A relaxing afternoon with Palace

Palace, the band behind the hits ‘Heaven Up There’ and ‘Veins’, have created yet another emotional masterpiece. Their new EP, ‘Someday, Somewhere’, has been released containing new songs for eager fans to sink their teeth into. Their mellow tones and soft instrumentals transport listeners through an experience of emotional discovery, one which is truly unforgettable.

The band is composed of Leo Wyndham, Matt Hodges, and Rupert Turner. Frontman Leo explains how they created the band for fun, until some fans explained how much they connected to Palace’s music. The band thought: “Maybe we were on to something,” and started to develop their iconic and honest style as their career advanced.

Their sounds and influences

Leo also highlighted how studios like the ‘Arch’ in Tottenham influenced their sound and first EPs.

This was a beaten up old studio, where “there used to be an old crack den. It was a place, where the equipment was half-broken.” This was the birthplace of their first EP. He describes how the “cragginess of that building really seeped into the rawness and honesty of the music,” helping them to develop this sense of vulnerability, the imperfect, the rough, and the raw qualities throughout their music.

One of the most engaging aspects of their EP’s sound is their ever-engaging instrumentation. Their songs are dominated by the soft percussion, transcendent guitar melodies, and the vulnerably delicate vocals. These elements build and fade, reflecting a state of mentality or emotion through both the sound and content of their songs.

Indeed, Leo describes the new EP as “a real emotional journey”.

From the way the instruments are hit to the mellow sounds, the EP conveys the experiences and the stories from their lives, delving into the fragility of love and the reality of love ending, as well as mentally trying to work out ways of staying afloat. This makes the EP a powerful and connective embodiment of life and love, creating a “stripped back and intimate” performance that anyone can “really connect with.”

This is a must-hear for 2020, a year of emotion creating and a similar need for intimacy, quenched by an emotive EP.

The impact of COVID-19

COVID-19 has caused problems for Palace and the music industry alike, closing venues and preventing arena touring. However, Palace continue to provide comfort to anxious audiences around the world.

As I interviewed Leo, the impact of COVID-19 on the band became apparent, as they were forced to uptake a new approach to musical collaboration. For instance, the single ‘I’ll Be Fine’ was “recorded totally separately”, with Leo, Rupert and Matt sending recorded instrumentals rather than collaborating in person.

Lockdown also led to interesting instrumental experiments, as Matt even resorted to playing on pots and pans in the absence of his drum kit. Despite their initial fear that the process was not gonna work, the EP proves their ingenuity as a band; they continue to create beautiful music despite the barriers of lockdown.

Indeed, their new EP has allowed them to experiment with their style and abilities, whilst still maintaining an appealing and comforting rawness. Fans can also be excited to know that this EP will be followed by their third album, which will be “more experimental” and allow them to “experience different feelings” as a band. They are excited about the future, and just as eager to keep touring forever and ever as soon as they are able to.

Palace’s future

In terms of the future, the band hopes that the government will provide more aid for the music industry, as they see “the tragedy of all these amazing venues shutting down across the country.” They also hope that they will be able to return to “sweaty and crowded” gigging soon.

Palace are still going strong and hopeful for the future; their new EP is a beautiful embodiment of human emotions, and their next album will be even more successful without a doubt.

I would recommend this music to anyone wishing to listen to relaxing and heartfelt music. It’s are a great choice for those looking for a studying playlist or searching for a new band to wind down to with a calming cup of coffee.