As PLASMAS confirm the release of their debut EP this October, today the Dundee quintet are pleased to present one of its dreamiest moments: “Notice”.
Recalling the reverb-dappled melodies of Wild Nothing or the tranquil psych-pop of Tame Impala at their most sedate, “Notice” drifts in-and-out like a welcome breeze on a sunny afternoon.
Switching things up since their last single (“See It Through”), the track sees bassist James Swan taking the lead on vocal and writing duties for the first time. “Notice” was written in the haze of one of those languorous hot days, where there’s little on the agenda and all the promise of a long summer ahead. Feeling the blissful sensation of nothingness and everything all at once, James felt the song’s words and melodies fall naturally into place. Speaking about the experience that formed the track he says:
“I remember sitting down on my living room floor with my acoustic guitar, lounging in a sunbeam shining through the window, and being overcome with a feeling of complete bliss. It’s a bit of a cliché but everything just came so naturally and I didn’t purposefully set out to write anything of substance at that moment. Before I knew it I had written the whole song and was demoing it to bring to the rest of the band. It’s the first song we’ve done where Ross isn’t the lead vocalist so I think it’s allowed us to flaunt our versatility somewhat.”
Yet through its carefree chords and its seemingly laissez-faire nature, there’s a sense of melancholy layered through its lyricism. Almost like a love song played at different RPMs, “Notice” is about a relationship operating at different speeds, drifting steadily further apart and heading towards an inevitable conclusion.
“It’s about seeing your relationship with someone dwindle in slow-motion, and realising that they’re either completely ignorant to it or simply don’t care that it’s happening. Eventually you come to the realization that there’s nothing you can do to reconcile” says James.
Produced by Guy Galactic, who also produced the band’s previous single “See It Through”, both tracks will appear on an upcoming EP made with the producer entitled: ‘A Summer’s Day Can Break Your Heart’, which is confirmed for release on 21 October 2022.
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PLASMAS are Ross McQueen (vocals, rhythm guitar), Conor McBay (lead guitar, vocals), Rory Strathie (synth), James Swan (bass) and Sam Walker (drums).
After making their mark as a promising new voice on the Scottish music scene before the pandemic ground the live circuit to a halt, the band released earlier single ‘Look & See’ during the first lockdown.
With a few more tracks under their belts, including guitar-fuelled banger “Always” (which featured on Spotify’s ‘Hot New Bands’ and ‘Lo-Fi Indie’ playlists) and Clash Magazine-backed “Is It Everything You Want?”, the band have received airplay on BBC Introducing Scotland and Amazing Radio and gained support from Fred Perry Subculture, Tenement TV and The Skinny amongst others.
Since the revival of touring, the five-piece have played a SOLD OUT headline show in Dundee, plus packed-out shows alongside Australian indie-rockers PLANET and Scottish rising-stars Swim School, as well as a “surreal” support slot alongside JAWS, a band that were one of the original inspirations behind PLASMAS’ sound.
With a myriad of musical influences worn on their sleeves — from the ethereal dreaminess of Tame Impala, to the overcast vulnerability of The Cure and the festival-ready indie-rock of JAWS — PLASMAS are ready to make their mark with their keenly anticipated debut EP, ‘A Summer’s Day Can Break Your Heart’, later this year.
-Official bio
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