Coming together in 2018, London, United Kingdom, Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury form the experimental pop duo, Arliston.
The pair work to create ambient soundscapes that drift the listener into a world that lies between the polarity of optimism and melancholia. Formerly playing as a three piece band, the pair continued after their drummer departed.
“We had just lost our drummer, amicably, so we were a little adrift as we started making this EP. The first song we wrote was Mothering which was sort of inherently smaller without a drummers presence. But it still felt good and like Arliston and after that the rest of the songs quickly emerged!” George Hasbury
Self produced and mix mastered by Brett Shaw (Foals, Florence and the machine etc.), the latest and 2nd EP release from Arliston, ‘Even In The Shade’ dives into more of an intimate, stripped back vibe than previous releases.
“I think we feel like we’re only just finding our feet with the project and where we want it to go, and that’s a really exciting feeling! We’re starting to get the feedback and the response that we’d hoped for so we’re more energized than ever” Jack Ratcliffe
The 5 tracks on the EP take the listener on a journey from the 80’s vibes of ‘Hold My Wine’, through to the heartfelt, intimate tracks like ‘Tombstone Teeth’. The vocals of Jack Ratcliffe are truly inspiring, as he travels through the raw and rich strength of the low notes and the controlled fragility of the sweet falsetto. Combined with the emotion filled piano by George Hasbury, the EP is one that will resonate with you long after the final track has finished playing.
You can find more of Arliston at:
You can listen to ‘Even In The Shade’ below:
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.