Psychedelic sextet rockers Neon Waltz return to Bedford Esquires on Friday (June 2) as part of their UK tour to support new single Heavy Heartless.
That the world is blessed with the swirling, melodic rock of ‘Britain’s most northerly band’ is some kind of miracle.
Standing on the tip of the nation, three quarters of your vision is taken up by the epic expanse of water that, though pock marked by quaint archipelagos in the distance, only ends the Arctic Circle.
Behind you, the rest of the country unfurls, but it’s a long way to Glasgow, Manchester or London.
Here, in John O’Groats, six, stranded kindred spirits found each other and transcended geography and the odds to build record collections, amass musical instruments and, finally, win favour in those distant towns and cities with their own set of intricately crafted songs.
And now they are “Scotland’s coolest new gang” reckons the NME.
Without the songs, what becomes of a band? It’s the start and end point for Neon Waltz, gathering influences from rain-soaked indie to Californian sunshine-flecked psychedelia amidst picturesque isolation, before converting the inspiration they have found into breathlessly crystalline, chiming, guitar-forward pop.
Expansive choruses accompanied by fairground keyboards ring from a remote, semi-derelict house in a place where nobody will ever find them, but their ambition and gift for melody is a secret that even the windswept, castle-strewn highlands couldn’t keep.
Extensive touring, including headline trips that have spanned more than 1,400 miles each time – the same as driving from London to Lisbon – and support dates with The Coral and Noel Gallagher, have honed the Ignition Records signees live sound and drawn out a sense of visible self-assurance and stage craft in the erudite six-piece.
The band are no strangers to shows for The Pad Presents, having headlined Bedford Esquires a couple of years back, as well as supporting Inspiral Carpets for the promo team in Northampton.
Tickets are on sale here
