For Fans Of: The National, Bon Iver, Alt-J

On November 24th, 2023, South London indie duo, Arliston, release ‘Thawed’ via the band’s own label, Sob Story Records. The new track follows the critically acclaimed EP ‘How In Heaven’ and provides a sultry,melancholic end to a year in which Arliston have released 2 EP’s. 

Listen to ‘Thawed’ HERE

In stark contrast to Arliston’s most recent work, ‘Thawed’ delivers an icy undertone alongside their signature spacey atmospherics, revealing a new side to this creative duo. The track leisurely builds from the smokey haze of the first verse, erupting into a chorus full of swagger; angular drums, snarling basslines and slinky vocals to punctuate the space. ‘Thawed” is a song that flows effortlessly from start to finish, creating an arrangement that is a joy to be swept up in. 

Vocalist Jack said “While it seems abstract, It’s really a simple story about a character who is trapped in a cyclical loop of behaviour. The verses give a sense of creeping claustrophobia, and outline the problem: The character becomes addicted to the negativity coming out of media (“strobe light news”) which leads to this fractious state where everything seems non-real and illusory, just ‘coffee and fumes’. In the chorus they attempt to solve it, by retreating away from other people, and into the sanctuary of ‘my room’, and even by just accruing wealth and money ‘my fingers in the till’, but none of it works, and the cycle begins again. A classic merry Arliston tune!”

George continued “It’’s definitely a different sound to “How in Heaven”, but I think it’s a good thing to be pushing against the parameters of “our sound” and adding a new flavour to the Arliston pot. To me this sounds like some sort of Americana colliding with down tempo British indie, it’s fun!”

Arliston are South Londoners Jack Ratcliffe (vocalist & instrumentalist) and George Hasbury (instrumentalist & producer). The duo burst onto the scene in 2018 with their critically acclaimed EP ‘Hawser’. Recorded in Dock Street Studios in East London with Chris Blakey (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lloyd Williams, Death in Vegas), the release was originally a studio-only project, but slowly began to move to a fully-fledged band, winning over an army of loyal fans with their mesmeric blend of spacey production and dreamlike rich harmonies. Thawed has been mixed and co-produced by Brett Shaw (The Foals, Florence and the Machine), and you can tell because every thread of the swirling soundscape is expertly balanced. 

Support for the band continues to gather pace with a further two EPs under their belt, their music has now amassed over 2.7m streams on Spotify alone, garnered support from BBC Radio One and Amazing Radio, as well as enjoyed editorial support from Spotify UK featuring on playlists like ‘Most Beautiful Songs in the World’ and ‘New in Alternative’ on Apple Music. The band continues to enjoy widespread editorial support, with plaudits coming in from the likes of Clash, Wonderland, Earmilk and Notion, truly embedding the band on the British indie music scene.

The band closes out 2023 with another indie gem, as they continue to make waves as prolific outfit poised for an exciting 2024.

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Praise for Arliston 

“Arliston masterfully pushes the listener into new and refreshingly unexpected realms of sonic combinations while keeping anchored in a strong, stabilising percussion.”

-Wonderland Magazine 

“Arliston wraps us simultaneously in the tension of unpredictability and the warm comfort of their immersive soundscapes as the band’s expansive and diverse influences come together in a seamless blend of insightful songwriting and soaring instrumentals..”

-Earmilk 

“Ingenious pop excursions, Arliston’s heart-on-sleeve appeal matches the cerebral to the openly emotive.” – Clash Magazine