Beech Coma

Out of Gothenburg comes Holy Now, a project that grew out of a strong need to create music from the heart, and their debut 7” single out now via Beech Coma. With intimate melodies, yelling drums and sprawling choruses, the four piece lead you through their unique universe of timeless pop music in the vein of Alvvays, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Angel Olsen.

‘Wake Up’, a veritable pop dream of delirious vocals, riveting guitar solos and complex sensibilities, is the first taste of Julia Olander’s outstanding songwriting potential, backed by Ylva Holmdahl, Samuel Von Bahr and Hampus Eiderström Swahn. Tinged with melancholy throughout, the song also offers a light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s about wanting someone so much that everything gets messed up,” the band explain. “It’s about leaving, returning and letting go.”

Following last year’s critically-acclaimed and sold-out ‘Melt’ EP, Magic Potion today release their debut album ‘Pink Gum’ via Beech Coma on cassette and super special custom chewing gum - grab your copy here.

‘Next Time’ is the flip side to Lou E’s debut single ‘What Do You Do It For?’, out now. 

Aaaaaaand we’re back! Today we’re thrilled announce Part #2 of the Beech Coma Singles Club, the debut single from Lou E.

‘What Do You Do It For?’ / ‘Next Time’ was recorded and mixed in Milburn’s bedroom and a friend’s garden shed in the Autumn of 2015, amidst Louis’ hectic touring schedule playing guitar and keys for Oscar across the globe. The single will be released on 7” vinyl and digitally on 26th February 2016. Stream the A-side, ‘What Do You Do It For?’, below.

If you’re a fan of food fights, bowling, karaoke, limousines and indie pop, then you’re probably going to love Bruising’s new video for ‘Emo Friends’ - watch below.

‘Emo Friends’ / ‘Honey’ is released on 7″ vinyl and digitally on 20th November 2015. Pre-order here.

It’s about time we announce a new release, right? WRONG. It’s about time we announced a WHOLE SERIES OF RELEASES. Thanks to the lovely people at Arts Council England, today sees the launch of the Beech Coma Singles Club.

Every 2 months for the next year, we'll be releasing a new 7" single by one of your new favourite bands. Limited to just 50 spaces, this 6-part subscription will mean that a hot piece of fresh wax will be landing on your door mat every 8 weeks (along with the digital downloads too). You'll also receive some surprise goodies along the way - demos, hidden tracks, maybe even some merch. At £19.99, that events out at around £3.30 per record - plus free shipping to the UK. Pretty great, right? Yup. Pretty great. 

AND THAT’S NOT ALL. We’re really excited to announce that the first single will be from our long-time mates Bruising. We first hooked up with the Leeds duo back in January for Vol. 3, and now they’re back with a stunning new track ‘Emo Friends’. Check out the single below, and pre-order the single or sign up for the Beech Coma Singles Club here.

Less than a year has passed since Naomi Baguley spotted Ben Lewis wearing a Perfect Pussy t-shirt in a Leeds nightclub and they began trading song ideas through phone voice memos. A first batch of ramshackle demos recorded in Lewis’ bedroom soon led to a sold-out debut show at Leeds’ Oporto, before Bruising began hosting a series of cult house parties in Hyde Park living rooms with the likes of Waxahatchee, Twin Peaks and Trust Fund. Word soon got out, and praise started coming in from the most unlikely of places – Andrew W.K, for instance and, in true fairy-tale style, Perfect Pussy’s own Meredith Graves. Off the back of two stand-out contributions to our own Vol. 3 and Art Is Hard’s Family Portrait Pt. II earlier this year, Bruising return with their debut single ‘Emo Friends’, with a re-recording of early demo ‘Honey’ making up the AA single. Now split between Berlin and Leeds as Baguley begins a year studying abroad, the band reconvened at Suburban Home Studios in Leeds to record the single with Hookworms’ MJ. 

‘Emo Friends’ deals with the pains of helplessly watching both your own and your friends’ lives falling apart, and all that you can do to combat it is to have fun with them. Infectious guitar melodies contrast with Baguley’s softly layered cries of “I want to feel okay” before the song climaxes, in Lewis’ tongue-firmly-in-cheek words, “like the big smoocher hit at the end of an American teen movie circa 1999”. ‘Honey’, on the other hand, is a re-recording of the first song the duo wrote together, transformed from bedroom demo to straight up pop-punk hit. Baguley and Lewis try and out-do each other throughout, with floating vocals and ever-more venomous guitar lines thrown back and forth. ‘Emo Friends’ / ‘Honey’ is released 20th November on 7” vinyl and digitally via Beech Coma. Pre-order the single and/or sign up to the Beech Coma Singles Club here.

