The Easter Island Statues
| The Easter Island Statues | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Leeds, UK |
| Genres |
Beat Music Power Pop Indie Rock |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Labels |
Rerecord Records (self-release) |
| Website | theeasterislandstatues.com |
| Members |
Donald Campbell James Askwith Felixx Bartlett |
| Past members | Alex Craggs |
The Easter Island Statues are an English beat band from Oxford, UK.
History
The band was formed by singer/guitarist Donald Campbell and bassist James Askwith in Leeds in 2007. The band then went through a succession of drummers, the most recent being Alex Craggs and subsequently Felixx Bartlett.
The band played their first show with Alt-J, (then known as Daljit Dhaliwal), during which Campbell broke his guitar and spent the majority of the next half hour mumbling incoherently into the mic. Joe Newman then came to the rescue and lent Campbell his acoustic to play the remainder of their vastly over-run set, which consisted entirely of an over-extended cover of The Velvet Underground's Sister Ray.
Circa the Neanderthal EP, the band's sound was described by the press as "garage pop that still has a firm grasp of the pop reins".[1] The Easter Island Statues moved south from Leeds to Oxford in 2010.
Musical style
Songs are written by Campbell, with Askwith and Bartlett making their musical contributions in the arrangements. Songs by The Easter Island Statues are mostly about feelings, the weather and feelings about the weather, but also occasionally deal with other concerns such as funeral pyres. There are also recurring themes regarding the ocean, specifically drowning in the Pacific Ocean, in songs such as "30 Feet", "International Flight" and "90 Degrees".
The Easter Island Statues have been noted for their simple and primitive use of language. Campbell's songs lyrics typically feature ham-fisted wordplay and cringe-worthy alliteration. An interest in returning to outer space also appears to have influenced some songs, most notably 2015 song 'Cult of the Sun'.
Some of the band's influences include The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Lucksmiths, Neutral Milk Hotel, PF Sloan, Nirvana, Devo, The Beach Boys, Evan Dando, Charles Manson, The Zombies and Blur.
Discography
EPs
- Neanderthal (2010)
- Don't Hassle Me (2011)
- Don't Hassle My Neanderthal (2014)
References
- ↑ Drowned In Sound's 2010 Easter Island Statues review.