PALMA LOUCA

Image by Krzysztof Furgala

JAKE ANDERSON TALKS TO THE ETHEREAL SHOEGAZE QUINTET ABOUT THE THRILLS OF TOURING AND THEIR NEW SINGLE

Newcastle’s shoegaze-influenced, alternative rock band Palma Louca are set to release their next single, Disappear, on 21st May. The release of this new crescendoing hypnotic banger coincides with the band playing at Sunderland’s Independent, kicking off their UK wide tour and it’s a chapter of their careers they’re excited to begin: “Writing and recording music is definitely the thing that motivates us the most. We can’t wait for people to hear our new one. We are feeling better than ever as a band so really looking forward to playing it live too.”

“Disappear describes the downward spiral of a man who has taken the wrong path in life, turning him to addiction and depravity. The track sees the pressure build into a state of euphoric despair, culminating in a frantic end section that echoes the manic state of mind of a man who is living on the edge.” Guitarist and vocalist Joe explains. “Sonically, we wanted the track to have a raw and more human feel than our recent releases, as we felt this was more suited to the subject matter. This is reflected in the tribal verses beats and symphonic play out.”

Touring is a huge part of any band or artist’s life, and it’s something that can be both stressful and cathartic, and the band mention an affinity with the North West as well as their local area. “It’s always so fun experiencing somewhere new so it was really cool to do this with gigs. Apart from our hometown gigs in Newcastle, Liverpool has been spot on. It has a really good scene and lots of class venues. It feels like the live music is a bit more at the forefront there, probably still one of the lasting effects of Beatlemania.” But nothing quite beats the atmosphere the group receive while playing on their home turf. “Our most notable moment so far was the excitement we got from our recent co-headline tour alongside Everything After Midnight and Juno which involved our sold-out show at Little Buildings. We had a really great time playing gigs in other cities and it was a really good learning experience for how touring is. It definitely has us really looking forward to our next gigs coming up.”

Writing and recording music is definitely the thing that motivates us the most. We are feeling better than ever as a band

The band have been playing together for nearly half a decade, and time crafting their sound is beginning to pay off. “Over the last few years, we have gotten a lot tighter as a band which allows us to have more confidence on stage and enjoy performing more. We’re feeling really happy with how we sound at the moment.”

When asked what fans can expect from their live show, the band tease the performance of some as yet unreleased material. “The Waves is definitely our favourite live. It’s quite slow with a big atmospheric chorus. It’s one of the oldest songs we play and has been refined the most to the point where we are really happy with how it sounds on stage. It’s all about the drum fill!”

The band’s upcoming string of live dates isn’t the only thing fans should be excited about, as the band are in the early stages of a new release. “We are hoping to record our first EP over the next six months, and this will really give us chance to focus on our sound and hopefully release something people enjoy.”

Palma Louca launch their new single Disappear on Saturday 21st May at Independent, Sunderland. www.facebook.com/palmaloucamusic