Preview: The Sherlocks

The Sherlocks recently released their second album ‘Under Your Sky’ on October 4^th on Infectious Music. The band premiered their latest single “Waiting’ with an interview on Radio X. ‘Waiting’ launches with energetic blasts of guitars and melodic riffs leading up to an infectious chorus. Kiaran’s vocals are full with melancholy, charm and charisma while he reflects on different stages of a relationship. ‘Waiting’ was the third track to be shared from their new album after lead single ‘NYC (Sing It Loud)’ which featured actor & friend of the band, Thomas Turgoose in the video (This Is England/Game Of Thrones) and ‘Magic Man’.

The summer saw The Sherlocks play energetic sets at Reading and Leeds Festival on the Festival Republic stage as well as a set at Victorious festival, performing songs from both their albums which were excellently received by fans & media alike. They also recently headlined Neighbourhood festival in Manchester alongside Miles Kane.

With their 2017 debut album ‘Live For The Moment’, Sheffield quartet The Sherlocks established themselves as key contenders in a new wave of British bands keeping alt-rock and indie vital for a new generation of fans. The album fired into the charts at #6 as the band inspired devotion wherever they went, from shows with Liam Gallagher, an international array of festival dates to rapturously received shows in Japan.

While ‘Live For The Moment’ remains a scintillating insight into the hedonism and heartbreak of youth, ‘Under Your Sky’ finds frontman Kiaran Crook writing songs which bridge the exuberance of youth with the reflection and maturity of young adulthood. That approach – worldly songs with one eye cast homeward – is perfectly demonstrated in the album’s lead single ‘NYC (Sing It Loud)’, which received its exclusive first play courtesy of Annie Mac at Radio 1. “I wanna see the world with you,” Kiaran sings, imagining “getting lost in the city for a day” with someone left behind.

“It was the first proper American tour we’d done and I was blown away by the place,” he explains. “The other side was wishing certain people could be there to see it with me. When you know people are at home and you’re having such a good time, you think, ‘If you could see what I’m seeing.’ Even though I’m in New York, I’m still thinking about people at home who I wish could see New York who have never been and may never go.”

The songs are largely born from experiences, often specific to Kiaran in circumstance but largely universal in emotion. The driving ‘I Want It All’ reminisces over a gloriously stormy festival weekend in Wales, along with other memorable moments Kiaran has spent with a special someone. Then the Springsteen-tinged ‘Time To Go’ celebrates the more casual romantic encounter.

Whether despairing over the ambitions lost to people doing McJobs on ‘Dreams’ or dissecting the various stages of relationships on ‘Waiting’ or in the album’s heartbroken, epic finale and title track, Kiaran also found inspiration from the stories and circumstances of people in his hometown. Naturally it’s a collection that leans towards the melancholy, but vitally there’s hope for better times ahead too.

This time around, The Sherlocks – completed by Kiaran’s brother Brandon (drums) and the Davidson siblings Josh (guitar) and Andy (bass) – opted for a more structured recording process that they had with their debut. They spent four weeks working Monday to Friday at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studios, with The Coral’s James Skelly on production duties.

The result is tighter, brighter and ultra-modern, benefiting from Skelly’s knack for focusing on a killer chorus and smattered with stylistic swerves into new wave, ‘80s textures and all-out feedback. It’s as much The Killers or The Cars as it is Catfish – a real 21^st century rock record with stadiums in its sights.

“The first album was us four in a room,” Kiaran summarises. “We wanted to make it really raw like the Arctic Monkeys’ first album or Kings Of Leon’s. We wanted to capture the live sound and polish it up a bit. With this one we’ve taken it a step further and made it slightly smoother and put more keyboards in. Rather than having the guitars thrashing all the time we’ve tried being a bit sweeter with it. It sounds more contemporary”

The Sherlocks were due to be touring the album in the UK during October and November but have had to postpone this due to health issues that need further attention during this period. We wish the band well and look forward to seeing them at their rescheduled date at the Engine Rooms in March 2020.

Full tour dates as follows:

February 2020

21^st – Sheffield, O2 Academy
23^rd – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2
25^th – Nottingham, Rock City
26^th – Liverpool Invisible Wind Factory
27^th – Leeds, O2 Academy
28^th – Newcastle, Boiler Shop
29^th – Glasgow SWG3

March 2020
2^nd – London Electric Ballroom
3^rd – Bristol Thekla
5^th – Brighton, Concorde 2
6^th – Southampton, Engine Rooms
7^th – Cardiff, Tramshed