Holding on forever…
Emerging from the Northwest of England, Scarlet are a four piece alt-rock outfit that have managed to win critical acclaim in recent years on the back of their guitar-fuelled widescreen tunes.
Led by Jessie Robinson, the band is rounded out by Laura (bass), Adam (guitar) and Cai (drums). As well as getting the thumbs up from outlets such as Q Magazine and The Skinny, Scarlet have also found approval from the likes of Guy Garvey and Sir Bob Geldof. They’ve enjoyed performing festivals around the world, including Secret Garden Party, South Korea’s Zandari Festa, Sound City and Georgias Tiblisi Open Air Festival. They’ve also supported the likes of Wolf Alice and received plenty of radio exposure, including BBC Radio 6.
Scarlet’s 2016 album Effigy managed to swap around between airy dreampop and a heavier rock quality. Subsequent releases have leant more into that heavy direction, such as the percussive ‘Friends’ and 2020’s kinetic ‘Bring Me Down’. Their latest release, ‘Wrong Way’, keeps those qualities in play while also showcasing an evolution in Scarlet’s musical journey.
‘Wrong Way’ serves up a brash guitar-heavy outing that’s also slickly produced. The song’s grunge aspirations matched against Jessie Robinson’s distinctive vocals gives the whole affair an oddly effective power. Despite the polished approach, it’s also a tune that still has a rawness and energy that resonates.
The Manchester-based outfit demonstrate a tight, coordinated sound that also makes an accomplished use of space. It means that Jessie’s considerable vocal chops can shine through without getting overshadowed by the grunge guitar foundations.
Scarlet recorded the song at a studio in Barnsley under the production hand of Tom Prendergast and Ari Rannus (who produced the outfit’s previous two singles).
“After we had recorded and mixed the track” commented Jessie in an interview with RGM, “we had post production mix done by my friend Chris Southward who I went to school and was in my first orchestra at the age of 13! And he added a hugely alternative take to the song – he saw it as having t.A.T.u. vibes and added in some amazing wooshes and wurrrrs and together along with the work Tom and Ari had done, glossed the song up to a standard we weren’t expecting at our DIY level.”
But the proof is in the final production and ‘Wrong Way’ stands out as evidence of a band whose arc is definitely on the rise.
‘Wrong Way’ is out now.
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