the calls

“Music this good, beyond good, is something special; leaving you blissed out and in a beautiful place. Do we really need anything more?” LOCAL SOUND FOCUS

Leeds indie trio THE CALLS have been on a journey. Where the rest of the world stood still during the COVID lockdown, they began work on their debut album, while still working delivery jobs to fund the recording of their ambitious vision. After much tweaking, refining and experimenting, the record has finally emerged in 2024, bestowing a stunning, panoramic sonic landscape upon their listeners. From the epic indie/psych rock opener ‘Red Sky’, which is reminiscent of Tame Impala and the legendary Pink Floyd, through the jangle pop/shoegaze trio of singles ‘Leave Me Alone’, ‘If There’s A Heaven’ and ‘In The Haze’, over to the Radiohead-esque emotional anthem of ‘Wait For A Moment’ and the climactic yet blissful grooves of the baggy/Madchester closer ‘Some Other Time Maybe’, the album is a powerhouse of a record, featuring both earworm singles and complex deep cuts. As a debut it stands proudly among the classics, with its intricate sounds and rich textures, an extension of the pure songwriting seated at its foundation. This is perfectly complimented by the striking artwork, an abstract painting crafted by Andy Crofts of The Moons and Paul Weller’s band, which wonderfully epitomises the mood and style of the record. This album musically and sonically evokes both the past, the present and the future of indie music, and in short, is bloody good.

“They give an absolute schooling to anyone who underestimates indie’s power to push boundaries, and somehow they do it without sounding as if they’re bothered at all about anything other than falling into the music ...” THE PHONOGRAPH

Hailing from the thriving musical bedrock of Leeds, THE CALLS remain a proudly defiant DIY band who write, rehearse and record their music in an old barn. The trio are driven by the unconventional songwriting of Tom Fuller, who puts an introspective slant on social observations through cryptic wordplay and metaphor, with lyrics often reflective and always deeply personal. He’s joined by lead guitarist Will Johnson, a film maker and visual artist who makes all of the band’s artwork and music videos, and whose unrestrained and unusual sound is perhaps due to the fact that he had never picked up a guitar before joining the band; and bassist Marcell Haslewood, a lifeguard whose combination of funk, dub and ambience heralds a unique approach to playing that defies convention. Whatever you think of this unusual combination of characters, one thing is for certain: there is no one quite like THE CALLS.

“For fans of shoegaze acts from decades past – My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive – boxes are ticked, whilst fans of neo-psychedelic acts such as Tame Impala will find them an equally great listen ...” CONCRETE