‘in the wall’ is the debut track from new London supergroup lobby – a collaboration made up of Lottie Pendlebury (Goat Girl) and Toby Evans-Jesra (leather.head), with trusted friend Josh Gormley on drums. As a fan of their two other bands, I was intrigued to hear this new project.
‘in the wall’ opens with a clean ’90s midwest emo styled-guitar riff followed by a satisfyingly driving drum beat on the toms. It’s like a warm embrace and I’m instantly captivated. Pendlebury and Evans-Jesra’s soft honey-like vocal harmonies enter before she drops out and Evans-Jesra continues with a low vocal drawl, reminiscent of The National’s Matt Berninger, with a hint of Elliot Smith.
A beautifully atmospheric track, it blends folk and alternative rock – creating warm summer vibes with a hint of nostalgic melancholy, bringing to mind artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief. There are ethereal synth lines intertwining between the vocals and a fiddle-like violin part, giving it a folky flavour until – half way through the track – a sax and synth are introduced, offering the listener a pleasant surprise and adding to the already textured soundscape. The song becomes more chaotic, lifting it to an enchanting new dimension.
The track was recorded and mixed by Jamie Neville Neville (Pumarosa, PVA) at Teeth Studios in South East London. On recording the songs Evans-Jesra explains:
“We recorded this song in 2021 with Jamie at Teeth Studios, a place we were really drawn to after hearing our friends in Gentle Stranger’s record. It had a really unique live improvised and kind of erratic sound that felt fitting for Lobby. It’s an old song of mine that Lottie and Josh brought a really fresh and creative energy to.”
‘in the wall’ is a strong debut from lobby, who have already played gigs at iconic London venues like The Shacklewell Arms and Ivy House. Their music blends genres and times, and I will be keeping a close ear to the ground for their next release and future gigs.
Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall
Photo Credit: Josh Evans-Jesra