An Blend of Psych, Rock and Pop from SILENT-K
- BuzzSlayers
- Aug 22
- 6 min read
A single release from SILENT-K comes through with a righteous blend of psychedelic rock, alternative backbone, and a blend of color and edginess.
Throughout all of that, they never let go of their pop sensibility, delivering bopping bass lines and melodic vocal hooks left and right.
This is a track that sort of oozes character as well. It's got some personality behind it; the vocals are a little bit animated and definitely know when to bring on the rises and energy, and the whole thing sort of swirls around you and pulls you in.
"Coming Up" is an endlessly fun and incredibly danceable piece of work, starting things off with the drumming, which is definitely outstanding, brings out deep-pocketed grooves for you to move your body to, and doesn't just sit in the pocket, but rather brings a liveliness to everything.
Now, this track is already kind of alive and breathing on its own, and there are loads of these brilliant textures and tones for you to soak in.
That bass guitar really is the glue that holds it all together. It delivers the bop, and does so with a bit of a flavorful approach. This is also coated with some amazing guitar work that's not really over the top, but rather blended with the soundscape to help create this atmosphere that feels a bit vast.
Part of the psychedelic element comes in, not just the songwriting, but some of the synthesizer work that's coming through on the track. The synths are swirling and bright, a little edgy, and super fun. They have their own vibrato to them, which is also a really cool touch and something that's a bit old school.
I think this is a big part of why the song works so well in general. The whole track takes elements of old and new-school approaches to tone and songwriting and bring them together seamlessly.
This is a single that invites you along because it's kind of warm and it's tonality.
The vocals are sort of smooth and have bits of effects on them so that they're just a little bit wet, sort of drippy, and double-tracked, which adds a bit of thickness and lets you pay attention to the lyrics a bit more as well.
One of my favorite aspects about this whole thing is the fact that there are great little guitar licks here and there. The guitar performs this hook throughout the song, which I really enjoyed because it's something that I've missed in rock music for quite some time.
When the song opens up into its chorus, everything is full-throttle. The sonic drive becomes huge, and you get sort of engulfed in everything that's being put out there.
This is what I mean by alive and breathing. The song has swells of electric energy that come and go at those choruses, and when it exhales back down, you feel calm.
That drumming is just killer throughout this whole thing. The hi-hat work, the kicks; it all gives you this great time signature and sort of swagger as well.
Then again, this whole track is riddled with swagger. The vocals and all the instrumentation have a bit of attitude to them, which is thoroughly enjoyable.
I can hear bits of '70s and 80s pop influences flowing through the veins of this track along with the newer, more indie-pop approaches, again all with a bit of a rock backbone.
Their ability to bend and fold genres atop each other is pretty brilliant because it is done in a unique fashion. They bring those rock elements with the guitars, little bits of funk, loads of pop, and the indie-pop aspect is always coating everything.
They definitely don't hold back in terms of being a bit experimental and letting the song explode when they want to.
When that chorus kicks in, the drummer opens up, starts hitting those ride cymbals, and everything just feels almost like a live performance.
I definitely enjoy how each player feeds off of the other and helps to create this undeniable synergy that becomes very quickly infectious.
This is definitely a track I would dive right into this one at a good volume level, and this way you can sort of experience all the different tones and textures coming at you at once.
It's definitely loads of fun and showcases a band who isn't afraid to think outside the box, branch out, or just write what's in the moment while somehow still making it radio-friendly.
Upon listening to the single, I wanted to have a chat with the band about where the song actually came from and what might be coming up next for them.
So while you dig into this track, have a read through of our interview with SILENT-K below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Hello and thank you so much for taking some time with us!! I'd love to jump right into "Coming Up"!
Where did this track come from and what is it all about?
It started with a bass riff I came up with one summer afternoon while jamming on guitars over Sefton Park (Liverpool) with a close friend Richie Conlan. The riff stuck with me, it was simple and spacious but had a force about it. The song started forming bit by bit in my head. I bounced an intro riff on synth back and forth with Nick (during his first audition with the band), then Adam put that unique hi-hat beat to it and the realisation came alive.
Coming Up was one of those songs that took a while to finish and I had to keep putting it away and coming back to feel content with it. But I always believed, stuck it out and saw it through.
I think everyone will take something different from it, but for me it’s about letting go, that moment when you stop worrying about whether you’re doing the right thing and just do it
Did you have an outside producer on this song, or was it all you guys?
We’ve built our own little production ecosystem in the Baltic Triangle.
I take on the role as producer, Freddie engineers and mixes, Nick takes on the technician role and Amy brings the glamour. We have a very specific way of working together.
I always ask for feedback from trusted producers/songwriters and always get songs mastered by Dean Honer in Sheffield.
Are you performing live right now?
Yes, we’ve just played a show at the museum of Liverpool for the BBC. I designed a poster for it that we put on a limited run of t-shirts (there’s a couple on our Bandcamp). The museum loved it that much they added it as a permanent exhibition piece! What a buzz.
Next up we play the Smithdown Festival in Liverpool, then down to London for a show in Hackney on the 17 October. We’re currently planning a UK tour too.
Do you enjoy performing live as much as the recording and writing process?
The songs are written for performing live. This is where they come to life and we can back them up with a furious amount of energy. I do love writing though and it’s the best feeling when an idea/thought becomes a tangible thing that exists in the world. It’s even better when you see people buying and streaming our music all over the world. I love our fans, we seem to have attracted this wonderfully strange group of people who really get what we’re trying to do.
How did this all start for you as a band?
It was after a trip to New York, I spent a week there, met all these unique, weird and creative characters. When I got back to Liverpool I was stacked with ideas for songs and a vision for a band. I’m not sure exactly what happened to me over there, but something definitely changed.
What would you say people can expect from this song?
It’s an upbeat adventure. It starts fairly spacious and then gradually grabs you by the throat. Hopefully by the end you’re moving without really noticing you’ve started.
I am hearing several approaches on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
With Coming Up, I had ESG, !!! and Kool & the Gang in my brain. I seem to gravitate towards funk, new wave and post-punk music that sounds simple, but simple isn’t easy. I like tunes that move your feet and slap you in the face.
What's next for you now?
There’s a lot more coming. We’ve got the -K music factory running at full speed now and some of what’s coming next is probably the most exciting stuff we’ve made so far. We don’t fully understand the rules of the modern music industry but we’re just carving our own path through it and making our own rules as we go.
Before we go, is there anything you'd like to express to fans and listeners?
Yes, we thank the trees you are our fans! Keep making your noise and bringing your banter. You are everything, stick with us, the best is yet to come!
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