Years active 2013–present | Record label Dressmaker | |
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Website www.dressmakernoise.com Members Charles PotashnerDavid LópezTom FanthorpeBenJack Albums Glass EP, Skeleton Girl, Glass Genres Noise rock, Post-punk revival, Shoegazing, Experimental rock, Psychedelic rock | ||
dressmaker is an East London–based noise rock band composed of Charles Potashner (vocals), David López (guitar), Tom Fanthorpe (bass guitar) and BenJack (drums). The band plays an aggressive yet atmospheric wall of sound-influenced blend of post-punk, psychedelic rock, and shoegaze. They released their first single, "Skeleton Girl" in 2013 — NME said "their raging seven-minute Skeleton Girl is etched against a backdrop of fuzz that scratches so deep it would make the Jesus & Mary Chain whimper". Despite their first single being 7 minutes long the band has received regular radio play on the radio station XFM.
Contents
Formation
dressmaker was formed in 2013 in the London borough of Hackney. Guitarist David López and former drummer Jose Quiñones relocated to London from Catalonia where they encountered British bass guitarist Tom and Charles Potashner, an American. During an interview on Haggerston Radio the band stated that while auditioning Potashner they offered to play him songs they had written but he said that he didn't need to hear them. Instead, he dove into writing melodies and lyrics immediately. At first they thought he was arrogant but they later decided he was just strange. In 2014 Quiñones was replaced by French a drummer who has been referred to as BenJack.
During their first year the band performed frequently in London at venues such as Shacklewell Arms, The Lexington, Barfly, and warehouse parties at undisclosed locations. They developed a reputation for "being one of the loudest, noisiest and most intense live bands around."
Instruments
Guitarist David López plays a Fender Jaguar through a 1970s Fender Twin Reverb.
Glass EP
It was announced in early January 2014 via the band's official Facebook and Twitter that they were working on a new EP entitled Glass to be released on 23 June 2014, on digitally and mid-July on vinyl. The EP was recorded and mixed by frontman Charles Potashner who gained experience by studying music engineering at Alchemea College in Islington. According to Italian Vice "the only cash spent on recording Glass was taxi fare for moving amps around London and £15 for some K Cider to make a music video for 'The Future.'" The Future has been described as "punkish psych grind."
Love Me
On 12 March 2015 Dressmaker released 'Love Me' as a single with two B-side tracks. The single debuted prior to its release date in the form of a music video. The video was directed by Daniel Gottschling and stars actors Amy Shelley and David Hepburn alongside the band. The b-side tracks include a cover of the Phil Spector's Ronettes classic "Be My Baby" featuring vocals from Nathalia Bruno of the dream pop trio Leave The Planet and an original composition entitled Love Will Tear Us Apart which lyrically references the Joy Division track of the same name and is more aligned with grindcore rather than Dressmaker's usual post-punk sound.
Singles
EPs
Songs
The FutureGlass · 2014
GlassGlass · 2014
We BreatheGlass · 2014