Lonely Galaxy - Nutts

What better way to enter the weekend than with the latest statement of intent from the lone-star Lonely Galaxy. Taking the template for his stark but beautiful EP1 and injecting it with optimism and a sense of the carefree 'Nutts' is Lonely's most uplifting and stand out moment to date.

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First & Last #15 - Lonely Galaxy

If you're looking to spend time in the company of a totally broken man then Lonely Galaxy's EP1 (review) is a good place to start. A stark and desolate piece of voyeur pop, Harry Granger-Howell offers up a tiny glimpse through the curtains into his own misery. Brutally open but earnest and warm, the EP is the perfect introduction to Lonely Galaxy, the next best thing then is to find out his thoughts on Cat Deeley, Rednex and Lord of the Rings.

First band you ever saw live?
I think my first ever proper gig was seeing the Foo Fighters at Wembley Arena when I was about 13. Me and my friends were sat at the back where the sound was atrocious and you could barely see the people on stage. I only went because this was during my intense Nirvana obsession and the idea of hearing Dave Grohl live was amazing. Unfortunately that meant going to a Foo Fighters concert. It wasn't very good

What was the first instrument you played as a child?
I had about five lessons on the piano before getting bored and giving up. I also experimented with playing the banjo (my dad had one for some weird reason...), accordian and trumpet before settling on the guitar. Music lessons kind of ruined the fun of playing for me, so I didn't have any for the guitar. I just tried to play tracks I loved by ear and then took it from there.

First song you wrote as Lonely Galaxy?
A song called Nutts. I really don't why I called it that, but it seems too late to change it now.

Where was the last show you played? How did it go?
We haven't played any shows yet, but I have got a bunch of people together and we're gonna play soon. Our rehearsals have been going well though.



First album you ever bought?
I remember the first single I ever bought was Cotton-Eye Joe by Rednex (Did you know they were Swedish? It blew my mind when I found that out. A bunch of Swedes playing this weird American bluegrass pop) However, I'm not sure what the first album I bought was. I was into Metallica when I was really young so it might have been by them. I have a horrible feeling it was actually a Limp Bizkit one though...

Last time you were drunk was...
Friday night. Not Embarrassingly drunk by any means, but I was drunk nonetheless.

First crush on a famous person...
I used to love Cat Deeley when she was doing SMTV:Live. I wanted to buy her presents.

The last band you saw live recently?
I saw Villagers a few weeks ago. They put on an amazing show, I was really impressed.

Tell me about the first ever Lonly Galaxy show
It hasn't taken place yet, but it's gonna be in a a couple of months and hopefully in an interesting venue. We're trying to sort that out at the moment.

Last time you swore...
When I thought i'd lost my keys earlier. I swear quite frequently and it always seems to happen when children are walking past and then I feel guilty about it.

Last film you saw...
The 3rd Lord of the Rings film was on television earlier, I watched some of that. The emotional pre-battle speeches were inspiring.

Lonely Galaxy on Myspace/ Twitter

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Lonely Galaxy - EP. 1

Now is a good time to be a bedroom loner. Where once locked door solitude and a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign signalled social issues and onanism now isolation is breeding a whole host of stunning song writers. With masturbation apparently now saved for Chat Roulette and anyone with a laptop able to record a lo-fi demo and distribute it across the internet this is the time for the troubled troubadours of the world to unite and take over. From Washed Out’s synth soul to Toro Y Moi’s cut ‘n’ paste odes to Dilla via Perfume Genius and his cracked tales of abuse we are surrounded by a challenging and eclectic mix of artists working with the most basic means.

Spinning on a similar point is Harry Granger Howell, aka Lonely Galaxy. This London based solo project is Howell’s first move since the demise of his former band Video Nasties and much like Transparent label mates Yuck (who feature former members of Cajun Dance Party) Howell has left jaunty indie pop behind for something much more low key. ‘EP. 1’ is a raw and unrestrained release, it feels like a rough draft of something stunning with diamonds to find in amongst the jet black coals of the Lonely Galaxy heart. A cascade of organs usher this twenty minute audience with the young and lost Howell. His vocals are buried deep in the mix on ‘Have a Heart’, seemingly buried under the ground amongst the roots as the orchestral flowers bloom above his head. Despondent and alone he sings reassuringly to himself, “I wish I didn’t have to see you around. At least I have a heart.” As introductions to an artist go it feels akin to Anthony Hegarty singing ‘Hope There’s Someone’ through a cracked window to a high school crush.

‘Have a Heart’ is very much the calling card of ‘EP.1’ though there are other things to gleam from its short stay. Howell clearly values orchestral swellings over melodic bursts as his wailing throughout ‘Time’ and ‘Waiting’ go to show. Operating on an atmospheric level they create a tension and unease though it can feel melodramatic at times. ‘So Low’ ends this brief sojourn into the young mans psyche, showing promising signs of happiness and hope. Entirely instrumental the pianos welcome rather than warn and the mood switches to a noticeably more optimistic place. As mentioned before ‘EP. 1’ feels like the outline of something more impressive and intriguing. By colouring in the lines and making solid the dotted lines Howell could well position himself as a love torn figurehead, the crown Prince of the break up. This could be the start of something very good indeed.

MP3: Lonely Galaxy - Have A Heart (Active Child remix)

Also on DrownedinSound.com

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