Van Zon

Boldly arriving with a startling 8-minute epic of experimental folk-tinged post-rock, Brighton quintet Van Zon share their euphoric debut single ‘Cannon Fodder’.

Not measuring things by halves, Van Zon cook up expansive, genre-busting banquets. Fusing the spiritually uplifting strains of big-band folk with the harsh urbanities of post-punk sprawl, the five-piece operate exclusively in ever-transforming and unconventionally structured musical voyages. Across the labyrinthe that is ‘Cannon Fodder’, clarinets and violins dance with the ethereal timbres of electronic drone; clash with screaming freak-outs before resolving itself with slow-brewing builds and spine-tingling conclusions. Like a painting by a renaissance master, ‘Cannon Fodder’ packs itself with multiple elements and rich details that are constantly unveiling themselves listen after listen.

Executed intentionally as the band’s mission statement, ‘Cannon Fodder’ also aims to reflect the voices of each of the group’s members, as they explain:

“Cannon Fodder represents our first year as a fully-formed band. It serves as a musical collage of each member of the group, taking all aspects of our influences and enabling them to co-exist. The lyricism concludes a narrative that stretches throughout the Van Zon discography; we’re beginning at the end.”

Forming just last June, Van Zon quickly cemented their presence in the Brighton and London grassroots gig circuits, selling out their first headline show at Brighton’s Green Door Store merely five months into their existence, and winning early backing from (and playing a brace of showcases for) So Young Magazine, also earning a spot on the Green Man Rising 2024 Longlist.

A testament to their multifaceted sound, Van Zon have supported bands performing across a plethora of genres, among them The New Eves, DEADLETTER, C Turtle, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Shovel Dance Collective, Ditz and pencil. As part of The Great Escape weekend, the band will perform a series of unofficial shows across the city - full details below.