Bands to Watch #307: Hudson Taylor
Irish singer/songwriter duo Hudson Taylor, comprised of brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor, have slowly but surely gained a steady following of fans with their energetic, heavily harmonic brand of folk pop, inspired by classic folk rock acts like Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills and Nash. They officially declared themselves a band in 2011 and have since released 3 EPs (‘Battles’ and ‘Cinematic Lifestyles’ in 2012 and ‘Osea’ in 2013), as well as touring in support of Kodaline and Jake Bugg.
Hudson Taylor’s latest single ‘Chasing Rubies’ is due for release via Polydor Records on the 19th of October, just as they are finishing another round of support shows with Bugg. Like their previous songs, ‘Chasing Rubies’ is an energetic, lovelorn track featuring infectiously singable melodies and the type of seamlessly blended vocal harmonies that are best achieved by finely tuned sibling voices (think of Swedish duo First Aid Kit or fellow Dublin-based sister act Heathers).
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrKbiPyjucU[/youtube]
The brothers show the full depth of their songwriting skill with the darkly dramatic ‘Battles’, a stomping Mumford-esque track about competing for a lover’s affection. In the accompanying video, featured below, they temper their fiery, vengeful lyrics, “I will lift her love and I’ll break your spirit / I will dig a hole and I’ll throw you in it” with imagery of colorfully costumed children playing battle in the woods. The children’s wide-eyed innocence contrasts sharply with the final line in the song’s chorus, “only time will tell if we’re all just cynics on the run / if we’re all just cynics come undone”.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/DbNkce8c78A[/youtube]
Hudson Taylor are currently working toward a full LP release tentatively planned for early 2015. You can listen to a full playlist of their music on their YouTube channel, or sign up to their e-mail list to receive a free download of their jaunty acoustic track ‘Strangers’. Better yet, catch them live on their just announced headline UK tour scheduled for February 2015.
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