Psychedelic indie rockers Sundara Karma have had fans waiting a year for a new piece of music, but have made a triumphant return with new single ‘Kill Me’, proving they have not lost their touch.
Taking a break after their second album Ulfilas’ Alphabet, seems to have focused the vision of the band. ‘Kill Me’ explores themes of depression and desire in its lyrics while still maintaining an upbeat sound. Upon a first listen the themes may not be clear, and the track can risk sounding like any other, but take a scratch under the surface and it holds a multitude of deeper meanings.
In an interview frontman Oscar Pollock said, “Right now, I feel like I’m able to be the most personal I’ve ever been in my songwriting and ‘Kill Me’ is definitely a reflection of this. Lyrically it draws upon actual events that happened to me throughout the last year and it was cathartic to be able to condense all of that into a track.”
The track was produced by Clarence Clarity who has worked with the likes of Charli XCX and Rina Sawayma and is accompanied with a video directed by Hannah Diamond, who appears to have helped usher in a new era of the band.
Sundara Karma released first album Youth is Only Ever Fun in Reterospect in 2017 and helped them create a dedicated fanbase before releasing Ulfilas’ Alphabet in 2019, with a new sound for the band. The song is the first single from their upcoming EP set to come out later this year, and if this is anything to go by, we’re very excited to see what the future holds.
One of this year’s highlights arrived early in 2019 in the form of Sundara Karma’s sophomore album “Ulfilas’ Alphabet”. The structure of this album fully grasps the listener and takes their hand to take you on an adventure, where Oscar Pollock talks you through his thoughts and feelings on the world we live in.
‘One Last Night On This Earth’ is taken from the upcoming album “Ulfilas’ Alphabet”.
Gender-fluid, playful, but built on classic songwriting, Sundara Karma have established themselves as a singular new British rock band, in the time it took to dream up and broadcast one magnificent debut album – thus far. Still all only in the region of 22-23 years of age, but together as a unit since they were 14, their collective confidence now manifests, as they pull off a bold and future-forward metamorphosis, rematerializing with a second album called ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’, which intrepidly ventures into collaborative tech-exploration, and is poised to mount an irresistible charge on the pop charts’ upper échelons.
Oscar Pollock, most are agreed, is a supernova star in waiting. Strikingly blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but ever wrestling with an outsider identity, he’s one of few contemporary artists who can draw (and frequently has!) realistic comparisons with David Bowie. Like the Thin White Duke, his second batch of songs derives from a compulsive absorption of ideas, from disparate sources ranging from Buddhist/occultist literature and Hindu singer Krishna Das, through to contemporary pop icon Ariana Grande, and Tears For Fears in their mid-’80s maximalist pomp.
Informed by all those and more, ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’ was made with a burning desire to sound colourful, wild, forward-looking, full of optimism and revelatory zeal. Says Oscar, “We were definitely out to mess with people’s heads, to make music that paints a picture, and transports you somewhere. We didn’t want to be limited by that thing of, ‘Oh no, we can’t do that, it’s too many instruments, we won’t be able to do it live…’ Nah! Minimalism went right out of the window. We wanted to throw the kitchen sink at it. Sometimes we had to rein things back in a bit, but mostly, we let the boat go out really quite far – as far as it could go!”
Oscar and his compadres were keen to engage at the forefront of contemporary music-making, to use the sound palette of the moment, and hopefully extend it. To that end, they enlisted a freshly-minted production alliance coined on Everything Everything’s ‘Get To Heaven’, where that band’s own in-house studio wunderkind Kaines, aka Alex Robertshaw, would record the band’s music, raw and exploratory, then pass the tracks on to Los Angeles-based Stuart Price, whose elite-class pop CV includes work with Madonna, The Killers, New Order and Pet Shop Boys, to be streamlined with an expert sprinkling of aural magic.
This winning formula has worked wonders all over again, as Sundara Karma re-emerge revolutionized with a sound from a new dimension. Upfront tune ‘One Last Night On This Earth’, which was premiered on 30th October on BBC Radio One as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record, effervesces with hi-spec sonic invention, adding momentary pizzazz to the carpe-diem message in Pollock’s song.
“I wanted to write about an extra-terrestrial who’s been sent to Earth to observe human interaction,” explains Oscar, of that delirious anthem. “The being’s mission is to find an emotion that their species has never felt before but it ends up finding nothing…until it falls in love the night before it has to leave and realises, ‘Aaahh, this is the trick, this is the game we haven’t been playing!’”
A joyful sense of ‘eureka moment’ runs right through ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’, which’ll surely transmit to the buying public in 2019, sending Sundara Karma into the Big League they were always destined for…
Oscar Pollock spent his early years in Singapore, until he was seven, when the family moved to England – to Bourne End, near Maidenhead. One of the first friends he made at school was Haydn Evans, later to become drummer in Sundara Karma. Oscar acquired his first guitar aged eight, and his songwriting adventure began right there. “It just felt right for me,” he shrugs, “you know something’s true when you don’t think about it – it just happens.”
The music he heard from his folks included Bowie (from his mum), while his father, a party DJ, introduced him to a whole gamut of classic pop-rock, from Thin Lizzy and Pink Floyd, to The Smiths and Shirley Bassey. He’d later find his ‘own stuff’ in post-millennial acts like The War On Drugs, but his early teens were a tumultuous time in his family, and his father relocated them to nearby Reading. Oscar started at a new secondary school, and there met lead guitarist Ally Baty and bassist Dom Cordell; quickly reconnecting with Haydn Evans, Sundara Karma (Sanskrit for ‘beautiful action’) was born, says Pollock, as “a reaction to the void of Reading”.
