It does seem odd that America should fancy such a huge number of UK bands, but then again maybe not if you look back on the history of how this country’s youth initially went nuts over The Beatles and has continued to go nuts over subsequent British bands introduced to them, covering dozens of different genres – not only rock.
Today we introduce you to one new but fascinating artists from London. Where We Sleep is pretty much the solo project of one Beth Rettig, perhaps best known as the frontwoman of alt-pop outfit Blindness. This is her new project so look forward to her debut EP ‘Experiments In The Dark’. Ahead of that, she teases her talents – in league with Wolf Alice, PJ Harvey, Curve and Garbage – with the addictive track ‘Into The Light’. This one feels more like Toni Halliday resurrected with a similar timbre and cold sonic sophistication. If you had to choose just one track to listen to today, we’d recommend ‘Into The Light’.
This project also involves collaborations with various other artists, including Axel Ray of United Ghosts (and also The Black Windmill and Cadet A), Ben Pritchard (formerly of The Fall and currently in Manc Floyd), and former Blindness bandmate Debbie Smith of Curve, Echobelly and SPC ECO fame (and also Snowpony with My Bloody Valentine‘s Debbie Googe and Moonshake‘s Katharine Gifford). ‘Experiments In The Dark‘ is a dark delight served up in five tracks. It was recorded in studios between London and Manchester. This follows up Where We Sleep’s single ‘The First One’, released in August 2018, preceded by Where We Sleep’s debut single ‘Veins’ in June 2018, also featuring Debbie Smith, and b-side ‘Crawl’, mixed in Addis Ababa by Guy Fixsen.
Raised in Africa (Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa) and saying goodbye to the days of her Johannesburg band High, Beth Rettig returned to the UK in 2000 and eventually hooked up with Debbie Smith to form Blindness. They had a good run until playing their final gig in 2016, followed by ‘The Monsoon EP’ in 2007, their final release.
“Into The Light was inspired by a lot of voices that have shone through the dark for me in the last couple of years and I hope that it can play a small part in paying that forward. I could have gotten very carried away weaving Debbie’s filthy guitars around the bassline in this track. She always gives me loads of material to play with which sends me down a rabbit hole of chopping, reversing, time-stretching and adding effects,” says Beth Rettig.
Rettig’s music is rooted in an array of influences, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Curve, EMA, Nine Inch Nails, Jesus and Mary Chain, Garbage, Kate Bush, Massive Attack, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Pete International Airport, White Rose Movement and The Fall. ‘Experiments In The Dark‘ is slated for release on May 31 and will be available across digital stores and streaming platforms. It can also be pre-ordered via Where We Sleep‘s own Bandcamp
TRACK LIST
1. What I Deserve
2. The Desert
3. Control
4. Into The Light
5. Experiments In The Dark
Also, check out the band’s first single from this album ‘The Desert’!
Keep Up With Where We Sleep
Written by Mike D.
