Ideal Living

Splicing tense, smoky jazzscapes with crashing orchestral overloads - via haunting folk a capellas and invective spoken word (self-described as 'Post Spook Knitwear Rock') - Ideal Living navigate sultry art-rock noirs on double single ‘Roam’ / ‘O.F.D’ - out now (3rd July) via Crafting Room Recordings (ELLiS·D, SoftTop)

Inspired in equal parts by the brooding narratives of Tom Waits or Nick Cave, the brash melodrama of Ennio Morricone’s Spaghetti Western soundtracks, and a passing obsession with Classic FM, this upcoming brace of tracks - Produced by Bobby Smiles (Hutch) at Brighton’s Electric Studios - sees the band reflect on themes of loneliness and urbanisation via the harsh lens of modernity, as frontman (and band founder) Billy Marsh explains:

“‘Roam’ came about at the tailend of Covid, when I’d fallen out with my previous project and was going on lots of walks; my feelings at that time were mingling with my observations of the countryside around Brighton, how it’s being eaten away at, and how these beautiful landscapes are changing. ‘O.F.D’ or ‘Old Forgotten Days’ reflects on relationships with once close friends ending on bitter terms, channelling all the anger, the annoyance, and the regret”

Formed in Brighton in 2022 by frontman Billy Marsh, Ideal Living notably features musicians from across the city’s current wave of emergent alternative acts (Flip Top Head and SoftTop among them) in its ever-shifting orchestra. In recent months, their dramatic live performances have ushered in tours of the UK and Ireland with Flip Top Head and Lifts, airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music (New Music Fix), and support slots for Egyptian Blue, The New Eves and Opus Kink. To celebrate their new release, Ideal Living play their biggest headline show to date at The Hope & Ruin on 4th July.