Polaroid - 0909
In November I played a support slot in a small bar, slightly out of the way of the usual main-street Manchester buzz, supporting an indie band who drew less of a crowd than their second support (us), and most notably the first support; 0909. It is one of the few times I have made a trip to the loo during a headline act’s set, but in doing so I was lucky enough to run into Marl Taylor, guitar and vocals for 0909 and all round skilful musician; the type who can tap a riff while singing – something that hurts my brain and motor function just thinking about. There are all sorts of rumours about the witchcraft that occurs when a group of girls run into the toilets together, but I can confirm that in the men’s it is usually just networking and gig planning. Fast-forward to March of this year and we supported their headline set, building up to the release of their debut single ‘Polaroid’.
Keeping It real
Having seen the track performed a couple of times I can say that the way it translates between the recording and a live environment is positive. Being a 3-piece, 0909 keep it simple without going overboard on added tracks and do justice to their live sound. I think this is an important point to make as, with a suite of logic and the basic plugins, you could make a full orchestral track with just one musician involved. This can sound great, and depends massively on genre and style, but there is something to be said for playing without backing tracks and keeping it raw. 0909 stay true to their real-life sound and the track sounds identical to how I heard it performed on stage. The song starts with Taylor's guitar and harmonized vocals which, after hearing drummer Gabby G-M’s backing in their other original tracks, I would love to see backed up by her input and, to build on this point, also more frequently throughout the song. It has a very anthemic theme as it builds and the chorus and dynamic bridge sections give me big Biffy vibes.
Sonic Juxtaposition
After trying to find a way to sum up how I would describe their sound I would like to use the word ‘wholesome’. 0909’s music is driven and has heavy rock motifs, but Taylor’s vocals bring it back to the grounds of positive relatability and his lyrical imagery of the ‘pearly white gates’ even put this ‘wholesome’ spin on a song that may have negative connotations. The title of the song sets the scene for fond memories or time passed. Whether it is an intentional oxymoron or is a subconscious decision, it shows that the band have a strong connection to their music’s emotion and the staccato, 'stop-startedness' (I made that word up) of the track combine to cement the dynamics in context.
The Guitar-Nerd Section
The guitar has a dry sound both in the recorded track and live. Taylor uses a VOX AC-30 which, to the readers who aren’t guitar nerds, is a very popular amp. While praised for its cleans I have to wonder whether it is doing 0909’s crunchy tones justice. The bass (played by Luke Linden-Smith) provides the low end smoothly and the lead at the start of the track fills out the full range of registers well, but I feel like I want more punch from the areas where Taylor is playing chords. I love staccato instrumental; where all of the members are in sync and well timed and 0909 pull this off well, but that added sharpness would be the icing on the cake and would allow more sonic distance between the bass and rhythm guitar, ultimately creating something more full and meaty. This is just a speculation however and I would be interested to know whether the band agree or whether I’m missing the point entirely and, in fact, they’re too punk for guitar snobs and ripping up a traditionally indie amp was Taylor’s goal all along.
What's on Your Playlist for the Apocalypse?
On top of all of that, my experiences with 0909 have been widely positive and I look forward to working with them again after this plague has moved along (if we’re all still alive and haven’t died from a lack of pasta and hand sanitiser). There is one thing I can say for sure, and that is that 0909 reflect that musical wholesomeness in person which I can see having a clear impact on their career, and I hope to see them develop their song-writing creativity and sound in time for their next record. I was supposed to be playing with Katie Elizaa in support of Polaroid’s launch tonight but, as with everything at the moment, to avoid contracting death we have postponed it until further notice. So, until then keep your friends and family close, and your loo roll closer, and I will see you on the other side of this mess.
(Psyche; I can do this from my bed. I’ll be posting a lot more in the coming days/weeks to fill out my social media etc, which is a thing now so you should go follow me there for new posts and updates and an assortment of other general cr*p. If you’d like to work with me, give me feedback or send me memes get in touch! Seriously, I’ll either be in bed working or in the bath, send me things to do.)
