Music / Premieres
Premiere:
Sledgehammer - Blue Sheila
Words by James Lynch
Thursday 11th July, 2019
Today we have the pleasure of premiering the debut EP from coastal rockers Sledgehammer - thick with crunchy guitars, lo-fi production and heaps of swagger, Blue Sheila is a blast of surf-infused garage that manages to feel as volatile as it does cruisey.
Opening into a swirl of guitars that chime and stab erratically, ‘Rearrange Your Head’ immediately pulls us into Blue Sheila with its careening groove. Somehow feeling propulsive and laidback at once, the track’s unstable atmosphere creates an alluring haze that shines over the rest of the EP, a mood that’s only heightened by Sophia Lubczenko’s illusive drawl, which manages to sound both dreamy and bold at the same time. Next up is ‘Strange’, a track that cools things off slightly with its shimmery guitars and unhurried beat, before ‘Slow Decay’ follows suit with a hiccuping groove and meandering hooks.

The EP’s title track serves as the last moment of lightness on the EP, with its buoyant jangles, charming vocals and classic rock swagger, before ‘Retreat’ kicks in with a surging beat, as the guitars splutter around a spiralling bassline. Finally, Blue Sheila rounds out with ‘How Many Times’, a track that finds Soph at her most volatile as it unfolds from a slow-burning groove into a fiery chorus, just to leave us hanging somewhere in the middle with a never-ending build up, as feedback wails and the band chug on relentlessly.

Speaking about the EP, Soph explains “Blue Sheila was me in a past life lol. It represents a phase of life where anxiety overtakes and you must become comfortable with the person you are. It was written at a time when I felt lost in love, suffocated by anxiety and mostly unsure of myself.”

Have a listen to Blue Sheila above, and catch Sledgehammer tonight at the Retreat Hotel with Sagamore and Grace Cummings.