London four-piece Gardening (formerly known as Mirror Shot) released their new single 'Second Sight' on Label Fandango on 24th July. Gardening self-released their previous single 'Taste Invader' under the name Mirror Shot, however they were getting regularly confused with another new band with almost the same name, who were also being played on the same radio shows. With lockdown clearing the gig calendar, they've opportunistically decided to sort that particular issue out once and for all.
Taking cues from the American indie rock canon, Gardening are crafting their own personal ideal of guitar music, taking only the shiniest, most addictive ingredients: layers of intertwining guitar lines, big dynamic shifts, melodic driving rhythm, and a lyrical sensibility caught between melodrama and wit.
Recorded on all-analogue equipment in an ancient studio in North East London, new single 'Second Sight' is a galloping psychedelic sprint, opening in a fuzzy rush of riffs and mounting energy. With lyrics "ironically recasting anxiety and pessimism as the world's shittiest superpowers", according to songwriter Niall Rush, "it was a live staple, back in the good ol' days of playing gigs - great for inflicting a bit of hearing damage on our victims in the crowd".
The band met totally unceremoniously over the internet - Niall Rush, Olivia Horrox and Adam Smith initially bonded over their mutual love of the American indie canon: Built to Spill, Television, Pavement...
They started off playing instrumentals, thinking they'd eventually find a singer who'd work out and fit with the increasingly intricate sound they were carving out. Eventually, many months in and after plenty of gentle and not so gentle encouragement, Niall bit the bullet and started doing the singing. Everything locked into place, and their twisty melodic sound coalesced into bittersweet hook-filled songs.
Since then, they recruited Mikey Burton on bass, released their debut single 'Crutch', honed their live show across London, recorded more stuff, stopped honing their live show along with everyone else, and have since been spending lockdown in a permanent loop of lame remote activities with each other. They have thus far resisted any temptation to stream a terrible set of inappropriately acoustic arrangements of their stuff.
Gardening are: Niall Rush (vocals, guitars) | Adam Smith (guitars, vocals) | Olivia Horrox (drums, percussion) | Mikey Burton (bass, vocals)
