INTRODUCING: MODERN GUILT

London five-piece MODERN GUILT are making the kind of guitar music that feels both immediate and cinematic. Already championed by tastemakers including Steve Lamacq, John Kennedy and Jess Iszatt, the band fuse swagger, sharp songwriting and a striking sense of ambition into a sound that feels far beyond their years.

With new single “American Dream” paving the way for their debut album this summer, MODERN GUILT are proving they’re one of the most exciting new bands to emerge from the capital.

JAZ (Lead Vocal / Guitar)

THE STROKES – WHAT EVER HAPPENED

Unavoidably The Strokes.  Nonchalance and teetering on the edge of collapse. Talking about people talking about relationships I think that having a lot of hypnotic sonic movement around social commentary really struck me.

And my favourite? Writing about heavy disappointment and pain with fast and bright sound. I felt deceived in a great and soothing way. I wanted to dance but if I stopped I’d listen and if I’d listen I’d cry.  

I wanted to sneak in the memories and thoughts behind songs that you wanted to put on when you were going out to feel electric.

ANDREAS (Lead Guitar)

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – ZIG ZAG WANDERED

I think this is one of those songs that really captures the essence of punk rock before it really was a thing.  With a killer sounding bass, his music in general is heavily rooted in blues and psychedelic rock. There is a very chaotic riff laden feel to most of his music that goes between old school blues to soul. The way I wanted to approach Modern Guilt and the way we sound, was that all of these things could be incorporated into one sound without feeling out of place.

SCOTT (Drummer)

THE ROLLING STONES – SATISFACTION

People often ask me who my favourite drummer is, or who I think the greatest ever drummer is – Truthfully, I don’t think there’s an answer for either question. As much as playing with more “flair” may come across as being a “better drummer”, I feel it’s important to play for the song - being tasteful and respectful to the entire composition… and in some instances a simple drum part can become that memorable drum “riff” whereby you know exactly what song it is just from the hearing the drums – Think the intro to Live Forever (Oasis), Come Together (The Beatles), We Will Rock You (Queen), Walk This Way (Run DMC / Aerosmith), Billie Jean (Michael Jackson), Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2)… they’re all really simple drum parts, but iconic in how they make the song what it is.

With that in mind, I’ve always loved the likes of Fab Moretti (The Strokes), Ringo Starr (The Beatles) and Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones) as drummers. With Modern Guilt, and in particular our new single ‘American Dream’ I was feeling a Charlie Watts vibe – simple and direct drumming, a little bit of hi-hat groove (giving a Motown element), and overall makes you want to dance… Satisfaction by The Stones encompasses all of that perfectly.

MARC (Bass)

SUPERGRASS – LENNY

Lenny makes perfect sense.  A beautifully executed intro that still to this day makes me check if the imaginary CD is skipping. Metronomic and powerful echoing Talking Heads before dissolving into a kick ass Zeppelin-esque riff that would seem just as at home in the hands of a dragon jacketed Jimmy Page.

You want harmonies that sounds like they could be soaring in a Beatles song? Check. All in the running time of a 'dont bore us get to the chorus' Motown A-side? Check two.

Somehow a magical cocktail of some of the strongest top-shelf musical spirits yet sounding so perfectly Supergrass - the band that made me want to stop playing covers, start writing my own songs, and make noise that feels as fun as I Should Coco.

Lenny makes perfect sense.

MIKEY (Producer / Guitarist)

BIG STAR – KANGA ROO

When I first heard ‘Kanga Roo’, it took me out to space and beyond. Mind blown. Zapo’d.  The song is haunting, vulnerable, abrasive and at times uncomfortable.

Producer Jim Dickinson, sensitive to Alex Chilton’s fragile vocal and accompanying 12 string acoustic, 

expertly adds just the right amount of feedback, percussion, mellotron, and electric guitars to take the song to another level. 

Late night headphone listening sessions over the years would reveal more and more production details. Ear candy. The magic.  That is what excites me about records. That’s what I aim for when making them.