seven: Thos Henley

When it comes to associating bands with other bands when listening to them, I try to avoid it. I hate listening to one band and then immediately thinking of another. I kind of can't help it with this one though.


Thos Henley strides in the same path as bands such as Beirut who he clearly aspires to with his choice of instrument (accordion, mandolin etc). His songs are simple but haunting and Henley often cleverly doubles over his vocals, givng the songs that little bit more depth to their minature atmosphere.
Summer On The Thames (his upcoming single, on Tapeclub records) is fun, free-flowing and full of fleeting choruses ("We always swam in summer/We always swam together/But now we'll never ever/We'll never swim together") the elements of mandolin, hand claps and la-la-la's are irresistably catchy when you hear them together.
Elsewhere in songs such as Her, there is beautiful imagery to be found and treasured. The fragile piano notes practically melt over the sombre ukelele melody and Henley's vocals. Once again the uncomplication of the track shines through and becomes an infectious feature of it ("Maybe we were too nice/I'll be the gamble/You be the dice").
Thos is dabbling about Southampton, playing a pocket of shows in mid-late July.
Listen to Her here.
His album Mosaic Bone Norse Flute is out soon, check out some photography done by Krisan Cieszkiewicz here.