Tipped by many to become one of the most exciting and unique British guitar bands of the decade off the back of rapturous critical acclaim, Pale | Seas, on the eve of the release of a long-anticipated debut album, simply disappeared. No hiatus announcement, no press release, nothing. For the following two years the band, led by jewelled enigmatic frontman Jacob Scott alongside Graham Poole (Lead Guitar), Matthew Bishop (Bass) & Andrew Richardson (Drums), emitted no signal, instead embarking upon a period of prolonged isolation.

The decision to do so would go on to define the band’s_ _dark, otherworldly, and expansive sound. To capture it and enhance it further the band enlisted the help of producer Chris Potter (The Verve, Urban Hymns) & Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka, Devendra Banhart). Scott’s influences include; Neil Young, P.J. Harvey, Elliott Smith and Half Japanese (who Scott says, “got me to pick up a guitar in the first place”) but as a rule of thumb, it’s not been music that’s shaped who he is as an artist.

His mother, a painter, was a much bigger influence. “I learned more from growing up with her than I have from music. She found a way to channel her life experiences into something beautiful and real. To see that, to witness someone so close to you turning their life in to art was, to me, more powerful than hearing any band play.

In an effort to capture the state he was in when the songs were written, “Stargazing for Beginners was recorded mostly at night in the ancient abbey - Scott says the feeling an artist_ _has when they first write something can’t be replaced, unless you get it first take.” There are many first takes on the album and many more hours between them spent waiting for the perfect moment to arrive.”

 

“Stargazing for Beginners is excellent. And Pale Seas has it going on in an enormous way! Superb melodies, pulsating rhythms and Scott’s definitive voice make the entire album vital listening.” »The Huffington Post

“Literate, poetic indie rock with a pop streak, the group recall everyone from early Suede to elements of The National. A real treat for fans and the perfect entry point for everyone else, 'Animal Tongue' is an infectious, engaging indie rock salute.” » Clash