Words: Linn Branson
Quite a more-ish little EP this four-track 'Sleeper', just released a few weeks ago by a band with a 'shocker' of a name: XOCKHA. Well, it could be 'shocker', or 'x-ockha', or even 'socker'. While we ponder a little longer over the name, we'll leave you with some gen on them and a chance to get your ears around the record on the Bandcamp stream below.
The four-piece, all aged between 20 - 22, formed just this January, and seem to have made great strides in such a short space of time. Hailing from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where they'll be playing the Bestival main stage this September - which at this point would make just their third gig, having made debut a few weeks ago at a Ryde bar for the EP launch, followed by Bestival competition show from whence they won a slot on the main stage. They are hoping, however, to slot in a few home island ones later in May, and even venture onto English turf proper once they have all finished off the degree courses (BA (Hons) in Commercial Music) they are all currently busy with.
Sound-wise, it's lo-fi indie pop rock with a wealth of lush drifting melodics, plenty of neat guitar riffs, intertwined with twinkly synths to capture an airy - "wafted here from the IOW" - dream-state ambience alongside floating, and rather unusual, vocal lines. Sounds luvverly, don't it? It is.
And as for that name? We asked vocalist Ben Jones how that came about. "The name was developed from a song called 'Xhocka' by Young Colossus. No particular reason why, I'm just a fan of the project and needed a name! When this project was just myself back in October I thought it was a cool name, I still do, and hope you do too, despite the confusion it can cause. Personally, I still think it's easy to pronounce!"
EP highlights: 'Slow // Fast', 'Indecision'
XOCKHA are: Benjamin Jones (vocals, guitar), Frankie Baker (guitar/synth), Ellis Durand (bass), Max Harrison (drums).
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