Split between Brighton, UK and Plymouth, UK, the rising British indie rock act Beat Hotel, which features current and former members of The June Brides, The Loft, The Weather Prophets, Distractions, Mudlow, Mojo Fins and Lolita Storm can trace its origins to when its founding members — The June Brides’, The Distractions’ and The Granite Shore‘s Arash Torabi and Paul Pascoe met after a 1988 The Jasmine Minks show. (Interestingly, many years later, the first Beat Hotel single featured a guest vocal spot from The Jasmine Minks’ frontman Jim Shepherd.)
Developing a strong live presence in their local scene, the act managed to record a number of demos, but they didn’t officially release anything until 2013 — the “Best of Our Years”/”The Fire,” double A-side 7 inch, which featured The Loft’s and The Weather Prophets’ Dave Morgan (drums), who then became a permanent member of the band.
Slated for a January 31, 2020 release through Occultation Records, the band’s long-awaited self-titled EP was recorded at Hove, UK‘s Church Road Studios by the band’s Paul Pascoe and features five originals written by Pascoe and a cover of The Wishing Stones‘ “Beat Girl.” The EP features guest spots from The June Brides’ Frank Sweeney, who contributes strings and piano and former Mojo Fins member Stephen Brett (guitar), who releases material as a solo artist under the moniker SJ Brett. “Every now and again, we produce something that’s very special to us. These forays into the physical world are usually inspired by a collaboration,” Beat Hotel’s Paul Pascoe says in press notes about the band’s self-titled EP. “This time it was driven by an unexpected creative surge due to the sudden and shocking end of a relationship. I felt like I had to relearn everything about how to be in the world and look seriously at who I actually am. I found comfort in the music that had given me a sense of belonging the first time around. The Jesus & Mary Chain, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Weather Prophets…these songs and songwriters, so familiar to my psyche, were there again to drag me to safety.”
“This collection of songs is about love and near-death and confronting the very worst aspects of ourselves, facing down those inner demons, the fears that haunt us and our deepest, darkest secrets,” Pascoe says of the EP’s material. “And… with one of the tracks beginning its recording journey in 1997 and getting its final guitar overdub and mix in 2019 (in all its 3 minutes 14 seconds of rock’n’roll glory), this record is also a tribute to the awesome power of getting shit done.”
The EP’s latest single “Bury It Deep” is a propulsive and upbeat, hook-driven song centered around layers of shimmering guitars that immediately brings Starfish-era The Church, early-to-mid 80s Echo and the Bunnymen (i.e., Crocodiles, Heaven Up Here and Ocean Rain), The Dream Syndicate and others, as it hints at radio psych rock, New Wave and post-punk in an uncanny period specific fashion. But the song isn’t just another soulless homage to a classic and beloved sound we’ve grown up with; at its core, the song finds it narrator trying to maneuver a confusing and uncertain world while facing their own demons.
“Every now and again, we produce something that’s very special to us. These forays into the physical world are usually inspired by a collaboration. This time it was driven by an unexpected creative surge due to the sudden and shocking end of a relationship. I felt like I had to relearn everything about how to be in the world and look seriously at who I actually am. I found comfort in the music that had given me a sense of belonging the first time around. The Jesus & Mary Chain, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Weather Prophets…these songs and songwriters, so familiar to my psyche, were there again to drag me to safety,” says Paul Pascoe.
“This collection of songs is about love and near-death and confronting the very worst aspects of ourselves, facing down those inner demons, the fears that haunt us and our deepest, darkest secrets. And… with one of the tracks beginning it’s recording journey in 1997 and getting its final guitar overdub and mix in 2019 (in all it’s 3 minutes 14 seconds of rock’n’roll glory), this record is also a tribute to the awesome power of getting shit done.”
Recorded at Church Road Studios in Hove, this record was produced, mixed and mastered by Paul Pascoe, the band’s lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. Also a member of Brighton bands Mudlow, Palm Springs and Perfect English Weather, previous studio work includes the last 2 albums by Barry Adamson of Magazine / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds‘ fame.
Occultation Recordings is home to The Wild Swans, Factory Star (The Fall/Blue Orchids founder/guitarist Martin Bramah), Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, and The Distractions.Long time project of Paul Pascoe (Mudlow, Palm Springs, Fire Eyes) and Arash Torabi (The June Brides, The Granite Shore). After a lengthy hiatus Beat Hotel was resurrected for a collaboration with Jim Shepherd of Creation Records stalwarts The Jasmine Minks. 2 songs – the pounding Stooges-esque rocker “The Fire” and the shimmering, melodic “Best Of Our Years – were released as a 7” single and download in 2013 on Brighton’s Random Acts Of Vinyl label. Drummer Dave Morgan (Rockingbirds, Weather Prophets) also features.
Guitarist Stephen Brett (Mojo Fins) has recently joined the band and a new album and further shows are planned for 2018.
