The Songs That Shaped “Ricochet "by Cutaways

For London/Essex/Suffolk indie outfit Cutaways, Ricochet isn’t just another track — it’s the track. The moment everything clicked. After years of pub gigs, sound experiments, and second-guessing, this is where they stopped chasing a sound and started following pure emotion. Set for release on 1st August, Ricochet marks a bold new chapter: stripped-back, raw, and driven entirely by feel.

Here, the band reflects on five songs that directly shaped the tension, tone, and direction of Ricochet — and, in many ways, who Cutaways are becoming.

1. “Superman” – Wunderhorse

Max: “There’s this point in ‘Superman’ where everything strips back to just two notes — and it hits like a truck. That moment completely changed how I thought about the chorus for Ricochet. We scrapped what we had and rebuilt it using that idea: keep it simple, let it breathe, give it weight.”

2. “Here I Go Again” – Whitesnake

Kurtis: “We wanted that rhythmic punch you get from ‘80s rock — big grooves that carry the whole track. Whitesnake was a key reference for locking in the drive and backbone of Ricochet.”

3. “Robbers” – The 1975

Lochie: “The way ‘Robbers’ builds emotionally — how the vocal grows alongside the music — that really stuck with me. I followed a similar arc in Ricochet, starting gentle, letting it grow naturally, then opening up completely by the end.”

4. “Knocked Up” - Kings of Leon

Lochie: “That harmonic pattern, that understated emotional weight — it felt like a blueprint. We didn’t want to overplay anything. The tones, the restraint, it all informed how we approached the guitar work.”

5. “Dial Tone” - Catch Your Breath

Raz: “It’s huge, but simple. That open, dreamy feel that suddenly explodes into something massive — it showed me how drums can carry mood without being overdone. That really shaped how I played on Ricochet.”

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