I am beyond excited to share with you news of Beech Coma's first ever standalone release. We're teaming up with Swedish label PNKSLM to release the beautifully hazy and wonderfully effortless ‘Melt’ EP from Stockholm's Magic Potion.

Last year, King TV's 'When She's Around' was featured on the very first Beech Coma release. Intimacy and hedonism high-five each other throughout the song as guitars switch from almost silent to screeching in waves - it's an utterly brilliant and thrilling song. When I first emailed frontman Louis Milburn about working with the band, I distinctly remember him asking me never to mention his age - just 17 at the time - as he was worried venues would stop booking the band.

Having just turned 18, and Louis is astoundingly prolific. Two further King TV releases under his belt, he also started writing solo work under the name Lou E late last year and released the beautiful and uplifting 'Teach Yourself'. Behind the scenes, given the number of different demos he has sent me since, I would guess there are in excess of 25 finished brilliant Lou E songs waiting to be unveiled - and today I have the utter pleasure of sharing my favourite, 'Just One Thing'.

Taken from Vol. 3, out March 9th, 'Just One Thing' is a sprawling affair that really belongs over a sun-drenched road-trip scene in a cult 80s film. Juxtaposing everything that 'When She's Around' is about, warm acoustic guitars slowly rise up like a heat wave from hot tarmac, whilst Louis' vocals take you away with him as the dream-like, hazy melody slowly becomes lodged in your brain. 

It such a pleasure to share 'Just One Thing' - stream the song below.

Beech Coma Vol. 3 is released March 9th on cassette, t-shirt bundle and download - pre-order here.

I'm really excited to finally share 'The Caller', the new cut from LA-based trio Jr., taken from Beech Coma Vol. 3. Stream the track below. 

Recorded by the band at home with Michael Coleman, 'The Caller' is wistful and introverted, yet anthemic and infectious. Sounding like Paul Simon fronting Vampire Weekend, crystalline synths burst through the sun-bleached haze of a reverb-cloaked guitar to create the most blissful of pop songs. For a band with a string of amazing songs already on their soundcloud, this is their most experimental yet accomplished track to date.

'The Caller' is the second cut from Vol. 3, the latest compilation of fab new bands from Beech Coma, out March 9th on cassette and download ('The Caller' is exclusive to the cassette). Pre-order here.

Jr on Facebook Jr on Twitter Jr on Soundcloud

Vol. 3 tracklisting:

I am so thrilled to finally share the lead track from Vol. 3 - Bruising's new hit 'Can't You Feel'. Fuzzy and laden with pop hooks, the Leeds-based duo of Naomi Baguley and Ben Lewis create tunes that are both grizzly and infectious all at once. Stream the song below.

Bruising formed late last year after singer and guitarist Naomi spotted Ben wearing a Perfect Pussy t-shirt in a Leeds nightclub. Bonding over a mutual love of all things fuzzy, they began messaging voice memos from their phones back and forth until, finally, they got together in the same room and started writing some songs. This is one of them.

Self-recorded in their bedrooms in Hyde Park, Leeds, 'Can't You Feel' is pretty much the epitome of what Bruising want to do - fuzzy pop with big hooks, riddled with earworm guitar riffs and led by aloof-yet-infectious dream-clad vocals. 

Here are 10 albums and 10 songs I loved in 2014:

Christmas is over, the New Year has come and gone, and the stark realisation has hit you: it's unbelievably cold. Everywhere you go, the icy breeze pierces your soul and you're constantly struck with the body-aching shivers. Grandma bought you socks, your colleague bought you a novelty football drinking game and Uncle Derek bought you some CDs from HMV, thinking you really liked that hot new band Kasabian. But no-one bought you the most essential thing for this bitterly cold period: a hat. A warm, well-made beanie from your favourite record label, hand-stitched by the lovely people at Awesome Merchandise and available in two colours, burgundy and navy. The hat you always wanted.