There is a band around these ways called the Hushstones. They have been rising to the height of the Liverpool music scene with a vast range from indie bedroom vibes to cool pop rockers you wish you could be.
This five-piece band has been rocking Liverpool and the rest of the country for some time now, but the music has been getting louder and more interesting. With euphoric interstellar sounds emitting from a piano to grooved-out bass lines sending you to the sixties dance floor, this band has it all and more. The first thing that stands out, is the enormous four-piece harmony that emerges through choruses with a balance of male and female vocals.
The genre of music comes through as indie or alternative pop, but the band are determined to not be pinned down as one thing. Because each song has a different feel, but linking qualities that define the Hushstones as ever-evolving musicians.
They started the year sprinting, by releasing a live album from a brilliant concert they performed at St. Brides in September last year. A finale to what they have already achieved with a display of their first album ‘Greetings From The Other Side.’ Co-songwriter Mick Campbell said: “It’s been two years since we wrote that stuff now, we want to keep it fresh and move forward with all of it.” Martha Goddard, the other half of the writing duo told us: “There is a new sound on its way I think, for our next few sets we have one or two tunes from the album we’ll be playing, and the rest is new.”
The band you see today performing from great stages on the Albert Dock for Eurovision or the Liverpool Philharmonic have been undergoing changes since the frontman Mick Campbell created the band in his college days. Things fell together after he discovered his work colleague Martha could write music. (Martha): “Up until a few years ago, we used to write separately and then bring songs into the band to work on from there. But now we just write everything together so everything new you hear is all a joint effort. Like Lennon and McCartney, it is all just 50/50.”
Once the two realized it was time to make some serious music, other band members came and went with the current line-up being: Catlin McPaul (Bass Guitar), Abe Solomon (Drums), and Joe Dillon (Lead Guitar). Both Caitlin and Joe provide backing vocals for the stunning harmonies that are constantly flowing throughout each song. Each member’s part in the ensemble adds a different feel to every piece the band plays. Bass lines are often slow and sustain the piece’s tempo, but sometimes stand out as the driving force in some of the faster tunes. The drums alternate from heavy symbol use to simple beats to match the feel of a song. While the guitar dictates the whole course of the music with hard-style cords or free flowing solos that reaches through an entire piece.
Hushstones have come a long way from just a college band practice room. Performing as support acts for one of Liverpool’s biggest bands, Red Rum Club, and touring the county themselves they also appear on bbc1radio and bbc6music. Their reach is far and becoming phenomenal, but their hearts are always at home, talking about their best gigs being in Liverpool like in the Philharmonic or down on the Albert Dock. Their inspiration comes from all over this place; Mick mentioned how great bands from the city are just an omnipresence in everyone’s influence because to come from here or just listen to music you can hear what emerged from this city.
The journey for more sensational music continues for the Hushstones this year, as they plan to release multiple singles, each building up to a new album they will have you itching for. A plan is in place and the wheels are in motion for all new and exciting things to come. Shows like the Philharmonic are a sign that whatever it is, it is going to be big. The band’s attitude towards this is also a positive statement that they are ready to work and have lots of material to rummage through to find the perfect gift for their listeners. Martha spoke about how they have been constantly writing since last year without any breaks, and how there is so many ideas they have been playing around with like a seasonal album that changes moods as you listen through it.
Whatever we hear from the Hushstones next, I am sure it will have us all yearning for more. Because these guys have an ever-growing goal in mind that is feeding their own love for music and their fans. It is extremely exciting listening to them play so many versatile songs, and the anticipation of more music to come gives it an extra umph. So, keep your eyes pealed and your ears on alert, because the party the band will bring next will not be one to miss.
You can follow them over on Instagram here.
By Kayleigh Cantrell & Naithan Coughlan
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