Liverpool based pyschedelic-alternative-rock 5 piece STR^NGE have showcased some brilliant songwriting and musicailty across their releases to date, highlight a 70s flare encompased into their indie-rock sound. Clearly influenced by a range of genres and artists, we wanted to know more about the band's inspirations and what they are listening to. We caught up with James, Dave and Leon from the band to pick 5 of their favourite tunes:
James - Space Oddity - David Bowie
The first time that I heard this song was in the throes of an acid trip as a teenager and it kickstarted my love for Bowie. I remember being sat on a swing in a park, absolutely gobsmacked as the once-grey clouds in the sky, now all purple and gold, folded in on themselves against the Mellotron strings and the bassline. After hearing 'Space Oddity', I quickly came into contact with his Ziggy Stardust album to the complete dismay of my neighbours and ended up wrecking the vinyl from overplaying it.
Leon - 21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson
I still remember hearing a clip of this song on the radio, running to my computer to find out what it was. It changed my idea of what music could be. The harshness, the time changes, the sheer confidence of the breakdown. I love it so much.
Dave - Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
I can remember the first time i heard this song, my two uncles were both playing guitar one Christmas when we were all round for a family Christmas dinner. I must have been about 5 or 6 and overheard them from the other room. I can remember just walking in to the room they were in and pointing at them and saying 'Show me how to do that,' and that's when I first started to learn how to play guitar.
James - Telekinesis - Lemon Demon
I was about twelve or thirteen when I heard this and I had never in my life heard a song with such ridiculous lyrics before. Granted, Neil's voice wasn't the best but there's a riff that comes up every now and again that's played by the electric keys which hooked me back then and hits me with nostalgia now (Plus, I really, really dig the melodies in this song). I've never learned to play it but I really should, just for my own benefit.
James - Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - The Beach Boys
I don't think that there was an album in the '60s that held as much artistic merit as Brian Wilson's 'Pet Sounds' - It's the closest I can think of that comes to just raw artistry and music and it influenced me so much that I ended up focussing on it for my undergrad dissertation. Nestled between a kaleidoscopic wall of sound on the album lies 'Don't Talk', a sickening ballad that somehow still manages to sucker-punch me in the gut whenever the string section sways like a lullaby during the chorus'. If I had just a drop of Wilson's genius.
Listen to STR^NGE's new single 'Timestuck' below:
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