(SXSW 2019 flavoured!) Bands to Watch #414: Glass Caves
Part of the metropolitan area of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Pontefract is a town that has been around for a long time. I mean, a really long time: try AD 1086 or thereabouts. The town’s name comes from the Latin for ‘broken bridge’. The band from Pontefract I introduce you to today are sure to want to build bridges with their American cousins instead while they’re in Austin for SXSW next month. Glass Caves began humbly, initially trying their luck with street busking to see if they could make enough money to survive post-uni. As money came in slowly but steadily from interested passersby drawn in by their catchy pop-tinged rock, then came the requests for CDs. For a band without a label, the only option was to burn the CDs themselves in the middle of the night and at their own expense. Earlier material like the title track of their 2014 debut album, ‘Alive’, bears favourable comparison to stadium rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen.
Other unsigned bands have relied on social media and various music platforms to spread the word on their music, but this was not the route Glass Caves wanted to take. The Yorkshire group made the decision to do things more organically, pounding the pavement, developing relationships with music fans and independent music venue staff through precious face time and not through the less personable approaches through a computer or mobile phone screen. It’s paid off: what unsigned band do you know of who’s headlined a Club NME show at London Koko? As of late, their sound has evolved to become more keyboard-driven, sounding more like fellow Northerners Blossoms. Have a watch and listen to ‘Bad Liar’ below and see what you think. Quite a few bands from Britain have used their SXSW shout as a springboard to bigger things. With Glass Caves, just you wait.
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