Rowan Bruce
Quietly making waves across the thriving South Wales underground, Cardiff slowcore act Heartpiece deliver a heartfelt, minimalist sound to their hometown’s most iconic venue. With their debut EP, Mirror World which dropped back in January, Heartpiece made their first mark on their scene, receiving support slots from heavy hitters as far apart as Split Chain and Horse Jumper Of Love.
While typically a four-piece, Heartpiece delivers an intimate solo set with just one voice and a guitar, transforming the full band’s huge sound into shoegaze-inspired indie. Although far from a polished set and without any of their usual bells and whistles, Heartpiece’s songs still hold up when stripped back to their barest components. Despite some slightly shaky moments, Heartpiece’s solo set manages to win over the sold-out crowd.
Before even releasing a full-length album, Bristol’s Sun Spot have become local legends. Playing Arctangent, supporting Sløtface and releasing an EP via underground tastemakers Venn Records, Sun Spot’s CV already looks extremely impressive. Led by frontman Will Palmer’s R&B-style grooves and hyperpop-inspired vocals, this Bristol quartet is one to keep an eye on.
Synth-infused tracks like ‘Keepsake’ and ‘Wireframe’ set the bands apart from other acts that draw from the same shoegaze influences, highlighting their experimental pop chops without losing any of their alternative heft. Bassist/guitarist Scott Alexander-Bowen carries the band’s backbone with funk-inspired grooves while Will and guitarist/keyboard player George Turner fill out the sound with layers of swirling textures. With Palmer taking on bass duties for ‘Last Stop’ and new track ‘Extinction Bell’ as well as closing track ‘Liar’s Loop’, Sun Spot cements themselves as one of the south-west’s most enticing alternative acts.
Originally formed as a solo project for Swedish punk oddball Sputnik (who also releases music as Lola’s Pocket PC and Five Pebbles) before becoming an online sensation and expanding to a full four-piece touring band based between Malmö and Atlanta, Weatherday are the biggest artist you’ve only heard of if you’re incredibly cool and terminally online. Finding a comfortable space between the worlds of punk, noise, emo and lo-fi, Weatherday have redefined what modern rock can sound like for a new generation on both their 2019 debut album Come In and last year’s follow-up Hornet Disaster.
Opening on the fuzzed-out chaos of ‘Meanie’ and refusing to take a breath, Weatherday’s live set is equal parts minimalist and full of ferocious punk energy. Bassist Jon Williams (who eagle-eyed viewers may recognise from Atlanta emo trailblazers Michael Cera Palin) more than makes up for Sputnik’s more intimate performance by throwing himself around the stage, enhancing the full band’s live energy rather than drawing attention away from their bandleader.
While the band’s viral hits like ‘Angel’ and ‘Come In’ clearly get the biggest reactions of the night, the deeper cuts are where Weatherday’s live set really shines. The track ‘Green Tea Seaweed Sea’ strips the full band away, leaving Sputnik as the sole focal point for the packed crowd to transfix upon while ‘Older Than Before (Oswald Made No Way for Himself)’ ramps up the energy with fuzzy, discordant lead guitar lines and melancholy emo energy. Despite having a handful of extremely popular tracks, Weatherday aren’t an online one-hit wonder, putting as much heart and rabid energy into their lesser-known songs as the viral hits.
Closing out on ‘Cut Lips’, a track which builds from reserved and close to frantic and fuzzy, Weatherday prove themselves one of the lo-fi underground’s most promising acts. Running effortlessly between cosy intimacy and stripped-back punk chaos, Weatherday’s Welsh debut stands out as one of the year’s most exciting shows.
