peter darling – and so she thinks

Peter Darling – Vermilion Bay

admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 16:25:00 +0000

Simmering with haunting vocals and swoops of quivering mournful guitar, Peter Darling‘s new track Vermilion Bay is a glorious and hypnotic contemplation on life, death, and the little moments in the middle. Like the sun lowering itself in the sky, or the changing autumnal leaves, there’s an inevitable maudlin beauty to the track, which is the first to be taken from the Mary Lou EP, out on April 6^th. Telling the tale of Mary Lou Fontenot, a 22 year old from Louisiana who was murdered in 2010, it explore themes of memory, life and tradition, following the flow of Cajun funeral customs. Recorded on his mobile phone and mixed on his Mac in order to get a lo-fi, old vinyl hum and fuzz, and written according to the parameters set up by his chosen story and the themes wrapped within it, it’s a challenging and clever accomplishment from the Leeds based singer songwriter. Vermilion Bay emits a bittersweet glow, poignant and lingering long after its four minutes are over. Trembling beautifully in its melancholy, this one man eulogy fizzes with unbroken spirit and exquisite passion, and is a sad joy to hear.

Peter Darling – Uh Huh Huh

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:36:30 +0000

Peter Darling described Uh Huh Huh to me as ‘a simple nostalgic pop song under 3 mins – standard.’ That’s the thing about songs that just work. They often are short and simple, a pleasing melody around basic chord structures, the right notes and the right words all working together to sound like the feeling of being barefoot in the grass, or seeing eyes that smile, or hearing church bells in the distance, or responding to the delight of sun kissing your neck, or the tickle of a skirt swirling – wonderful.
Look out for a new album this autumn.

Jack Edwards – Falling In Love

admin — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:33:24 +0000

A song about forgetting and about falling, delivery from darkness and landing in light, Falling In Love, performed by Jack Edwards Band and written by Pete Darling is a hauntingly beautiful song, structured around three simple chords, exploring the cycles and movements and love and losses and the disarmingly transient nature of the two. The video, directed by Nik Morris, suggests a simple electric exorcism of past pains as the protagonist watches dizzying dancing and simple smiles, the two being very much different dimensions of this crazy little thing called love. Gritty harmonies, searingly adroit opening, soaring vocals and gently plucked strings, it is very much the sound of the sensuous and uncertain adventure. Taken from the album Never Surrender, which is available on iTunes and the like. The band are currently working with The Animal Farm, a new record is due in October.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhW8tGlreqQ&w=560&h=315]

Peter Darling – Limehouse

admin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:44:38 +0000

Peter Darling is a singer songwriter from Kent. So Peter Darling is some bloke strumming his acoustic guitar and singing yearning odes to countryside times gone by, probably with too much facial hair like the rest of them? Ha.

They say that every song has already been written, but that doesn’t stop so many artists just replaying them. On Limehouse the musical canon has been well and truly absorbed, the best of it all being seemingly seamlessly merged into striking song writing, to plug back in again to the ever evolving musical cloud.
Having a seemingly symbiotic relationship with his craft, from the opener Sunland (Intro) that quivers and quakes its way across the strings to final song Never Outstay Your Welcome, a fun and frantic acceptance of the frustrations of teenage life, this is the sound of someone coming of age, and realising that amongst the dichotomies of black and white exist shades of grey and that can be damn good fun. Honest Again is engrossing and energetic whilst Venus sounds like George Michael’s best ballad – in a wonderful way. Changer chugs along with real grit, the strong vocals adding a layer of almost menace to the melody. A rampant and random amalgamation of hooks, fuzzy electronics and striking styles abound, and startle with the conviction and ability with which each is grabbed.
The entire EP (bar a cover of Air’s Venus) was written and produced by Peter himself, and is available to download for free from his bandcamp page. Talented and generous.

It's All Happening: The Christmas Collection

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:27:29 +0000

Oslo’s given London a Christmas tree every year since 1947. Balthazar brought the little baby Jesus some gold. 27% of of men are hoping they’ll receive socks (according to TK Maxx). It’s All Happening want to go one better and bring you the ultimate festive gift – It’s All Happening: The Christmas Collection. Some of the best bands we’ve worked with this year, who have played the gig nights and generally delighted us all, have been lovely enough to donate tracks to our mixtape. Take a listen: it’s an absolute stonker, and like a puppy, not just for Christmas. Bet you wish you’d come to the gigs now hey?
Enjoy.
It’s All Happening: The Christmas Collection by It’s All Happening

Summersun – Ross & The Wrongens
Age Anti Age – The ID
Annika’s Song – Fievelwill
Tired of Being a Man – Killing Fields Of Ontario
Rocket Science – Cinemawave
Steal His Heart – Emily & The Woods
Aphrodite – Edit/Select
Plastic – Alphabet Backwards
Apes With Rollerskates – All Too Animal
Lion’s Throat – Barely Modern
Postcards To Strangers – Moustache Of Insanity
Soul and Substance – Peter Darling
In The Quiet – The Rifle Volunteer
Modern Hipster – Tracey’s Love
Truth Or Dare – ABI
Wired – Freak Static
Bonfires – Gunning For Tamar
Panic Don’t Panic – Secret Rivals
Joy – The Volitains
Heard It All Before – The Switch
She’s A Queen – Deadwax
Inuitses – Quadrilles
Rich and Famous – Lawrence Bray
Dancers In A Painting – Sugardrum
Burger Van Song – Rachel Sermanni
Taxi For Mr. Griffin – End Of Level Baddie