Ben Howard. Marcus Foster. Ed Sheeran. Dog Is Dead. We Were Evergreen. You don’t play alongside these kind of acts by being just anybody. Fortunately, alt-folksters Indigo Earth aren’t just ‘anybody’; the five-piece contribute to the music world in more ways than one.
First, take their craft. We’ve previously described them as ‘A stirring, heartfelt band’ and, to this day, not only are we yet to discover reason to believe Indigo Earth are anything but ‘stirring’ and ‘heartfelt, we are also yet to discover two adjectives that describe the band’s warming, welcoming style better. Conveniently, it’s the kind of music that’s just perfect on a Sunday; roast in the oven, fire on in the lounge, Indigo Earth keeping you company. Try it. Your Sundays are about to reach a whole new level of lazy.
Ironic, given that the work ethic of the London-based band is anything but ‘lazy’. What with guitarist and vocalist Ben Nash describing Indigo Earth as ‘a band that loves nothing more than playing live’, there are the gigs. Lots and lots of gigs (details of which you can find at the band’s website). But so much do they love the concept of showcasing musical material, as if what they’re adding to the live scene isn’t enough, they’ve even started hosting and curating monthly unplugged nights called Indigo Wednesdays, comprising of the band’s ‘favourite musicians and creatives’, at a little chapel in Bethnal Green (the next of which takes place on February 20th and you can, and should, buy your ticket here).
It’s hard work contributing as much to the arts as the band does so, quite understandably, every now and then the previous Sofarians need a bit of downtime. It appears, though, that so passionate are the band about what they do, they have seemingly adopted the philosophy that ‘there ain’t no rest for the wicked’. Nash explains that, so deeply engrained is the band’s love for the live scene, ‘it will be hard going cold turkey, but it’s time for us to focus all our energies on creating lots of new material.’ With ‘lots of intense writing and demo sessions’ in the bag, the band have grown fond of the idea of releasing something in the summer. With Thank Folk For That describing their debut self-titled EP (which you can get at the band’s Bandcamp) as ‘A stunner of an EP, rich with beautiful harmonies and instrumentals’ and Charlie Ashcroft of Amazing Radio as ‘a brilliant EP which I urge you to check out’, it comes as no surprise that we feel that the summer cannot come soon enough. And with the band inevitably being inspired by the likes of those that comprise their dream Sofar (see below), it would appear that our feelings of excitement and anticipation are more than justified.
Indigo Earth’s #DreamSofar would be:
‘This man's ability to craft a song and tell a story is on another level. The intensity of his dark, honest songs would blow the socks off the audience at an intimate Sofar show - it would no doubt be an unforgettable experience for everyone.’
‘Incredible band, incredible songs. Our songwriting is greatly inspired by these guys, without a doubt. The lyrics, the melodies, the variety of sounds, the energy, the dark rocky moments coupled with the softer ones. It's raw, honest, intense music at its best.’
‘John Grant writes brilliant 'out of the box', unafraid music. He blends dark humourous lyrics with weird and wonderful sounds to create something really captivating. And his voice is truly something else - enough to melt everyone's hearts. When Ben and Amy saw him play at Glastonbury 2011, there were fully grown bearded men with tears rolling down their cheeks. Needless to say Sofar needs a bit of this action.’
‘Imagine a full blown mosh pit at a Sofar show! Maybe?! We've all got a soft spot for these guys. System songs have such an energy and a passion to them; the seamless blend of beautiful melodies and harmony over intense thrashy instrumentation is fantastic. They'd certainly be a bit of a Sofar curveball, but it would be incredible to see them in such an intimate setting! Interesting to see how they'd do 'acoustic', too.’
‘Wild Beast's combination of organic and electronic sounds is something that is massively influential to us. The ambient and sometimes ethereal textures, coupled with pulsing rhythms would be enough to get any Sofar crowd moving. Make it happen guys?’
Pictures: Luke Takes Photos, Odi Caspy, and Amy Read
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