We Speak Music
Freddie & The Scenarios release debut album
Former Vaccines’ lead guitarist Freddie Cowan created Freddie & The Scenarios with the help of some of the best in Mexico City’s incredible music scene, whilst also reuniting with Vaccines’ original drummer Pete Robertson, recently more known for his production work with Beabadoobee, Nasty Cherry, Crawlers; The Vaccines’ keyboardist Tim Lanham, Laura Marling’s bassist Nick Pini, iconic Japanese guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei (Kill Bill), and producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings Of Leon, Ryan Adams) on percussion.
Freddie & The Scenarios is nothing short of a supergroup. On record and future live plans, the line-up is a musician’s dream, and the record vibes seamlessly across genres, creating its own form of indie, dream pop, world soul sounds that’s parts Beck, and Bach. Not totally, but you get the idea, all the songs were written by Freddie, and he conducts the band as though a full orchestra.
The album consists of twelve tracks of joy, pain and just about everything in between. Freddie’s guitar is flawless, and hopping for the first time onto vocals delivered with an earnestness that touches genuinely. Backed by a brass section and other musicians, Freddie describes working with Vaccine’s old drummer and other past and new friends as follows,
“Pete is such an incredible drummer. He’s phenomenal – calm and so conversational, he just speaks with the drums. In fact, all the musicians on this album were people I’d just unconsciously earmarked over the years. Ethan Johns, the producer, played percussion and he’s the best percussionist probably in the country. Then we went to Mexico and recorded the brass section with players there because we thought if we got a bunch of English brass players, it wouldn’t sound like what we’re looking for. It’s this certain sound. The same way there’s Mexican boxing, there’s a certain fire to it you can’t really replicate.”
And it was, indeed whilst living in a curious time in Mexico City in 2019, Freddie had several serendipitous encounters with some of the musicians living and working there, especially around the city’s Centro Historico neighbourhood – Diego Herrera from Mexico’s legendary Caifanes, who has become a mentor, resident string and brass arranger Dan Zlotnik, and Moises Garcia, the trumpet player for Mexican hero, Juan Gabriel, among many others. These encounters inspired ‘Answer Machine’, a celebration of creative freedom and collaboration, life, growth, and restoration.
The album was recorded in both Mexico City and Somerset and somehow captures both perfectly.
After the album’s release, The Scenarios will tour Mexico in April, with plans to bring the live show to the UK later this year. Freddie explains,
“I want to do a small amount of shows and do them really well and make it really, really interesting, the music business in the ‘60s and ‘70s was much more based around records and when people did play shows, they were amazing. So I only want to play a small amount of shows with the best people.”
‘Answer Machine’ is out now via Ivy RecRods.
London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Waz-u returns with his second album, Preludes: Dusk Psalms, set for release on 16 May 2025 via independent label Biodiversity. The 15-track record further refines the artistic depth of his debut, blending electronic textures and classical compositional techniques in an intricate, immersive listening experience.
Ahead of the album release, Waz-u is dropping an exclusive vocal version of ‘Vermillion: G Major’ from the album, accompanied by its original instrumental version. ‘Vermillion’ with Lilyg will be released on 18 April 2025, evoking intimate indie-folk and pop and follows the release of a vocal version of ‘Lament’ with Tom Norrington. ‘The singles are a way to give a voice to the atmosphere of the record and to lyrically encapsulate some of the themes explored,’ explains Waz-u. ‘Lily and Tom are good friends of mine and have both been listening to early iterations of these preludes – it felt right to involve them directly on this record.’
‘Preludes: Dusk Psalms’ marks a new branch of Waz-u’s emerging sound, guided by the duality of tradition and innovation. Combining his musical roots in early ‘90s dub techno and classical music, the album weaves carefully layered synthesizers and electronics to evoke the ambience of sacred music — from the gentle timbres of a choir or an organ to the quiet, open, and reverberating spaces of a church. Also featured throughout the album is experimental musician G9 LUV, who creates textures and drones by bowing his bass guitar, resulting in cello-like sounds. The release follows Waz-u’s 2024 debut LP, Prayer For Dawn, which merged dub, techno, and electronica in an exploration of the ritualistic traditions associated with both organized religion and dance.
Bringing the album’s themes to life, Waz-u will celebrate the release of Preludes: Dusk Psalms with a special performance at Our Holy Redeemer in Clerkenwell, London on 14 May 2025. Set against the church’s resonant acoustics, the event will feature live performance arrangements, including a choir, with further details to be announced soon.
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