Manchester’s Pastel have forged a big reputation on their on their terms, landing #1 and #2 positions on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart for their two EPs and earning a personal invite to support the legendary Liam Gallagher at his gargantuan Knebworth Park show.
Now the band cement their rising status with the news that their long-awaited debut album ‘Souls In Motion’ will be released on January 17th via Spirit of Spike Island.
‘Souls In Motion’ features several of the band’s fan favourites and live staples which have soundtracked their rise to date, including ‘Deeper Than Holy’, ‘Isaiah’, ‘Your Day’ and ‘Escape’. But it also presents a wealth of brand new music for fans to immerse themselves within, which further underlines their global-facing creative ambition.
Guitarist James Yates says, “‘Souls In Motion’ was written over a 12 month period, where after work, we’d lock ourselves in our basement rehearsal room of Bunkhouse to write an album we feel people have been waiting 20 years for. An album which hangs on the framework of our chequered upbringing in Manchester, and the positive dazed outlook we all now share.”
The album features the band’s current single ‘Leave A Light On (A Velvet Storm)’, which captures a different angle to the band. Stepping into slow-burning epic anthem territory, its plaintive piano and more melodic vocals from Jack Yates crafts an atmosphere which feels like a modern answer to The Rolling Stones’ ‘Let It Bleed’ era and The Verve circa ‘A Northern Soul’. It’s indicative of the band’s growing powers and broadening sonic palette, and the song’s cinematic scope is captured in its accompanying video. It was directed by their friend and long-term champion Charlie Lightening, who is best known for his film projects with Liam Gallagher, Paul McCartney and Kasabian.
Pastel wrote all of the songs on the album, which was produced by J. Fender (Afflecks Palace frontman and founder of Spirit of Spike Island) and mixed by James Kenosha.
