Organisms

Joe Quinn and Lizzy Burt, guitar and vocals, Paul Taylor, bass, Bromley, keys and Alex Elliott, drums

Organisms are a rarity. Distinct, interesting music that makes its own way in the world whilst still holding onto the coat tails of pop, rock and indie. With a debut album, Mollusk, out in July, now is a good time to become a fan.

WHO?

For many years BBC Introducing in Norfolk has loved the acoustic harmonies laid down by Lizzy Burt in The Woodland Creatures. And for many years we have also admired the complex textured music of Joe Quinn. So we were very excited about the fact the two have combined in Organisms. Lizzy and Joe have known each other for over a decade – but it was only a year ago that they decided to join their different musical pedigrees together in a brand new act. It’s not just the two of them either. There’s a raft of other top musicians in the mix - “We met through partying over the years,” said Joe - and the new album showcases how this Norwich supergroup is beginning to blend those talents.

WHAT?

Well, they call it doomy, moody, psychedelic, garage rock. We can’t disagree but that only tells half the story. This is a band for whom crafted songs are a reality. Where the importance of lyrics is taken as read. Where feelings may be expressed in a somewhat understated way, but oh boy, there’s depth here a-plenty for those that take the time to listen. We have always loved the honesty of Joe’s lyrics in previous bands and the trend continues here. Lizzy calls them truthful rather than emotional, a distinction we are happy to go along with. Sparse too, which makes their impact all the greater.

The music that frames all of this is pretty catchy despite their attempts to pull it away from the mainstream. The ability to interplay or solo Lizzy’s and Joe’s vocals adds a special dimension. There are lots of beautiful tracks on the album. This is rock with a technical precision that ensures it is never formulaic or predictable.

LIVE?

There’s a mixture of extrovert and shyness about this band. And that good tension comes out in live performances. On one hand it can look like they’d be happier playing together in a closed rehearsal room. On the other, the way they power their guitars, drums and keys suggests they really like being noisy and getting to the back of your ears. The band are planning many more live gigs later in the year, so it will be easy to pack in a live show for yourself sometime soon.

THE FUTURE?

Well, currently the band are basking in the creation a new album, all recorded and put together by Tontena Music who have been great supporters of their work. There’s a video to go with single Games Non-People Play too. That’s all the current focus, but they are already looking ahead to writing and recording more music as the year goes on. This is still a pretty new project for a group of very experienced artists and it will be good to see how they manage to expand and develop on an excellent start.

facebook.com/Organismsband