Who is Astles? The Artist About To Take Liverpool by Storm.
Featured Image Credit: @matto_stills on Instagram.
Liverpool is a city bursting with talent; it seems like every postcode in the city and its outskirts has someone with the capability of becoming a household name. Maybe it's the energy stemming from football rivalries, the plethora of tourists bringing their all to the cursed strip of Irish bars in the city centre, or the dirty water of the Mersey. Whatever it is, the city is finally getting the attention it deserves, and so are its creatives.
Dan Astles, better known as Astles, is a 'Liverpudlian' as one might say, and has been releasing music for the better part of seven years, singles mostly, and is set to release his debut album 'Soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home' on May 30th. A long time coming, and time worth waiting for Astles to release a piece of work that truly represents his artistry. Astles is known and respected for how personal his music is, entrenched in a vulnerability many independent artists shy away from. His debut album will be no exception; I'm sure of that. It is titled after Astles' late uncle Joe's mixtape (also titled 'Soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home', who would've thought?), which Astles found in an attic, bringing him closer to and forging a relationship with a family member he hadn't had the chance to truly know in life, but in death. It's the age-old fact that for most of us, we never truly know someone in life, only in death. In death, there are no walls, nothing is held back, you are at your most vulnerable, and people can understand you in ways they weren't able to in life and hold it in their heart for safekeeping. Astles put a playlist together of the tracks featured on the mixtape (which even featured a Kerouac poem), a great way for listeners to forge a relationship with his late uncle.
Astles' potential was prevalent right from the get-go with his first single, 'Grey Skies'. Its acoustic nature and sound speak of the (beloved?) dreariness of the city it was birthed, Liverpool, of course. It was a solid start to a discography, which, much like a sapling, would flourish and mature over the years and their seasons.
Piano features heavily in Astles' music, which, depending on what sub-genre (or clique) of indie you find yourself in, is uncommon, usually beat out by the guitar, gee-tar, or whatever you want to call it. It's a refreshing sound, calming, and accentuates the soft, heartfelt vocals and lyricism. Not to mention, the arrangements are just beautiful, especially on tracks like 'These Things I Know To Be True'.
Disappearing for a period, Astles re-emerged in '22 with six singles, each a lot more polished than his previous singles, production-wise, yet maintaining that honesty and authenticity which makes Astles recognisable and not background noise. '22 saw the addition of strings to Astle's tracks, which are a notable addition to any track but particularly lovely here:
'Light on The Moon' is melancholy at its finest, well, not including The Smashing Pumpkins, of course, sorry Astles. This melancholic broodiness was a theme in '22, with tracks like 'Somebody's Father, Somebody's Son' speaking of that resounding loneliness many of us feel. That feeling of being in a room full of people but feeling more alone than ever. That's the digital era for you folks, so connected yet disconnected at the same time. Astles is a genre-hopper for sure, and it shows on the '23 single 'When Life Catches You By Surprise', bassy, groovy, and inherently funky, yet the riffs are reminiscent of midwestern emo, and there are synths? On paper, it shouldn't work, but it absolutely does, in fact, work.
In this new era of Astles, and even in the past, listeners can tell that family is important to him. It's prevalent through tracks like 'Gerry's Ferry (Grandad's Song)', which is literally his Grandad's song, with his Grandad as the vocalist, and '2 and a Bit (Song for a Brother)', which he even chose to perform for his Museum sessions. Most of all, the role family members played in the creative direction of his debut album 'Soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home'' is the biggest tell of Astles' love and admiration for his family members. So far, Astles has released five singles which will feature on the album, and they are Astles at his best, tracks like 'Any Kind' (feel-good, will put a pep in your step, and feel like spring and crisp air), are juxtaposed by tracks like 'We Could've Been Anything' which hold true to the melancholic theatrical sound (which appears to be a theme for the album) and are odes to days and relationships gone by.
Astles is one to watch, and creatives like him are what makes Liverpool the city it is, a city bursting with ideas and community. In this city, there is always someone somewhere who is just as idealistic as you and hopeful for both your dreams and theirs. It seems Astles has found his creative hive, and how lucky are we for that.
Pre-order Astles' debut album 'Soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home' released via Defend Vinyl Records here.
