), and Anthony Barlow (drums) joined by their friend, Paul Musgrave (bass guitar).
It’s a rich track with gorgeous tones and an enveloping melody, born from spending time around workshops in their hometown, as James explains:
“We rehearse in an old industrial workshop, sandwiched between a blast works and a wood turners, in the Kelham Island area of Sheffield. There’s no curtains at the window so if nothing musical comes you can sit for a few minutes and watch the workers working overtime to get things finished – that usually provokes me to start playing again. I think the sense of working and creation, whether by instrument or machine, is healthy when making music.
“Our sound may somehow absorb some of that atmosphere but don’t ask me how. It’s much busier in the mornings and the daytime with all the business coming and going from the surrounding workshops and you occasionally have to dodge the glare of harmless disapproval from a lorry driver, while you sit on your guitar case nursing a coffee, waiting for the others to arrive. The daylight provides a different atmosphere for the music for me, everything’s literally sharper and more in focus so it’s good when rehearsing in pairs or as a band – working out song structures and looking at the finer details.
“The new material often starts with an organ in a dark room – that influences more the beginnings of words and melodies, then it’s how we approach it as a band. Scott has been using a lot of slide of late and our rhythms have been thoughtful. Melodically we’ve been digging away at a particular style that really works for my voice; the words sound right more, it’s as if I’m melodically hitting less rocks. The whole process is a rolling one; the melodies can change depending on what the guitar’s doing, what the bass is doing, drums and vice-versa, everything’s fluid from the start, right up until it’s down on record.”
High Hazels released a couple of tracks last year, ‘Joined at The Lip’ and ‘Sequin Eyes’. They’re currently working on a new album.
Listen to ‘Days of No One’ below.
The band also have a few live shows coming, they’ll play Manchester on 27th April, London on 2nd May and Sheffield on 4th May.
The details are:
APRIL
27 Jimmy’s, Manchester
MAY
02 Sebright Arms, London
04 Leadmill, Sheffield
