London-based alt-grunge band Uzumaki have today announced their debut album ‘waded’ will be released 13th September via Everything Sucks Music. They’ve also released its killer cut of a lead single – ‘Scenes of Beauty’ – which introduces the scuzzed-up, Britpop-imbibed, singalong magic of ‘waded’ with aplomb. As vocalist and guitarist Alex Cheung explains: “It’s so fitting for us to release Scenes of Beauty first. It was always positioned first in the demo track listing, so in a way it felt like the natural introduction to the feel of the album for all of us. With that in mind, we wanted to create the music video ourselves, channeling the type of visuals coined by our influences, which feel true to how we ‘see’ the songs in the record. We’ve always thought of Scenes of Beauty as a summer song, so we’re so happy to be releasing it right now.”
Despite embodying that slacker-grunge vibe with their new single and music video (and across the 12 tracks that comprise their insatiable debut), Uzumaki’s music itself is anything but slack, with a crucially tight rhythm section, fuzzed-up guitars, the hookiest of hooks and earworm choruses in spades. ‘waded’ was recorded at The Bookhouse in London with Tom Hill. As Cheung says: “Tom is amazing at capturing the sound of the room, keeping a realness to the recording which is so often lost these days. The demos for this album were very complete, with bells and whistles already locked in, so the recording session was less about the crafting of the songs than it was about capturing the natural energy of us playing the songs for real.”
That raw and real energy is evident throughout this full length, which conveys both the feel of a crucial live band and the dynamic brilliance of some truly gifted songwriters. Uzumaki originally formed in Norwich but all the band’s members eventually ended up in London – a city which has become a big part of Uzumaki’s identity. After having self-recorded their early stuff in Norwich, then recording debut EP ‘Square One’ in the middle-of-nowhere, London felt like the natural place to bring ‘waded’ to life. As Cheung explains, the record “is essentially the personification of Uzumaki” and London is at the core of the band’s very being.
There’s no denying that Uzumaki wear their 90s influence on their collective washed-out long-sleeve. Inspired by the likes of Teenage Fanclub, old school Weezer, Pulp, Blur, Sonic Youth and Sebadoh, the band have a fresh and energised take on some classic sounds.
Uzumaki started their life in recorded music with their first ever single premiering on BBC Introducing, which led to plays on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and beyond, with Uzumaki reaching discerning ears across the globe. The band have shared stages with acts such as Superheaven, Glitterer, The Front Bottoms and Vundabar. Their house party of a live show will be returning to venues across the UK this year – stay tuned for dates starting over the summer.
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UZUMAKI ARE:
Alex Cheung (guitar, lead vocals)
Nick Allen (guitar, vocals)
Alex Fletcher (drums, vocals)
Conor Thompson (bass)
