FEATURE: Spotlight: allusinlove — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Haris Nukem

allusinlove

_________

THERE are a lot of rising artists…

PHOTO CREDIT: allusinlove

I want to highlight over the coming weeks but, as they are a bit of a roll now, I am putting the incredible allusinlove under the spotlight. This is not the first time I have featured the band: I have reviewed and followed them under their previous moniker, allusondrugs. If the once-drug-naming band have transformed into a more loving and wholesome-named clan, the music still has a certain sense of lick, sweat and excitement. The Yorkshire band’s new album, It’s Okay to Talk, had the terrific Catherine Marks on production duties (she is the go-to producer if you are a pretty thrilling and meaty band!), and I recommend people buy the album and check it out. The record has been picking up some promising and encouraging reviews. Here, Discovered Magazine had their say:

“‘It’s Okay To Talk’ is grounded in alternative indie but has many offshoots to keep the listener guessing and interested in what is to come, heavy distorted guitars keeps the energy up while the shoegaze aspect creates a spacey atmosphere. Not to mention a very memorable performance from lead vocalist, Jason Moules, adapting to each song to match the feeling from the intimate songs to distorted and soaring choruses. The track listing does include all four songs from the latest EP released late 2018 while two songs make a return from the allusondrugs days with a fresh sound and production that lifts and improves the songs tenfold. The producers give a good indication of what to expect from the record: Catherine Marks (Foals, The Killers, Wolf Alice) and Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Queens Of The Stone Age).

As a hard reset for the band, this is an incredibly well thought out and executed record. The band have harked back to their roots while improving on it, concisely setting out what they wanted to achieve in their production. The mix of styles and genres has certainly kept things open for what is to come from the Leeds outfit which is no bad thing but rather an intriguing prospect. While relying heavily on already recorded and released material is not ideal, the band have decided that this will be the jump off point for allusinlove”.

I love the band because they sort of mix modern Indie/Alternative with something a bit older. Yes, some of their songs cut to the bone and are lustful and cocky but the band are never that crude and vulgar: instead, they remind me of bands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and can talk about love/sex without being disparaging. With incredible chemistry between the members and riffs-aplenty, it is no wonder allusinlove are proving to be a very popular live act. There are a couple of dates coming up, but keep an eye on their social media channels (links are at the bottom of this feature) as the band might add some new ones and stuff pops up. The fact that their album is out at the moment means there will be a lot of excitement and demand. Here, the band talk about each of the tracks and I have selected a couple of interviews from a little while back – where they talk about recording their material and how they started out.

When speaking with Sound Arts, they were asked about their formation and what it was like working with producer Catherine Marks:

“How did you meet and how were allusinlove (allusondrugs) formed in the first place?

We all met around the Leeds area as everyone in the band was already playing music in different projects. We had known of each other from previous gigs and nights out so we started hanging out as new friends. One evening, after a hazy conversation outside a pub, the first version of the band was born. We all connected extremely well musically because of a very similar taste in bands. The idea of forming a new band between us seemed exciting and we wanted to go for it.

“All Good People” is the first taste of your forthcoming EP, produced by the legendary Catherine Marks and Alan Moulder. How was your collaboration with them?

It was an amazing experience. Catherine was excellent to work with and she really had everything under control in the studio. She understood straight away what kind of band we wanted to be and she had some amazing ideas. There were some truly magic moments shared with both Catherine and Alan during the recording and mixing of the album. Thanks to them both we have been able to achieve a sound that we are very proud of.

Which is your favorite song from you latest EP and why?

Bad Girls is probably our favorite because it is the most experimental song we’ve done. The whole progression of the guitar riff is based around a constant loop that never actually changes it’s structure. The song loops through various different sections and the lyricism focuses on insecurities within a darker relationship between two broken souls. There’s also a hippie drum circle we recorded over the middle 8 which gives the song a real tribal feel”.

Of course, we know the E.P. became an album and the band have been showcasing songs on the road. I want to bring in another interview and, although it is pre-album, it does reveal something interesting – including who allusinlove would like to collaborate with. They explain more:

“Tsvetelina: You released your EP last year and it’s so diverse and interesting. What was your main inspiration musically and lyrically for it?

Jason: It’s longing mostly, like a lot of confusion. About life and just people – how you feel about them and stuff. And sex. Just stuff, I think, everybody goes through, mostly. It’s hard to talk about, I haven’t thought much about it. Other than actual subjects, it’s feelings, as well. Live musicians, they can create a feeling that’s not something you can describe but it can take you somewhere. I like stuff I can listen to. If I make a song and I can listen to it after, we’ve won. Sometimes you can make music and be like ‘I don’t actually like that. Why have I done that?’

Tsvetelina: There are a lot of new artists and bands but who would you like to collaborate with the most?

Jason: Perfume Genius. He’s a chap from America, I think he’s from Seattle. He makes really amazing music. There’s a girl called Anna Calvi. Let’s not say a girl, she’s a woman, she’s older than me. She’s from the UK. She’s amazing. We were really lucky with the people we made the album with, the EP. We’re a four-piece band but I would say in the studio we were a seven-piece band because of our producers and our engineers. They were helping us and creating with us, so just to work with them again would actually be really nice. Hopefully, the second record, we’re gonna do it with all the same people because they were just incredible. They’ve some of our favourite records, everyone between from Smashing Pumpkins to My Bloody Valentine and Warpaint. That’s all the music that I enjoy listening to and then the people who made that music are making music with us now. I just want to collaborate again with them, I guess. Because why not? The formula is good”.

I need to catch up with the band because I would love to know what they have planned for the remainder of this year. I know there will be more gigs but, in terms of material, perhaps nothing else until next year. I recall discovering them as allusondrugs and marvelling at a band who sounded so complete and assured right from the off. They have grown even stronger and more ambitious – in no small part due to gigs and great exposure – and I think they are one of these bands who could become IDLES-big. Maybe they are not as political and charged as IDLES but this new wave of guitar music with heart and nuance is very popular and something we have been missing for a while – there has always been guitar music but there is a definite rise right now. I shall wrap things up here but, how would one describe allusinlove?! They are brotherly and have a great bond with their fans. They are riff-tastic but have plenty of heart; they are underground yet primed for big success and, in a world where we have guitar groups like John, Foals; IDLES, Slaves and countless others, there is something different about allusinlove. Have a listen to their incredible music and I know you will become a fan soon enough. Sit back, turn up (the album) It’s Okay to Talk and allow the majestic and memorable songs…