Swooping and captivating soundscapes and haunting vocals that pull you in with twanging guitars and haunting strings that pulls the big sky of the wild west into the mystery of the midlands.” – Louder Than War
Mesmeric Midlands duo – SOLAR EYES – have revealed the video for their trippy new single: “Acid Test”.
The new visuals arrive as the band prepare to hit the road for a series of select UK dates this Autumn.
With its Black Angels-style psych-rock chug and its sneering Kasabian-esque vocals, “Acid Test” sounds every bit as you would hope it would. A trip of wormhole guitar licks, scattergun percussion, and wig-out solos, the track is one of the oldest in the Solar Eyes writing canon. As Glenn explains of its inspirations:
“It’s got that Chemical Brothers type vibe with a Brian Jonestown Massacre feel too. Very cool song and the one that got us going.”
Released with a sensory throbbing new video for the Summer of 2024, tune into it here and now: https://youtu.be/lJT9R0VobjM?si=tah3RjYMfWu4OcTq
The new video follows a flurry of activity for the band in recent weeks. Recent single “Acid Test” was picked as Record of the Day, with the site praising the track as being “Primed for a Guy Ritchie-esque film or TV sync”, whilst Louder Than War hailing it as sounding like a “a tripped out Primals jamming with early Tame Impala”.
With their rave received s/t debut album finally out in the world, the band will be taking its psychedelic sounds to venues in Manchester, Bristol, London and Birmingham in the UK. Confirmed dates below.
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The cosmic creation of Glenn Smyth and Sebastian Maynard Francis, ‘Solar Eyes’ the debut from the duo delivers a suite of technicoloured tunes that stretch across acid-dipped sonic landscapes and blissed-out melodies. Recalling trippy trailblazers from Primal Scream to the Chemical Brothers, Spacemen 3 to Spector-ish productions; these 12 psych-dappled songs will stimulate the senses and envelop you in their pop-preened charms. Listen to it in full now: https://orcd.co/solareyes
Elsewhere on the record, the duo reach into topics as far-flung as metaphorical prisons, to unsavoury past acquaintances, the thrill of new-found love, to famous last words; highlights include “Deep Trip”, “Dreaming of the Moon”, and “Acid Test (The Walls are Closing In On Me)”. Produced by Tom Ford alongside Solar Eyes, the album was mastered by Streaky, with additional mixing and mastering by Jeff Knowler. It was released on 16th February 2024.
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Solar Eyes is the project of Birmingham duo Glenn Smyth and Sebastian Maynard Francis. Formed in 2021, the band have since drawn crowds at tastemaker events like SXSW and The Great Escape and released a slew of warmly received singles and three EP releases ‘Dreaming Of The Moon’, ‘Alcatraz’ and ‘Naked Monkey On A Spaceship’. Earning praise from the likes of Steve Lamacq (BBC6 Music) and John Kennedy (Radio X) at radio, plus support from The Observer, Q Magazine, God Is In The TV, Louder Than War and more at press, the band have also seen their music featured on renowned TV programmes including Match of the Day and Football Focus.
Releasing their s/t debut album via the Fierce Panda label in 2024, Solar Eyes will now tour the album with a select few shows including choice support slots with CVC and The Manatees – details are as follows:
SOLAR EYES – UK LIVE DATES
October 2nd – London – Shacklewell Arms
October 3rd – Manchester 33 Oldham Street
October 4th – Birmingham O2 Institute 3
October 16th – Bristol – Rough Trade