Glasgow-based band, The Snuts, decided last year to break away from their major label Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of Warner Music Group) in favor of going independent. Despite the incredible success of their earlier releases, “W.L.” and “Burn the Empire,” The Snuts felt that major labels market the artist rather than their music. This led the band to start their own label, Happy Artist Records, where they hope to focus on marketing their music rather than their personal lives. The Snuts’ new album “Millennials,” released under their new label, came out Feb. 23, and they’re getting ready to start their North American tour!
The Snuts get their inspiration from bands like The Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines, who are also known for their alternative rock sound. The Snuts also say that they are inspired to have an extremely unique sound, wanting to be set apart from the basic indie scene to stand out and stay true to the music that they want to make. These influences come across in their album “Burn the Empire,” an album addressing many political and social issues plaguing the world today.
With their new record, “Millennials,” The Snuts take a more risky approach with a new sound leaning more towards indie pop-rock rather than their usual rock sound. The album was written in the Highlands in Scotland where the band went to bond and ended up writing the lead single off “Millennials,” “Gloria” which gave fans insight into what the rest of the album would sound like. The song is an upbeat pop song about meeting a new person and feeling an instant connection to them, a different theme than that of their previous record “Burn the Empire.” The song is very different from their usual indie rock, guitar driven songs from their last album. Their second single off their new record is a song called “Millionaires.” This song is more similar to the sound they’re known for, with the guitar carrying the melody and a strong beat that makes you want to jump and dance. While their new album introduces a new sound for them, they still maintain their identity as a band with the roots of rock, strong lyrics, vocals, production, and instrumentals. My favorite song on the album so far is “Novastar.” I can picture this song being amazing live! The album is great and everyone needs to check it out!
Most recently, The Snuts went on tour with Louis Tomlinson, where they played at iconic U.S. venues like the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Their popularity in the U.S. from the exposure after Tomlinson’s tour has opened the doors for a bigger and longer American headline tour starting here in DC on March 4 at The Atlantis! Tickets are $20 plus fees.
