No windows

"if their early output is anything to go by, No Windows could be a generational talent.” - The Line Of Best Fit

"As ever, brilliant, mature songwriting from a duo who simply don’t miss."  - So Young

“epic” – The FADER

"inquisitive alt-pop with a dogged DIY aesthetic" - CLASH

Today, the Sound Of Young Scotland award-winning Edinburgh duo, No Windows – made up of 18 year old multi-instrumentalist Morgan Morris and 19 year old vocalist Verity Slangen – have shared a new single titled “Small Flashing Light”. The track comes on the heels of the band’s packed out UK tour with Lime Garden and ahead of their new “Point Nemo” EP which is due out 3rd May via Fat Possum. The band will also play at multiple showcases at The Great Escape this year and have announced a number of new live dates, including a London headline show at Third Man (Blue Basement) on 14^th May, and an EU / UK tour supporting Slow Pulp.

Taking its name from the location farthest away from land in the world, the five track EP evokes wintry isolation, and marks a significant step forward for the duo, taking inspiration from the expansive sound-worlds of Elliott Smith and Cocteau Twins, their Scottish peers Cloth and Jacob Alon, and a shared musical curiosity that is all their own.

The effortless musical chemistry of No Windows comes from the tight relationship at its core. Verity and Morgan met as young teenagers at school in Edinburgh, after Morgan came across Verity – in the year above – who shared videos online of her singing. They quickly established a friendship and an artistic bond, with Verity adding her emotionally charged lyrics to Morgan’s bedroom recordings. In December 2022, their debut EP Fish Boy was released; a public introduction to their strong songwriting and intricate, fuzz-pop arrangements that earned them a spot in last year’s NME 100 list, and plaudits from the likes of So Young, CLASH, The Line Of Best Fit, The Skinny, The List, and Secret Meeting, as well as live appearances in The Great Escape’s First Fifty and the 2022 Connect festival.

Over a year later, Morgan and Verity are pushing their artistry forward. “Fish Boy was our first experience of putting together a body of work,” explains Morgan. “With ‘Point Nemo’ we’ve gained a lot of confidence and knowledge. I think we improved on a lot of the basics as well: structuring songs, stronger melodies.” Morgan’s production has also evolved significantly: the songs sound bigger and denser, with multi-tracked backing vocals, unexpected countermelodies, tape delay, and field recordings.

The first taste of this evolution came in the form of their recent singles “Song 01”, “Fibbs”, and “Zodiac”, earning plaudits from the likes of The FADER, Gorilla vs Bear, NME, CLASH, So Young, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, BBC 6 Music, Paste, and more. The new single “Small Flashing Light” showcases a more stripped back side to their sound. Carried by simple chords and harmonies, the track also features found sounds and field recordings recorded by Morgan to create an ambient soundscape behind Verity’s vocals about platonic love.

Speaking on the track, Verity says: “I wrote it after going through a breakup and realising the beauty of female friendship. When I was with the person this song is about, I had a wonderful feeling of being deeply understood and I wanted to get this into words. As seen in the other songs in ‘Point Nemo’, I find it very hard to write happy songs, so this was a big struggle, I think the lyric ‘I know that you fucking hate love songs’ is more of a self-projection. The song makes me feel immense gratitude to this person, and all my friends as a whole- I think it’s a great contrast from the sadder songs in the EP, I write often about feeling like I am in a cycle, this song is breaking that cycle in the EP."

The single is also accompanied by a visualiser taken from the same dramatic scenery seen throughout the band’s recent videos - shot in the Lake District with Humble Film Productions.

In a notable change for the duo, “Point Nemo” saw Verity and Morgan writing together in the same room for the first time, leading to an even stronger cohesion between the two elements. “Before, I’d record the whole instrumental before Verity would hear it,” explains Morgan. “We convinced ourselves that was the only way we could write songs. Then we wrote together and it was way better: the way the song moves musically tends to align with the lyrical themes, which is a really cool thing and we never plan it. Writing together has been a huge change to how the songs turn out.” The resulting song “Fibbs” is perfect guitar-pop, sweetened by drops of synthesiser and the pair’s close-knit harmonies.

The EP is also their first time introducing an outside producer into the fold: Ali Chant (Dry Cleaning, Sorry, Yard Act, Aldous Harding, Soccer Mommy, Youth Lagoon) who mixed the album with Morgan and Verity in his Bristol studio. “That was our first time passing on an element of control to someone outside of us,” says Morgan, who admits he and Verity are both “massive fans” of Ali’s previous work. “There was an interesting balance: we were quite clear on what we wanted and he was amazing when it came to realising that, but he also added elements that I wouldn’t have thought of.”

These steps forward bode well for the next chapter of the band, bolstered by their October 2023 win of the coveted Sound of Young Scotland Award at the annual Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Awards. Chosen by a panel of previous SAY nominees, the award represents a key co-sign from the Scottish music community, alongside mentoring, studio time and vinyl pressing.

2024 is set to be an important year for No Windows, with the release of “Point Nemo” and numerous live appearances. The most important work will be going on behind the scenes though, as Verity and Morgan continue to evolve their sound and make good on their significant artistic promise.