North London four-piece Gardening share 'Magpie', their debut EP released via Label Fandango.
London four-piece Gardening (formally Mirror Shot) released their debut EP ‘Magpie’ on Label Fandango on 23rd October 2020, sharing their new single 'ATC'. Gardening began life under the name Mirror Shot, releasing two singles 'Crutch' (Sept 2019) and 'Taste Invader' (April 2020) under the moniker. However, they were getting regularly confused with another new band with almost the same name. With lockdown clearing the gig calendar, they opportunistically decided to sort that particular issue out once and for all and became Gardening, releasing 'Second Sight' on 24th July, their first single under the new name.
Taking cues from the American indie rock canon, Gardening are crafting their own personal ideal of guitar music, taking only the shiniest, most addictive ingredients: layers of intertwining guitar lines, big dynamic shifts, melodic driving rhythm, and a lyrical sensibility caught between melodrama and wit.
The fast-paced, catchy EP includes the singles 'Taste Invader' and 'Second Sight' which were released earlier this year, with new tracks 'ATC' and 'Solid State' completing the debut. The singles have seen airplay from Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 6 Music as well as Janice Long on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Introducing London and John Kennedy on Radio X, while Mix It All Up summed up 'Second Sight' as "A nostalgic dream-pop track with a garage-rock edge...combines jangly melodies creating something familiar and with warmth to it.".
Recorded on all-analogue equipment in an ancient studio in North East London, debut EP ‘Magpie’ offers four short glimpses into their world, from the galloping psychedelic sprint of new single ‘Second Sight’, to the previously unveiled early-REM-does-disco power pop of ‘Taste Invader’, to ventures in jangle punk and lurching dream rock. It’s the sound of a band turning its uncompromising focus inward, whether it’s archly deconstructing personality traits (‘Second Sight’), reflecting on morbid moments of clarity (‘ATC’) or exploring mental dissociation (‘Solid State’); fit for times where many of us are stuck with only ourselves for company.
The band met totally unceremoniously over the internet - initially bonding over their mutual love of the American indie canon (Built to Spill, Television, Pavement...), Niall Rush, Olivia Horrox, Adam Smith and Mikey Burton started off playing instrumentals, thinking they’d eventually find a singer who’d work out and fit with the increasingly intricate sound they were carving out. Eventually, many months in and after plenty of gentle and not so gentle encouragement, Niall bit the bullet and started doing the singing. Everything locked into place, and their twisty melodic sound coalesced into bittersweet hook-filled songs.
Since then, they've released their debut single 'Crutch', honed their live show playing packed shows across London, recorded tracks for their debut EP 'Magpie', signed to Label Fandango (The Clientele, Little Comets, Desperate Journalist, Nadine Shah, Broken Records), stopped honing their live show along with everyone else, had a brief quiz-based remote activity interlude and have since been hard at work on new stuff.
