Exclusive: British Rock Quartet Vinyl Staircase Share Debut Self-Titled EP

British rock four-piece Vinyl Staircase have released their four-track debut, self-titled EP.

Paste recently featured the unsigned group on our list of 15 British bands you need to know in 2018, off the back of their colossal debut single, “German Wings.”

The Dorking, England band has supported an avalanche of bands in the U.K. like Wolf Alice, Sunflower Bean, Blossoms, Swim Deep and L.A. Witch, and if you’ve seen them live, you know it’s only a matter of time before this band takes off. The young act consists of brothers Jake Andrews (guitar, vocals) and Luke Andrews (drums), Mike Thorpe (vocals, guitar) and George Ogle (bass).

Vinyl Staircase previously released two tracks from their new EP, “Cherry” and “Last I Heard,” and every time you think you know them, they surprise you with something different. While “German Wings” was a psych-rock slow-burner with an earth-shattering climax, their new EP shows the band pushing into new territories.

The EP opens with “Cherry,” a clean, classic pop-rock track, which the band describes as their “expresso-pop hello to 2018.” It begins with crisp, harmonious vocals, but by the end, lead vocalist Thorpe’s vocals are warped with an unexpected, punchy firepower.

The second track, “Candy Darling,” is a dreamy rock track inspired by one of Andy Warhol’s superstars, who was also referenced in The Velvet Underground’s “Candy Says” and Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Though Vinyl Staircase can’t be pigeon-holed by one or two genres, by this point, it’s apparent they excel at meticulous musical tension-building and this track is no different.

“Dandelion Wine,” written on a sunny day before the band headed off to play festivals, features chiming, jangle-pop guitars, sweet vocals and the band basking in their most care-free sound yet, without sacrificing their melodic songwriting chops. Some of the strongest vocal moments on the EP appear on this track, as Thorpe’s and co-vocalist Jake Andrews’ vocals perfectly mingle and intertwine.

The EP’s final track, “Last I Heard,” is dedicated to the band’s “lord and savior Ringo Starr” and it serves as the closing track in their live set. Thorpe and Andrews’ blissful vocal interplay on this track is a fitting, joyous end to the EP and though it begins with a breezy, happy-go-lucky sound, it features a thunderous instrumental breakdown, perhaps just as satisfying as the one on their head-banging debut single.

Listen to Vinyl Staircase’s new EP below, premiering exclusively on Paste, and check out their upcoming U.K. live shows further down.

Vinyl Staircase Tour Dates:

March
16 – Reading, U.K. @ Purple Turtle*
23 – London, U.K. @ Moth Club^
24 – Wokingham, U.K. @ The Time Machine
31 – London, U.K. @ Shacklewell Arms, Human Performance All-Dayer

April
23 – Guildford, U.K. @ Boileroom+
28 – Reading, U.K. @ APR – Are You Listening? Festival

May
25 – Guildford, U.K. @ Boileroom

(* – supporting YVES)
(^ – supporting Imarhan)
(+ – supporting FOXE)