Debut EP from High Hazels: 'In The Half Light'

EP release: In The Half Light by The High Hazels
Release date: 7 April
Label: Heist or Hit Records
Listen: on Soundcloud

“If you’re a fan of The Smiths, or The Coral at their most melodic, then this may be right up your street” – The Guardian

Drawing on a love and appreciation for the timeless charms of Britain’s great northern songwriters & poets, High Hazels are a young quartet from Handsworth in Sheffield who release their debut EP ‘In The Half Light’ on 7th April.

High Hazels resemble the end of the family line in northern boy groups: groups who horde priceless guitars but can’t afford the bus fare home, groups who rehearse dry George Harrison barbs in the bathroom mirror, groups who dress in boys’ brigade chic, in thrall to the boys of yesterday – The Quarrymen, The Pale Fountains, The Smiths.

James Leesley is a melancholy balladeer backed by Scott Howes’ vintage guitar reverberating tenderly and brothers Paul and Anthony on bass and drums.

With a togetherness that only blooms from brotherhood & childhood friendship, their shared love for music is the root of their everyday creativity and ambition to achieve that of their influences, in producing music that stands the test of time.

The quartet’s shimmering guitar music and melody-rich songs will soon reverberate from stages around the country while on tour with The Crookes – dates below.

The debut EP follows last year’s seven-inch ‘Hearts are Breaking’ which Clash described as: “All lilting song writing and stark directness, it’s a vision of fluorescent lights reflected in a puddle of rain water.”

The four songs on ‘In The Half Light’ are steeped in the rich heritage of Northern Soul and underpinned with a brooding psychedelia that owes as much to the influence of Washington quintet The Walkmen as to their home city’s crooning Godfather Richard Hawley. For years, the only cultural shrine in Handsworth was the Ballifield semi where Ken Patten recorded The Future and Pulp in his Studio Electrophonique while his wife made the brews downstairs. A few streets over, a new story gathers pace, guitars chime in back bedrooms and, in terminus bus shelters, cold hearts start to thaw.

‘In The Half Light’ is released on Heist Or Hit Records on 7th April on limited edition 10” vinyl and digital download. High Hazels will support The Crookes on tour in April.