***** The Guardian. “a stirring, energised ode to weathering tough times” THE QUIETUS
This is gonna be an absolute smasher – It’s basically a supergroup featuring members from Polar Bear, Sons of Kemet, Modern Nature and more.
Their weirdo, cool and contagious indie outsider Jazz-pop ( dunno if thats what they would call it but) has been garnering brilliant reviews from press. Finding Ways is the new major project from Seb Rochford, who is band leader for the first time and he’s taken the surprise step of focusing on electric guitars. Lots of them. Featuring among others, the dynamic lineup of Tara Cunningham, David Preston, Adrian Utley (Portishead), and Simon Tong (The Verve, Gorillaz), the album explores various combinations and layering up to three guitars at once. The result is a striking blend of jagged experimental grooves and raw emotional depth, with an unaffected, pedal-less (Seb insisted on this!) sound that evokes a timeless, exploratory edge. Rochford’s music, as ever, defies categorisation — a sound that feels alive, fractured, and profoundly human, and all mixed by the singular talent and master of sound, Tchad Blake.
Sebastian Rochford is a singular force in British music, an extraordinary drummer, composer, and producer. His work with the iconic group Polar Bear helped redefine the boundaries of jazz and earned multiple Mercury Prize nominations. With a career spanning collaborations with Patti Smith, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Adele and Grace Jones, and his 2023 ECM duo album A Short Diary with Kit Downes, an album written for his father described as a “ quiet masterpiece” , Rochford has carved out a unique space in contemporary music.
The title Finding Ways refers to a frame of mind he chose to adopt after multiple significant life events happening in a small amount of time.
“It’s about finding ways to keep ourselves moving forward and buoyant, transforming life’s challenges into something meaningful, also in a practical, everyday type of way.”
In Finding Ways, it’s direct, energetic music that refuses to be boxed in, a reflection of Seb Rochford’s trailblazing spirit. For fans of his previous work and newcomers alike, this album is a testament to his ongoing quest to find emotional truth in sound.
Gonna be a blinder, don’t miss!!