Oxford band, The August List, recently announced their new EP, Sun Pinned on Ghost Sky (out on November 7th via August List Records, and shared their lead single and video, “The Duplex Phase.”
“The Duplex Phase” is a crushing slink through the desire to escape existential woes, with a barely in-control guitar solo and lyrics inspired by Alan Resnick’s short film, This House Has People In It. The band’s vocalist and guitarist, Martin Child, says the song is a “wish to disappear into the ether to evade anxiety, toxic folks and toxic situations.” Despite the dark subject matter, the band considers it a “happy song” because of the desire for human connection that pulls you back from the brink.
The EP’s songs began as rough sketches during the pandemic. Unsuited to their previous acoustic drone folk sound, the band opted for a heavier, more cosmic feel to reflect the anxiety of living in strange times. As Child put it, “if the world is turning into a crackling bin fire… we may as well ‘get loud, get psyched and find lots of effects pedals that sound like our brains’!”
The EP was engineered and recorded by the band themselves in a home studio with secondhand equipment, with mixing by Martin Child and mastering by Michael Lawrence. The August List is based around the songwriting and vocals of husband and wife Martin and Kerraleigh Child with Tommy Longfellow (drums), Ryan Quarterman (bass), Ben Heaney (violin) and Garry Richardson (guitar).
Upcoming tour dates:
3rd November – Manchester, Night & Day Café
6th November – Oxford, Jericho Tavern
20th November – London, Servants Jazz Quarters
22nd November – Oxford, Truck Store (In-store duo show)
Bandcamp: https://theaugustlist.bandcamp.com/music