Bad Sounds

Bath, U.K.-based indie pop outfit Bad Sounds blasted their way out of the underground with their infectious, brass-sampling 2016 single Wages, falling somewhere between the sound of the Go! Team and Rat Boy. Formed in 2014 by brothers Callum and Ewan Merritt, the pair grew up in a music-filled household before both playing stints in local bands. While Callum moved to London to pursue a career as a recording engineer, Ewan stayed back home, immersing himself in hip-hop and beat-making production. With Callum returning home, the pair realized that by bringing together their differing musical tastes they could combine them to create something truly unique. The duo’s debut single, “Wages,” dropped in 2016 and quickly caught the attention of BBC Radio DJ Annie Mac. By the following year the pair had signed a deal with Sony imprint Insanity Records, before releasing the EP Mixtape One. Becoming a live entity at the same time, the brothers were joined by Charlie Pitt (bass), Sam Hunt (guitar), and Olivia Dimery (drums), to flesh out their live sound, with each of them eventually becoming full-time members. 2018 saw the group deliver their debut album, Get Better, an eclectic mix of Odelay-era Beck, 70′s funk and soul, and Flaming Lips-esque psychedelics. ~ Rich Wilson