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LIFTER

city: Bristol
country: UK
genre: Indie
styles: Indie Folk, Alternative

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on hashbrandnew.com since September 04, 2024

credits: Jessica Pratten

Single

brandnew banger

October

out on October 16, 2024

Single

This track is included in our Spotify playlist

Newcomers Take It Easy New Alternative Vibes

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Reviews and Comments

Ahead of debut album Clasping Hands with the Moribund released in just over a week, LIFTER share the aptly named new single ‘October’ - a twinkly-folk track based on a poem inspired by the changing season.

On the track, singer and guitarist Harry Fanshawe says “We started piecing this together in October of two years ago when our first incarnation was coming to an end (our guitarist Olive had gone travelling). It began as a poem written on a leafy walk and, as we were moving into the new season and into a new chapter with other things, it's very much about the mystery of what comes next when other things around you have gone.”

Clasping Hands with the Moribund out 25th October, encapsulates 18 months of touring, lineup changes, experiments with various musicians, and dedication. Lovingly self-produced, as nearly everything released before is, it was recorded either in Harry’s garden studio, in Miles' flat, or out in (many) other locations, including St Dunstan's church in South Bristol. They also had many musicians record remotely, such as the violin from Reuben Brunt in London, and all of Chris Hicks' guitar parts, which he did from his Bristol flat.

With the lineup on the album consisting of the core duo of the group, former Modern Rituals guitarist Harry Fanshawe and bassist and producer Miles Ward, the band were joined on the recording of these tracks by The Death of Pop co-leader Angus James, Swelt guitarist Chris Hicks, cellists Douglas Evans and Anna Strudwick, violinist Reuben Brunt, backing vocalist Olive Featherstone, cornet player Harry Furniss, and drummers Stevie Fry and Oliver Cocup.

Already supporting the likes of Wednesday and Bar Italia, the 7-piece are setting off a UK headline tour this weekend, hitting Bristol, London, Derby, Southampton, Oxford, and Halifax.

In this current incarnation, the band take musical cues from a diverse range of sources, including slowcore, folk, country, and indie rock, and deftly showcase this throughout this latest release. A handful of influences would include Picastro, Megafaun, XTC, Crazy Horse, and Bill Callahan. Their earlier material often drew comparisons to the likes of Silver Jews and Sparklehorse, all in all adding to a much scrappier and heavier sound in comparison to this more intricate and pastoral sound they’ve begun to adopt.

LIFTER formed in late 2021 after Harry Fanshawe, Stevie Fry, and Miles Ward had been jamming for fun that summer. Friends from the Bristol scene, Miles had driven Harry's previous band, Modern Rituals a couple of times, and Harry and Stevie had played live together occasionally for a small, short-lived project. The three knew they needed a fourth member, and having seen Olive Featherstone play live at an alldayer, they invited her to be a part of the band.

In 2022, Olive left on an 8 month trip, and after playing a glorious "final" show with her in August of that year, the band went a bit quiet and wrote new material, which they started performing as a three piece. On New Years Eve, Harry went to a house party where he met Angus James and the two realised they had been born in the same Salisbury hospital and quickly hit it off, leading to him joining LIFTER, and eventually touring with his other band The Death Of Pop.

Eventually Stevie left the band burdened with touring, already recording his parts that feature on the album which they had already been performing live. A three-piece once again, in January this year they recruited cellist Anna Strudwick who quickly became part of the fold. Then drummer Oli Cocup, and Swelt guitarist Chris Hicks joined full time, with Olive returning, all adding their own parts to Clasping Hands with the Moribund.

With all that said, LIFTER have made the most of member switches and they are proudly displayed on their debut album.

LIFTER are Harry Fanshawe (vocals, guitar), Angus James (guitar, vocals), Olive Featherstone (vocals), Chris Hicks (guitar), Miles Ward (bass), Anna Strudwick (cello) and Oli Cocup (drums).

Clasping Hands with the Moribund out 25th October 2024