Music
Press
Something of a surprise, the first single by Caithness’ Maydays on Aberdeen label Bedford Records was released with no pomp, ceremony or even warning. It’s a breezy pop number which ticks all the right boxes, maintaining those summer highs as we drift aimlessly towards autumn.
Lead song By Appointment To… is populated by gentle guitar and organ work, building slightly during the chorus, all the while held together by singer Joe’s gentle lilting melodies. B-side Eternal Optimist builds upon the foundations set by the preceding track, rounding off the single in tremendous fashion with an accomplished and assertive climax.
Almost a blend of The Walkmen and Ottowan indie group Orienteers, Maydays’ sound is hard not to like: it’s light, airy and incredibly catchy. Be prepared for great things to come. - Hercules Moments
Something of a surprise, the first single by Caithness’ Maydays on Aberdeen label Bedford Records was released with no pomp, ceremony or even warning. It’s a breezy pop number which ticks all the right boxes, maintaining those summer highs as we drift aimlessly towards autumn.
Lead song By Appointment To… is populated by gentle guitar and organ work, building slightly during the chorus, all the while held together by singer Joe’s gentle lilting melodies. B-side Eternal Optimist builds upon the foundations set by the preceding track, rounding off the single in tremendous fashion with an accomplished and assertive climax.
Almost a blend of The Walkmen and Ottowan indie group Orienteers, Maydays’ sound is hard not to like: it’s light, airy and incredibly catchy. Be prepared for great things to come. - Hercules Moments
There’s something very appealing about this record and like the first faltering, precocious steps in any creative enterprise, those moments of early revelation are always ones that stick in the mind.
http://www.Bedfordrecords.com
A nice single, one I was inclined to overlook until getting diverted by two gloriously gauche moments on each track. It’s a quiet thing, very much like the things the Beloved put out when they went groovy, or the Bluetones at their most dreamy. Eternal Optimist is a nice pop song with a wistful vocal and clunky chord changes, and a nagging lyric: “You Might Find / You’re on the shelf”. It’s hesitant and a wee bit insipid and should inspire wistful scribblings in day books up and down the land. The main track, By Appointment To, (of which I have two similar mixes) has a gloriously underplayed refrain (the bit when the band sing “And we go down / To the city”), in amongst the hesitant changes in tempo and chord.
There’s something very appealing about this record and like the first faltering, precocious steps in any creative enterprise, those moments of early revelation are always ones that stick in the mind. Precious stuff. - Incendiary Magazine
Maydays
They open with a thumping Rolling Stones tom drum and Beach Boys harmonies, matched with what sounded like Eagles lyrics – “lines on the mirrors, lines on their faces…” They filter California sunshine through the drizzle of Britain, epitomised by ‘Eternal Optimist’, warning that despite a cheery outlook, “You might find yourself on the shelf.”
Along with a standard two-guitar/bass/drums set-up, they complete the instrumentation with a Hammond organ, which they use sparingly. Or maybe it’s just not turned up enough. In any case, they sound good – like homemade Houmous for your ears.
The singer wears black jeans and polo neck. Very 60s chic, which is slightly odd when you match it with 90s indie, much like a heavier Belle and Sebastien or Aberfeldy. The Kooks, effectively. Nonetheless, they are superb at the job of being musicians – faultlessly polite with the soundman, and good at promoting their Bandcamp – download some songs there. - Limbo
Discography
Eps: The band that cried wolf was released in late 2010 and recieved airplay on amazing radio and numerous podcasts throughout Britain, including Jim Gellatly's new music show and Netsounds unsigned.
In 2011 the band recorded three songs which they then released as free downloads in May. Eternal Optimist from the EP recieved radioplay on Ally Mccrae's Radio 1 introducing show as well as plays on Jim Gellatly's New music, Netsounds and a host off podcasts and student radio shows.
Single: 'By appointment to ...' was released on Bedford Records in August 2011.
Photos
Bio
Maydays first rolled out of bed up in the far north of Scotland, 16 miles from John O’Groats; a naive two guitars, bass and drums outfit, with the last to raise their hand becoming singer. They knocked a few horrendously rough recordings together, uploaded them to Myspace and two weeks later were playing the Zanzibar in Liverpool (They once supported the boy from 90’s Scouse band ‘Space’ there too but that’s another story). Not long after, they found themselves in Edinburgh, where things heated up a little with offers to play a few club nights in London - namely Way Out West - and some A&R interest from a fellow that wanted to pay for demo recordings with the intention of punting them to Vertigo Records. The opportunity perhaps came a little too soon for a young band who had only just made the transition to city life. Anyways, new singer enters, new singer leaves. Original singer becomes organ player. New bass player and current singer enter equalling Maydays in its most confident sounding, musically competent and creatively diverse current form. Maydays have an exciting and unique sound which blends the dynamics of The Walkmen with the pop sensibilities of Belle and Sebastian, Aberfeldy and other notable Scottish acts, before landing (rather nicely) somewhere in the middle. The band also makes the most of influences such as The Band, Beatles and Creedance to create fresh, memorable and easily accessible songs.
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