The Gunflowers, A Debut Single and Fresh Plans

The Gunflowers – Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom.

We do like our local music scenes here at MF. Our scope has spanned many of the great music hives of the UK, US and to a lesser extent Europe. Today though, we’re focusing on Bath, where The Gunflowers are discharging rounds and basking in the fresh sunlight. Of course as its the UK, the weather is probably terrible but my pun stands.

The Gunflowers are a four-piece who formed last year, and have been working towards this single release with earnest and enthusiasm, and it shows. Describing their sound as, ‘Low-Fi Punk’, with other influences ranging from Surf-Rock and Stoner-Rock, classic Punk and Grunge, you’re provided with dirty grooves and energetic rhythms, as each of the above mentioned comes through strongly. From the upcoming list of their influences, perhaps most noticeable is The Clash, who are adorned upon vocalist George’s jacket in the above photos, same patch I have on mine. I digress, their influences:

‘The Libertines, The White Stripes, Fildar, The Orwells, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Clash, Pixies, The Cure’

The single, titled ‘Rotten Pills’, is serving as a debut for the band and we at Musically Fresh were given early access to the 2:23 of audio groove, so we could give our thoughts and listen to it a hundred times because of how good it it is. That’s it, review over, everyone out!

I suppose that was a bit rash, we can halt the mass exodus for an adequate amount of time to get this review written… if we must.

‘Rotten Pills’ – The intro hits us with some feedback and a high tone flutter before a slow bass and drum beat, that will get heads nodding and feet stomping. On that subject, the track’s bass and drum-work relate well with the Low-Fi Grunge/Punk atmosphere TGFs are trying to create. Slow-paced, with a deep scuzzy sound, it makes for an infectious beat.

The guitar work bounces along with the bass and drum march in a classic Punk/Grunge rhythm, both in the verses and inbetween. The mid-point of the song is laced with some dirty duel riffage with the bass, as it leads us into the next section. I am really struggling to keep still writing this; the looming appeal that Stoner-Rock has to make you gyrate your cranium round and round is rife in this track.

‘You hung me out, out to dry, I don’t need a reason at all, but you give me a hell and why! You flicked a switchhh, in my brainnnnnnn, Oh god it’s heavenly but it’s driving me insane…’

I listen to a great deal of music these days, but when it comes to Punk and Grunge, as much as I dig melodies, I’m just as much all about Low-Fi and the discordant. The structure of the song, despite its down-tempo Stoner advance, resembles something somewhere between Punk and Grunge. Solid cooperation between bass and guitar, with the final ingredient being the simple, yet defiant, drumbeat.

The vocals are just as fluid. They go hand-in-hand with the sound the band are penning and have a real Rock ‘n’ Roll/Punk vibe going on in their intensity. I can see faster tracks sounding huge if sung in this vein.

‘I’m in love with a killer, yeah. In love with a thrill and this wound’s getting deeper with every rotten pill…’

The single is now available from the The Gunflowers’ bandcamp for a ‘name your price’ dealy. You can keep track of the band’s recordings, releases and exploits via various profiles, links for which can be at the bottom of the article. The band are also hoping to score some dates around Bath, Bristol and further afoot so keep an eye out. A video is planned for a March release, a teaser of which can be found below:

The Gunflowers:

For music head over to SoundCloud and bandcamp and for updates, Facebook and their Official Website.

A quick note, all photography and artwork was put together by Bath/South-West artist Rachael Leona, who can be found here.

#StayFresh