Anorak Patch

It's been a while since I blogged on a brand new band. Lockdown has caused me to look back to favourite bands and albums, rather than search for new music. A recent discovery reminded me how exciting it can be to fall for an emerging, new, young band.

Based in Colchester, teenage band Anorak Patch (top marks for a super cool indie name) are currently receiving airplay on 6 Music from Steve Lamaq and Tom Robinson. With a 13-year old drummer who used to play guitar but switched to drums so he didn't have to stand up, this is a young band displaying bundles of infectious angular teen punk energy. They currently have 3-songs on YouTube so I thought I would check them out.

Art punk pop humour is all over Beans, their debut recent single. This is a band who must have been raiding their parents Britpop albums and found albums by Elastica and early Blur. The guitar in particular is very reminiscent of Graham Coxon. This is the sound of a band having fun!

When I was young, I used to run

Down the street, cause I was searching for sweets

Anorak Patch are brothers Oscar (guitar) and Luca Ryland (drums) and Effie Lawrence (keyboards) and Eleanor Helliwell (bass).

6 Week Party mixes more thrashy punky guitar with clearer vocals, a gorgeous extended dreamy breakdown before a Blur style closing section where the guitar stops and starts. The vocals by Effie Lawrence are immediately captivating, the production is excellent and this is the most 'mature' song out of the 3 available.

6-weeks, 42-days, is too long, is far too long

Woke up and my hair was gone

Speech To Text is noisy brashy and infectious with drummer Luca taking on lead vocals. Again, I can't help but think of the frantic energy of some early Blur songs. The video, with guitarist Oscar in an old charity shop blazer and bassist Eleanor standing tall and looking chilled, also reminded me of Blur. The guitar playing is excellent and a cool melancholic keyboard riff underpins the thrashy guitar and drums.

Anorak Patch have so many exciting elements coming together; their youth, energy, that sense of experiment with their ability, instruments and sound -  they are still finding themselves. I look forward to hearing what they come up with next. I can imagine them playing in one of Glasgow's basement venues; Sleazys, Broadcast or The Hug and Pint ... who know when that might be! They certainly have youth on their side!