Name: Kashmir
Hometown: Durham
Download: ‘Mellow’ ‘Dirty Girl’ and ‘Sixteen’
If you’re a fan of slick, tight indie anthems then Durham rockers Kashmir are a band for you. Formed in a musical era that has become synonymous with leather jackets and hair gel, parallels to Arctic Monkeys are impossible to avoid, especially in the sinister entity ‘Mellow’ as frontman Rory Hunt drawls “I’m a wolf in a sheepskin coat”. Full of lyrical wit, crashing drums, bass and tidy riffs, it’s a must have for your iPod.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/166642120″]
The slightly less obtrusive ‘Sixteen’, with a monotonous “be my baby tonight” chorus and ethereal backing ‘oohs’ is perhaps more akin to Echo & the Bunnymen’s discography. Maybe not one to listen to when you’re walking somewhere late at night on your own, but nonetheless a meticulously crafted melody which epitomises Kashmir’s musical talent.
Turning up the volume and launching into a frantic sonic entity ‘Dirty Girl’ shows that Kashmir are a band who are truly versatile. Sam Carman’s tight beat coupled with Jacob Carman’s raucous lead guitar makes for the perfect backdrop to Hunt’s narrative, a sprawling tale “I’m out of gasoline / finding it hard to breathe” which leaves both the frontman and his audience short for breath.
Slick, carefully constructed melodies and interesting lyrical explorations – Kashmir are certainly ones to watch.
Follow Kashmir on SoundCloud and give them a like on Facebook
Words by Beth Kirkbride