The band present their masterful fusion of electronic and acoustic elements, fronted by icon Blythe Pepino in the beauty of the Curve Garden.
MESADORM
Bone-melting. Intravenous Cup-a-Soup. Intimacy, depth-channelling beats and shining synth-led harmonies. A unique and bright collage of dead-good. Not for the faint of constitution. For divers not paddlers.
Debut record ‘Heterogaster’ released in 2018 took relationship truths, epiphanies about the nature of family, sexuality, and pain and put them in a blender with heaps of Bjork, Kate Bush, Caribou, chia seeds, fresh ginger and tequila. 2019’s Epicadus gave an acoustic, whisper-in-the-ear retelling that was no less of a punch to the place where sad and beautiful memories think they are safe and out of reach.
Epic standalone releases ‘Let’s Leap’ and ‘Take Me To A Place’ were collaborative attempts with critically acclaimed Bristol based producer and amazing craftsperson Tim Allen (Bat for Lashes // Adrian Utley) to create the tracks for ‘Pollinator’, although when the decision was made for Pepino to re-produce the tracks to be closer to her demo versions, only ‘Take Me To A Place’ (appearing this time as ‘Tenorion Try’) made the cut onto new LP ‘Pollinator’, scheduled for release on 8th April 2022.
‘Pollinator’ offers some of the same cockle-nourishing stick-to-the-side of the glass thickness as previous releases but with a handful of rusty nails thrown in. Carrying an added punky ‘fuck it’ rallying against nationalism and our society’s leaderless descent into the warm, soggy bin of history; Pollinator screams and serenades for alternatives whilst appreciating the beauty and closeness of the moments and connections that really matter as they pass.
“Some of the most interesting music this year” - The Guardian.
"A beautiful record” - Huw Stephens, BBC Radio 1.
“I’m absolutely addicted...really affecting and beautiful…I love it” - Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music.
“Absolutely fantastic...one of the debut albums of the year, no question” - John Kennedy, Radio X.
Listed in The Guardian’s Best Contemporary Albums of 2018.
“Mesadorm’s Let’s Leap is a welcome shot of undiluted Joy!” - Naomi Klein.
“I love that, it’s got the chaos of a band like Tuneyards, hints of Caribou esque production in there, the melodic prowess of Kate Bush, they are a force of a band - that is Mesadorm” - Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1.
Mesadorm are Blythe Pepino // Aaron Zahl // Jo Silverston // David Johnston // Daisy Palmer.
HENRY GRACE
‘Alive In America’ is the debut album from British singer-songwriter Henry Grace. Struggling with depression growing up, songwriting became an outlet for him. His depression worsened after leaving school and so he moved to America. Living in Venice Beach, California, he overcame his struggles and started working as a musician. There he released the EP ‘Crash the Moon’ before heading north to San Francisco to study literature at Berkeley.
Two years later he released a second EP ‘What We Took from the Mountain’ which he toured relentlessly while advocating for mental health awareness. It was around this time that he started piecing together the makings of a record. On a trip to Saginaw, Michigan, to visit Mule luthier Matt Eich, he was handed a new resonator guitar; its gritty, worn-in sound becoming the bedrock of the songs he would spend the next few months writing. Recorded live over 5 days at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, ‘Alive In America’ was released in 2022 to critical acclaim.
Described by Americana UK as ‘an infinitely listenable album that resonate deeply’, the record paints a stark and vivid depiction of the country Grace called home and credits with saving his life.
PLEASE NOTE that this is an outdoor event which will go ahead regardless of the weather. Please bring appropriate clothing including waterproofs if rain is forecast.