Arkland
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Arkland

Brighton, England, United Kingdom | SELF

Brighton, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Band Alternative Rock

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Arkland"

Strong contemporary indie songs that show maturity beyond their tender years. Think Xcerts mixed with White Lies. Not the saviours of rock yet, but getting there. - Rythm Magazine, Febuary 2011 Issue


"Arkland"

Arkland, a band well worth a good listen to! The four part band from Brighton have so much potential it's unreal; their meloncholic chilled rock angle is something that I haven't really heard before; it's slightly gloomy but insanely addictive with the mysterious chilling vocals that send will send shivers up your spine. Each song is packed with emotion about someone; don't instantly dismiss Arkland because of this assuming that this revealing of emotion is flimsy, sterotypical like in so many songs; instead its deep and slighly dark.

"Red Light" by the band is brilliant; its punchy and raw just what you want in a rock song; love the guitar riffs in the song; whereas "The Joker" is still gritty but has an almost hypnotic edge; give it a listen to get what I mean. Then there is "Mr Strong Arms" one of my personal favourites; it's changing tempo's; it goes from the extremes and it so so catchy! Its been on repeat and i'm still not bored of it; a really good sign. I absolutly adore the song from 02.34, can't get over how they can blend the different sounds together and make it sound so ace; absolute music mastery! Then finally there is "The Rescue" which once again it top of my favourite songs at the moment, just love the drama in all the songs. Listening to Arkland I feel like i'm listening to their deepest thoughts and getting a glimpste into their world. The songs don't make relationships out to be red roses, they sing about life is really like. Such a fantastic band, love what they're making and can only imagine that they've got a fantastic future coming up.

I can only find this short clip of "Red Light" on youtube, but their myspace has all of the songs. Enjoy! - The Brit Indie Rock Blog


"Download of the week"

Use the URL link. - The Argus


"Arrows of Love/Arkland The Hydrant, Brighton 21/05/2011"

Born out of the flames of defunct experimental indie-folk outfit Hush The Many (Heed the Few), Arrows of Love most definitely bring the noise. While Hush The Many were purveyors of ethereal, spine-tingling music, Arrows of Love are more likely to snap your vertebrate into tiny pieces. Taking inspiration from a raft of post-punk bands, this band teeter constantly on the edge of exploding into distortion-fuelled madness, yet are still able to pull things back for moments of beautifully honest melancholy.

Before all that, local boys Arkland put in an accomplished set, displaying songwriting maturity far beyond their years. Refreshingly, they appear to be having the time of their lives, and the young crowd are extremely receptive. Unfortunately, this raucous reception reveals something. The venue is rammed with Arkland fans. In fact, by the time the main act appears, many have dispersed and those that remain hang at the back. - Jet Vevers


"Pav Tav Gig Review"

For most of the evening, though forgivable due to the small crowd size, no band made much of an attempt to bring in the crowd and get them moving; that was until Arkland began their set. At first the band, though this was only really apparent with the vocalist, were obviously suffering from nerves. This affected their performance, but once they found their feet they proved themselves to be the best band of the night. The vocals, which improved as the set progressed, were complimented by excellent lyrics and some of the performance flourishes made by the vocalist himself that really breathed life into the set; to a degree I was reminded of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Musically Arkland were the most advanced band of the night; their riffs, solos, and drumlins made them a treat to hear as well as watch.
- bn1magazine.co.uk


Discography

Demo EP - 2011
can be downloaded here: http://www.mediafire.com/?x8x6gc2b8du59do
or streamed on the myspace, facebook and soundcloud.

Photos

Bio

From the musical hotbed that is Brighton, South East England come Arkland – a band who, as is becoming a welcome feature of the era, rip up the rulebook on what Indie ‘should’ sound like.

After deciding to form a band in their A-level music tech class, drummer Nick Grimwade, guitarist Tom Guerriero-Davies and frontman Elliot Stew recruited close friend Josh Barua to try his hand at bass. A single practise in the college music basement was enough to assure the members that Barua could transfer his guitar skills onto four strings with ease, and the band set about assembling a truly unique sound.

With one foot in American alternative rock and the other firmly planted in the grand traditions of Britannia, this young four-piece combines a countless and diverse array of subconscious influences yet sonically give barely a clue as to a single conscious one. The group admits this trait, while instrumental in instilling originality, can often be frustrating, as they remain stumped when asked to describe themselves in relation to other artists. Some mention Kings of Leon in attempts to sum up the anthemic majesty of an Arkland chorus, while others point to The Smiths in reference to the band’s melancholic atmospheres. Prominent in their personal lists comes the modern alt-punk displayed by Reuben, Brand New and fellow Brightonians The Xcerts. Arkland’s early efforts at getting their name out have been as Punk as could be, hiring out clubs and cramming as many friends and fans, into as small a space, as possible. Buried beneath the snarl and energy of these leanings, though, are bluesy riffs and timeless melodies that hint towards a stripped-down revival of sorts. As their teenage years wear on the adolescents have grown increasingly enthralled by Bowie and The Beatles, Dylan and Springsteen. In a sense, this brings the band in line with the indie-folk becoming popular through acts like Bombay Bicycle Club and Mumford & Sons, but in reality places them quite apart from any established scene. Cementing this position, and stemming from a deep admiration of Radiohead, is an unflinching urge to experiment with ambience and minimalism.

In their 18-year old vocalist-guitarist, Arkland possess a genuine maverick talent. Elliot Stew sings out with a timeless tone that engrosses the listener with all the confidence and emotion of a west end actor. Lyrically, he is heartfelt and instantly relatable, telling his stories of woe, ecstasy, anger and nostalgia over powerful chord progressions. This provides a perfect platform for Tom Guerriero-Davies’s shimmering lead riffs and more metaphorical lyrical contributions. Both big Chili Peppers fans, Barua (whose startlingly wide vocal range makes for beautiful harmony additions) and Grimwade approach their rhythm section with a methodical intricacy and craftsmanship. Regardless of the instrument, the pace of the particular tune or the angst of the lyrics, the focus with Arkland remains on melody.

Familiar, yet from where it is hard to say. This is the premise for the potential of a band that has found its direction while still in its infancy. When acts like The Vaccines, The Maccabees and The Gaslight Anthem are combining eras to create a something very much of the now, what better time for a band like Arkland to make its entrance on a generation sick of the plastic, neon T-shirted, auto-tuned facade of old. This is a real modern rock band.