Sonar | Lady North

A few days ago I was lucky enough to attend Detour’s Wee Jaunt here in Edinburgh, an event that took a bunch of us on a tour of the capital making surprise stops here and there to watch perform live a hand-picked selection of local bands and artists.

As the day was nearing its end, we started walking towards the final destination of the night. The last performance took slightly longer than expected, and so a bunch of us were trailing at the end and it took us a wee bit longer to reach the next stop. When we were approaching our destination, we could hear that the band had already started and so we rushed to see who it was to surprise us.

It was Lady North. Who? Oh, no one, just your favourite new band. It was the very first time that I heard these lads play and suffice to say, I was more than sold after the very first few seconds.

Lady North is an Edinburgh band formed by Scott Bullen, Jamie Steel and Paul Bannon. Their music can be described as math-rock but only if you were in a rush, as there’s a lot more to it than just that. What stands out the most here is the ability and skill of this trio to push the cores of math-rock to whole new grounds while mixing and blending it with other genres and styles. 

They create intricate guitar riffs with powerful drums and an always beating soul that lets it all flow together. It’s as if they built a web of patterns and texture that integrate seamlessly with the always effective drumming, making for some incredibly infectious tunes that will install themselves into your head whether you want it or not.

At the beginning of the year they supported Maps & Atlases and ever since they hopped onto the fast lane and have been awarded every possible thing a new, unsigned band could ever ask for. They have set the blogosphere ablaze and anyone who gives them a quick listen will be asking for more in no time. It’s not that often that we see a young new band like this one rocketing itself into the spotlight in such a short time, and it’s particularly pleasing when you know they deserve it. And they are from Edinburgh. Oh yes.

In August we will be able to get our dirty hands on the new release by Edinburgh indie label Gerry Loves Records which will feature Lady North and PAWS. What you really shouldn’t miss, though, is catching these folks live, as that’s when their sound truly comes alive. It’s great when you can record some quality tracks, but when you can deliver the magic that Lady North produces when playing live, then you know you’ve got something.

Lady North will be playing at The Electric Circus here in Edinburgh on 25 June. If you’re smart enough, you will be there.

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