Discover the best and most exciting new Reading bands that deserve your attention in our Introducing series. From local artists who have already made their mark on Reading, to bands who’ve only just started, find out the Reading acts you need to know about, and what they sound like, in our monthly column.
This month, get to know why you should follow alt-rock five-piece Saltwater Sun, with our band profile and an interview to see what the band say about themselves.
Introducing Saltwater Sun
Who are Saltwater Sun?
Saltwater Sun are an alternative rock band based in Reading, blending pop sensibilities with hard hitting riffs and soaring melodies. They released their debut EP, ‘Wild’, in 2015, and followed that up with ‘Flawed’ in 2016. They’ve been quiet for the past year, with fans eagerly anticipating their next release, but treated us all to their latest single ‘The Wire’, released earlier this year.
You’ll like them if you’re a fan of…
Melodies that stick in your head, interlocking guitar play, a rhythm section to keep you dancing and lyrics that reveal new layers with each listen.
Why should I go see them?
Saltwater Sun are known for their high energy, fun live shows. Although they haven’t played a gig in a while, their upcoming show at Are You Listening Festival is sure to feature their unique spin on alt-rock. Songs like ‘Making Eyes’, ‘Now or Never’ and ‘Habit on My Mind’ are always highlights from their live show, that are sure to get everyone grooving.
Where should I start with their music?
Saltwater Sun have released two incredible EPs so far, with particular highlights including the infectious ‘Making Eyes’ on their debut EP Wild, and the dark tones of ‘Urwur’, on their second EP. New single ‘The Wire’ is also up there with the best of their work, featuring fantastic lyricism and the familiar driving force of the band.
Interview with Jen from Saltwater Sun
Your recent single ‘The Wire’ is noticeably more political than your previous work, what has been inspiring to move in this direction?
I almost always draw from my own experiences in life or our collective experiences as a band to write our lyrics, so they are often about specific events or people rather than overarching themes (although ‘Making Eyes’ is about the male gaze and gender, so somewhat political in that sense).
We live in such a turbulent time at the moment that it’s almost impossible not to be political. There are huge rifts in our society between the young and old, the haves and have nots, the left and the right, and these are massively exacerbated by people like Katie Hopkins and social media, where people say things they wouldn’t dream of saying to each other in the real world. These divides are so deep that they penetrate at family level. The Brexit referendum brought all these global issues, like the refugee crisis into our dinner table conversations. As a result of all of this, the weight of the world has been resting heavy on all of our shoulders of late. With that said, ‘The Wire’ is really about this moment in time, rather than a directional shift on our part.
Can we expect any more new music coming up soon?
We’ve left everyone hanging long enough! We’ve got songs lined up ready to release, as well as heading back to the studio in a couple of weeks.
What is your songwriting process like?
Dan starts the process with a riff or a chord progression and the rest of us jump in with our own additions and jam it out until it has a structure. Then I write the lyrics. It’s really collaborative so everyone takes ownership over what we’ve made, so the end product is very much a little bit of all of us, which is nice isn’t it? Or not. We’re collectively pretty gross.
What has been your favourite show you’ve ever played?
The Hand in Hive showcase at the alternative escape in Brighton, 2016. It was in The Mucky Duck, which was packed to the rafters with people singing along. It was the most fun. Even if I did nearly miss our set because I was watching the Magic Gang and had to leg it across Brighton. No regrets.
For someone who has never seen you live before, what can they expect from your live show?
We haven’t played for over a year so I’m not sure even we know what to expect! Broken strings, broken limbs, the usual. We’ve got a lot of pent up energy to expend, so it’ll be fun whatever happens.
And finally, if you could pick three bands for your dream line up, who would you choose?
We’ll pick from bands as they exist today (otherwise it would all be pop punk) so Pond, Arctic Monkeys and The Districts.
See Saltwater Sun at Are You Listening Festival on Saturday 28 April.
