Rockpool Dramas are an Amsterdam-based new wave and experimental indie band made up of friends Stan, Lau, Anton and Finn. Their latest EP, Adult Contemporary, is a strange, hazy mix of raspy vocals, moody, dimly lit ambience and a dash of different musical flavours. My fave on the album? Checkbook. It’s got that chill, Mac DeMarco/Dope Lemon energy. Let's not forget their opening track 'Metaphor' - kicking off the EP with the bands feel good flavour.
“It’s different”, they tell me. “We all have different roles sonically”. And that’s probably the easiest way to describe Rockpool Dramas. Mismatched yet aligned, clunky yet melodic, there’s something slightly off about their sound that makes you want to keep listening. It's rare to find something so different these days.
Every song on the new EP has its own flavour. Some are upbeat, while others swirl around you with thundering strength, depth and meaning. In three words, the band describe their sound as “Eclectic, American, and fun”.
They tell me more about the name of their band. Why Rockpool?
"In a Rockpool, there are lots of things happening in a small area. It matches our sound, a lot of ideas in a very dense space."
It’s a pretty fitting description. Some songs are slow, sweet ballads like How Well, whilst others will have you up on your feet dancing!
The band started almost by accident, with Stan explaining that “Laptop demos became songs and we would play them live over the years”. From there, the dream is simple: “To be able to play and travel, that’s the dream.” Touring has become a bonding experience for the close-knit group. “There’s an energy to the live performance”, Anton tells me. One standout moment was opening for Westside Cowboy, while The George Tavern was another memorable show thanks to it's “Great energy”.
Then there’s the question of what Rockpool Dramas would actually taste like.
“Aluminium and grass. Mixing the natural and unnatural. Everything works.”
10/10 for a wonderfully weird description.
Their influences stretch across some of the most interesting names in alternative music, with shout outs going to:
- feeble little horse
- sword ii
- pavement
- the jesus and mary chain
- alex G
- water from your eyes
- car seat headrest
How Well, one of the tracks on Adult Contemporary, is influenced by Jeff Tweedy and the bands folk music roots. It’s another example of how those seemingly different influences find their way into Rockpool Dramas’ dense, slightly strange musical world. It's a beautiful song well worth your attention.
If you happen to be heading to Rotterdam for Left of the Dial, you might even catch them in the flesh! Rockpool Dramas will be playing the official unofficial Left of the Dial Program on 23 October at 12:30pm at Brewpub Reijngoud. With plenty of UK music fans making the trip over for the festival, it could be a good excuse to get yourself down there.
Listen to Adult Contemporary here.