Claire, Paolo, Richard, Michael and Adnan make pop music, and catchy pop music at that. The sort of music that puts a smile on your face on a winter’s day, or makes you tap your foot on a packed London tube; the kind of unpretentious, precious pop that Britain does so well.
When the Momeraths play their infectious form of fun, guitar-driven pop noise in a live ar na their music takes another twist. An all-hands-on-deck romp with DIY apparatus; percus-sive instruments fashioned from everyday inanimate objects, such as bar stalls and ironing boards… They met at university, where all-night music sessions got the creative aspirations of the band flowing. The music of Neil Young, The Beach Boys and The Band would echo around their student halls until late into the night. Every now and again, they would leave their habitat and venture out into the big wide world. In fact, they often frequented Kingston’s infamous ‘New Slang’ night where they watched the indie elite rise, bands such as Young Knives, Good Shoes, Jack Penate and Los Campesinos.
In the Summer of 2008, after many nights spent in local haunts, the five friends became frustrated and decided that they too could write razor-sharp melodies. Their sound leans towards their American influences in stripped-down, intriguingly arranged, pop songs. Think Vampire Weekend done through fresh Kingston-Upon-Thames ears. Many of the band’s songs contain the sort of tongue-in-cheek lyrics that could only be associated with bands of British stock. These fun and witty lyrics could lead to comparisons with British super-groups from by-gone eras, such as The Kinks or Small Faces.
Their first record, the limited edition EP titled “Crayon Colours”, was released in February 2009 and sold out within one week of release in record shops such as Piccadilly (Manchester), Rounder (Brighton) and Banquet (Kingston). To celebrate this, the band booked and played
their first national tour. Their debut single, “Millipede Stomps”, released on New Slang Records, received similar acclaim and was soon re-pressed due to selling out in a flash. Summer festivals soon followed, where they appeared twice on the Dirty Boots Stage at Glastonbury and made further appearances at Lounge On the Farm and Redfest.
With three singles planned in 2010, next year is looking great for The Momeraths. The first single, ‘Single Cup of Tea’, is set for release on March 1st, and is sure to continue their run of recent success.
