You’d presume they were sharing the same mic, let alone the same room. Neither are in any great hurry, with their songwriting process originally found spent solo, several hundred miles apart in Brighton and Manchester. Memorial are a young duo, Jack and Ollie. All good music is doing one thing, connecting. Whether it’s cut us up, helped us not feel alone or attached themselves to our memories and continue to move with us. To be able to relate or learn more about yourself through someone else’s experience is invaluable and it’s nice to know that we’ve instinctively chosen songs for this EP that have made an impact on us. We’re always drawn to sincerity and emotion and are passionate about the therapeutic properties of music. It’s always been such an integral part of our music, but we realised that our choice of songs for this EP we’re actually driven, often subconsciously, by that sense of connection. Good lyrics create a borderless listening experience, where no matter what genre, if it feels sincere and relatable, it’s almost impossible to not feel impacted or attached in a personal way. To us, lyrics are paramount to connection through music. But now that we’re a band, live in each other’s pockets and write together all the time, covering music has felt like a really cathartic and fluid way to continue to push ourselves creatively and continue finding new music through one each other’s unique taste. Over the years we’ve always shared new finds with each other scrutinising, loving and learning each other’s taste. Speaking of the covers process, Memorial revealed: “We really love discovering new music. “It’s crazy how simple some solutions can be, especially of tearing your hair out in pursuit of the right thing, but going through all that and making those discoveries is what makes recording so exciting.” It completely changed the landscape we were in, without destroying what we already had.
“Serendipitously, when we had reached a point where we needed to try something new, Ollie had bought a vintage 80s synth which he brought in just to test if it worked.
It captures that feeling of hopelessness and how we tackle the fringes of our issues when we either don’t understand the heart of them, or we do but don’t feel like we have the strength to face them. It’s so raw and beautifully crafted, and boldly vulnerable lyrically. Memorial on Cranes In The Sky: “ We love this song for so many reasons. They allow this emotional current to flawlessly cascade throughout their explorations and become a trait we can all fixate on. The emotional range Memorial capture within all their work pushes their vision to new depths. That ability to give all they have shines and despite the intimate surroundings, we understand the strength and captivating power of this outfit. Memorial produces these lasting expressive ensembles where they take down all boundaries to let the raw tonality dazzle. These high vocal notes showcase such rich and honest influence whilst proudly delivering such delicate tones and harmonies. These factors resonate throughout their latest track “ Cranes in the Sky”.Īnother truly intimate arrangement with this intense atmosphere which consumes the audience and highlights the sincere energy this duo conveys. Memorial has this remarkable ability to lace their vision with this unlimited emotional scope and true beauty.
Each release we hear from the forthcoming EP leaves us in awe. Using their own touch to re-work some mighty ensembles and add their own stamp onto their covers. Memorial are simply one of the most powerful outfits out there right now.