Originally formed in 2012 as a three-piece alternative-rock band in Hamilton, Cheshire Grimm have released a series of EP's and singles, while completing a number of high-profile gigs and tours (including touring Australia twice), before more recently evolving into a two-piece after the departure of founding bassist/vocalist Kat Waswo. Shadows, the first single released as a two-piece, sees guitarist/vocalist Lora Thompson and drummer Craig Gilliver continue to evolve the trademark Cheshire Grimm sound.
Shadows is a full-on, heart-rate lifting, genre-bending, 3 minute 10 second aural delight. From the off-beat, ska-esque verses which see the bass and drums provide a much-needed counterpart to anchor the off-beat stabs of the guitar, to the massive, all-locked in, rock-out of a monster middle-section riff, this is a solid track that really lets Lora’s melodic vocals shine through and lilt with a confident playfulness.
In a lesser bands’ hands, this track could become very schizophrenic, with the different elements potentially becoming quite disparate from each other, however, Cheshire Grimm show they have complete control of the track, harnessing each of the pieces and taming them into a diverse, yet coherent burst of alt-rock. This is a song that just keeps getting better the more you listen to it.
I would love to hear this one live, as it would be fantastic to hear these two very talented, and accomplished, musicians really let that big, fat middle riff loose.
Genre: Melancholic Wonder / Prog-Alt-Pop-Glitter
What do you see when you think of Cheshire Grimm?
The brainchild of Kat Waswo (vocals/bass) and Lora Thompson (guitar/vocals) has created a dark creature, twisting through the motions of light and dark, threading their bright colours into a warm blanket of melancholy.