Planet Notion - Nick Sunderland

Imagine going for a leisurely run through the woods whilst listening to your I-pod; some gentle Indie-rock beating slowly against your drums. Suddenly there’s a kick, a harder edge to the music, and you pick up the pace. You’re really working it now; your armpits are rising damp and your brow’s getting wet - until suddenly you stop with a jolt to admire an unusual looking specimen! It’s a Liberty Cap: A Magic Mushroom. It looks tasty, and you’re feeling a wee bit peckish, so you take a bite… Oh god! Minutes later you’re on a crazy paranoid trip, peculiar voices infiltrating East-End artist Nick Sunderland on your I-Pod, as he explores deep themes of love and loss; loss and love. You’re running through the woods in a blind panic, arms flailing like an irate gibbon, the trees closing in on you like some paranoid delusion of Edgar Allan Poe. Memories of lost relationships are flooding back to haunt you, like an outer-body experience on a journey to the fiery gates of hell. There’s a bitter edge to Nick Sunderland’s music and lyrics, occasionally interrupted by the schizophrenic voice of inner thoughts and times that were. Sunderland explores subjects more at home within the softer realms of Indie-rock; albeit with a little more panache. By adding distorted electronic-infused vocals as a response to the lyrical context, on top of far edgier guitar solos, he explores the demented side of break-ups and the eternal search for love. Far from being depressing it kicks your sorry arse into gear; tells you to drop that quart of Whiskey and put down the sharpened knife. After all, break-ups and love are rarely lardy-dar (sic); they’re a subject that’s supposed to be approached with edginess and bite. Perhaps that’s why the London artist reached number two (2) in Metro’s singles of the week… Sure, Sunderland may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s a damn sight better than the current crop of soft-Indie rockers littering jukeboxes nationwide, for single drunks to listen to whilst weeping into pints. Check out his MySpace! Words: Dangerous