Having spent the majority of last year releasing a bundle of much-loved pop-rock delights, including ‘Jack Kerouac’ and ‘Castles’, Newcastle-based Mosaic Sun kick-off their 2020 with the upbeat ‘Deeper Breaths’. Following in the fresh and uplifting footsteps of The 1975, the Tyneside heroes hit ‘Deeper Breaths’ in stellar form. Filled with glossy guitars and euphoric synths, their newest release conjures up images of laidback days basking under the summer sun.
So with their name back on our radar, Chris Bound caught up with the group to find out more about the new single and how they’re adjusting their plans during the lockdown.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) Hi guys, how are you today?
Mosaic Sun) We’re keeping well, thank you.
How would you describe your sound?
This is always a really hard question to answer but I’d say we’re an indie-pop band: big guitar sounds but with a synthy edge; music you want to dance to.
Which artists have influenced you the most?
We are like sponges – it all gets soaked up. We don’t sound like our biggest influences. For Chris it’s Mayer, Buckingham and Perry. For me it’s Jeff Buckley.
Can you tell us a little bit about how your new single, ‘Deeper Breaths’, came about?
Songs take on a life of their own. Chris came in with this one. When I was working on the vocal line I kept thinking of The Cars. I felt like Ric Ocasek was looking down. ‘Deeper Breaths’ was written as a response to Chris’s thoughts and feelings about his day-to-day routine.
Chris says: “I’d found that I was repeating conversations with people or hearing stories that I had heard many times before. That train of thought inspired the lyrics for the chorus. My day job is very repetitive and the song is about daydreaming of what I’d rather be doing. I think it’s really important when you find yourself in that mindset to have an escape from ‘the norm’. For me, that’s being in a band and playing music.”
And are you planning to release an EP or album in the months to come?
Indeed. It’s the first single from our debut album, which we’re hoping to release by the end of the year. We already have two further tracks recorded and are recording another two next month.
What other plans have you got in store for when life returns to normal?
We had planned to get back to gigging more regularly but, as we find ourselves in these uncertain times, we’ve had to curb that, as has everyone, for the moment. I think it’s an opportunity to explore new ways to connect with an audience via online content, so we may look into some new avenues to increase our online presence. However, I don’t think anything can replace the experience of a live gig.
We’ve also started to record acoustic versions of some of our older tracks – it’s a really interesting process to deconstruct a song and rebuild it from the ground up. It would be good to put out an acoustic EP at some point.
Finally, what’s been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
I think playing in smaller venues, such as The Surf Cafe [in Tynemouth] and Little Buildings [in Newcastle] when they’re packed out is always great. There’s always a great atmosphere in those situations, it’s like being at a house party.