The Easter Island Statues
| The Easter Island Statues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Leeds, UK |
| Genres |
Alternative Rock Power Pop Beat Music |
| Years active | 2007-2009, 2015- |
| Website | theeasterislandstatues.com |
| Members |
Donald Campbell James Askwith Tom Hitch |
| Past members |
Alex Craggs Felixx Bartlett |
The Easter Island Statues are an English alternative rock band based in Oxford, UK.
History
The band was formed by singer/guitarist Donald Campbell, bassist James Askwith and drummer Alex Craggs in Leeds in 2007. Shortly afterwards, the band played their first show with alt-J, (then known as Daljit Dhaliwal), during which Campbell broke his guitar and spent the majority of the next half hour mumbling incoherently into the mic. Joe Newman then came to the rescue and lent Campbell his acoustic to play the remainder of their vastly over-run set, which consisted entirely of an over-extended cover of The Velvet Underground's Sister Ray.
The Easter Island Statues then went on hiatus in 2009, until Campbell and Askwith reformed the band in 2015 in Oxford. However, it was not until 2016 that the band began gigging frequently, with the addition of Tom Hitch on drums. The band then went into the studio in December 2016 to record their first EP, Test Transmission.
The Easter Island Statues will commence their first mini-European tour in May 2017, when they are anticipated to play Hamburg, Berlin and Paris.
Musical style
Songs by The Easter Island Statues are mostly about feelings, the weather and feelings about the weather, but also occasionally deal with other concerns such as funeral pyres. There are also recurring themes regarding the ocean, specifically drowning in the Pacific Ocean, in songs such as "30 Feet", "International Flight" and "90 Degrees".
The Easter Island Statues have been noted for their simple and primitive use of language. Campbell's songs lyrics typically feature ham-fisted wordplay and cringe-worthy alliteration. An interest in returning to outer space also appears to have influenced some songs, most notably 2015 song 'Cult of the Sun'.
Some of the band's influences include The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Lucksmiths, Neutral Milk Hotel, PF Sloan, Nirvana, Devo, The Beach Boys, Evan Dando, Charles Manson, The Zombies and Blur.
The band's sound has been described by the press as "garage pop that still has a firm grasp of the pop reins".[1]
Discography
EPs
- Test Transmission (2017)
References
- ↑ Drowned In Sound's 2010 Easter Island Statues review.