The ANECDOTES ~ ORIGAMI WAVES (debut ep)

The Anecdotes; made up of lead vocalist/guitarist, Matt Hensley, fellow guitarist Mike Rowlinson, drummer Ellis Cullen and bassist Nick Bradford, are only aged seventeen, but have recently released a rather explosive debut EP. They describe their sound as “a mix of 90's indie, shoe gaze and dance” and it’s true, the sound is just that. By a chance encounter via twitter, I stumbled across the band and opted for bugging them about their music (which you can read at the bottom of the page).

The EP begins with title track Origami Waves, which straight off sends you into a whirlwind of stadium-rock riffs and heavy drum beats. Unlike most young indie bands, the track stands out by showing off ‘old skool’, pure electric ‘air’-guitar vibes. The track itself quite literally owns the catchiest lyrics I have heard in forevs. I can honestly listen to the track, for example, on the Monday and still find myself belting out the same chorus lines ‘You’ve got me falling on my knees, that’s right those origami waves’, by the Saturday. It’s like a hefty groove-tune.

Kaleidoscope follows up next and kind of reminds me of early Red Hot Chilli Peppers records. It starts with an intriguing drum intro, so that when the guitars and bass kick in, your left half surprised after expecting the track to take a different direction. Gentler than Origami Waves, the song focuses more on its lyrics and once again the track takes ownership of some pretty damn catchy chorus lyrics. Credit truly has to be given for this, so many young bands fizzle out and you never remember any songs or lyrics they made; but this clearly isn’t going to be the case with The Anecdotes, considering just how easily their words get jammed in your head.

Quite like Kaleidoscope, Fell Into A Dream is a lot more serene than that of Origmai Waves, or at least you think so at the beginning. The track slowly builds up to a late climax. Its calm ups and downs, flow like a ‘wave’, it’s tender and moany, less rocky, that is until the end nears, then they revert back into ‘Origami Wave’ like drums and electrifying guitars.

The final track, Sepia Fields, is the cheeriest on the whole EP; definitely the party-song of the four. It begins with an intro, one that wouldn't sound out of place on a Dog Is Dead track. Beachy guitars and tender drum taps assist Hensley's vocals as this track rejuvenates a sound that can only be compared to that of The Strokes former songs. It's a soft, youthful end to an impressive debut EP.

'Quite a bizarre mix, but it's kind of dreamy.' - Ellis Cullen, The Anecdotes Drummer.

Track listing:

1. Origami Waves

2. Kaleidoscope

3. Fell Into A Dream

4. Sepia Fields

Released April 22nd 2013. Available for purchase via Bandcamp, at just £2.35 (which is super cheap, considering what you get to pleasure your ears with.) http://theanecdotesvibes.bandcamp.com/album/origami-waves

The Anecdotes

How have, The Anecdotes, been together for?

Around seven months, but we started the band in mid-2012 with a different line up. We’ve changed a lot since then.

Do you vary in age at all? And how did you meet?

Nope, we’re all seventeen now. A few of us met in high school, but Nick (the bassist) came from another band in the area, in which he played the drums. I started talking to Nick, after not really knowing each other in high school and discovered he played bass through being in his music class. The band’s original line up just wasn’t really working, so I asked him to join.

Is the Origami Waves EP, your first release? And how did it all come together?

Pretty much, we released a demo EP, but it was like a different band. We just kind of wrote songs and chucked them all together.

Would you say you have any big influences or bands you like the sound of?

Probably Foals, Peace, The Strokes, maybe a bit of The Smiths lying round.


If you had the chance, which would be the ideal band to support?

I think it changes for all of us, someone like Bombay Bicycle Club, The Joy Formidable, Foals, obviously a band whose audience we’d appeal to.

Is there an ultimate goal for the future, or is it a ‘go with the flow’ kind of thing?

Nah, we definitely have aims, like supporting someone we love, or something. We’d obviously love to burst into the indie music scene, but it’s hard ain’t it.

Finally, what’s your biggest band moment to recall so far?

Hmm, probably recording the EP, especially with people who have worked with artists like Plan B, Lily Allen and The Script, that and just finding our sound, it took us a while, but we got there eventually. Having Nick join was also pretty fab.