Aged 17, circa 2013, the band were signed by indie label Chess Club on the strength of an online posting of early composition, and were already gigging heavily during their A-level year. Shelving plans to go to uni, they’d released two EP’s, supported Swim Deep and Wolf Alice around the UK (“party central!”) and played their first headline tour before 2015 was out.
Oscar’s songs, as spirited up in their tight-knit group, evoked the skyscraping majesty of early Arcade Fire, as well as Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’, amid themes of loneliness, identity crisis and precocious self-awareness. Released in January ’17, their debut long-player, ‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect’, also showcased a depth of cultural engagement rare in ’Teens music, with inspiration drawn from Manet, Plato and Lama Marut, and even then Pollock talked of this collection as only “the tip of the iceberg – I don’t even know if it captures us totally, or everything we have to say.”
Still, the album shot to Number 24 in the UK, and took Sundara Karma to unimaginable heights. Their fifth UK headline tour culminated with an euphoric sold-out show at Brixton Academy, and at last year’s Reading Festival, which the four of them had attended together as kids, with dreams of one day playing there, they were anecdotally the weekend’s biggest draw in the second-stage tent, with scores of latecomers forced to listen from outside.
As touring rumbled exotically onwards through Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, “meeting people who’d literally waited years to see us play live”, Oscar says it was all “so much fun, filled with a huge amount of joy”, and it never got too much, because there’d be breaks in the itinerary “for me to be reclusive and go into writer mode at home”. And so ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’ was percolating.
“Yes, but what should I do?” questions a Siri-like voice before a crash of cymbals wash away the robots and a loosely funky guitar line takes our hand into Sundara Karma: Phase Two. If there’s one thing that’s abundantly clear even from the opening notes of the Reading lot’s next moves, it’s that they’re not going quietly into the night this time around. Firstly, there’s that new press shot: a gloriously unapologetic thing featuring frontman Oscar Pollock resplendent in a flowing blonde wig. Then, there’s the fact that the first words the singer speaks on his band’s big comeback are “Welcome to the abattoir/ Disconnected from who we are”. If Sundara always sat slightly on the peripheries of the indie realm – a little bit too overblown and literary to be comfortable bedfellows with the Catfish’s they were often billed alongside – then on ‘Illusions’ they’re not exactly dialling down the idiosyncrasies.
There’s a chorus that harmonises Pollock’s falsetto with a synthetic, Daft Punk-esque vocal effect, a warm, slow-building mid-song instrumental interlude and a final, whirring, spacey fade out (completed by cheering and whoops). If it all sounds like a lot, then that’s because ‘Illusions’ is undoubtedly packed with ideas. But what’s impressive here is that actually, Sundara Karma’s latest doesn’t SOUND too ritzy at all. Instead, it’s a laid-back banger that preps us for a record that’s undoubtedly going to go all in all manner of weird and wonderful new directions and shows a band cavorting around a musical playground entirely of their own.
Band Members
OSCAR / HAYDN / ALLY / DOM
Music video by Sundara Karma performing Illusions (Audio). (C) 2018 Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited
They sing, “Flesh is flesh and blood is life,” on this session and the thoughts of bodies and people and what makes them pump, what makes them work is all over these Arcade Fire-sounding songs. Listen to Sundara Karma’s the album ‘Youth is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect’ .
Sundara Karma sat down to make a video for new single ‘Flame’ recently, working alongside Bruno Chiecco on something fresh. Taking inspiration from Plato’s famed allegory of the cave, the clip is both eye-catching and illuminating. Lead singer Oscar Lulu explains:
“The song is based on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. As soon as I saw the treatment that Bruno had done, I knew it was the one. We just had to make it; there was no other option for us. It is the perfect visual representation and emphasises the real message of the song. We are basically commenting on the whole post-modern reality that we find ourselves living in… The Matrix. Where adverts, politicians, the war on drugs, terrorism, consumerism, mass production, celebri- ty culture, social networks etc are the shadows that permeate our walls – and we all buy into it. We have grown up being forced to believe that these things have true value and that it’s the only reality accessi- ble to us. The video reflects this idea in more of a day to day light, a way in which practically all of us can relate to.”
Reading indie outfit, Sundara Karma, has been blooming at an immense speed since the release of their critically acclaimed debut “Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect” .
Eyeing out an extended version, the band add a few unreleased tunes to the already sparkling tracklist. Newly released single ‘Explore’ is the first offering to see the light of day, and we are already excited for the rest.
In true Sundara Karma style, “Explore” is a guitar-driven marvel. The shifting soundscape of the verse draws some unexpected allusions to Pulp. However, Sundara Karma still soars with their idiosyncratic twists on delicious indie rock. Oscar Pollack’s distinctive vocal presentation is nothing short of immense, proving him once again to be one of the most exiting frontmen of modern British indie.
The song is blooming with unexpected twists whilst keeping true to their effervescent guitar work and catchy percussion. It’s capturing energy flows gorgeously easy, yet Sundara Karma’s piecing eye for marvelling little details still stands tall. The sparkling guitar work of Ally Baty intertwine with Dom Cordell’s auxiliary basslines, lifting the tune to bombastic proportions. “Explore” also offers some literal exploration. Challenging their own limits, Sundara Karma stands bold in their melodic terrain on this single.
As well as an eye for great melodies, the lyrical narrative that’s created within Sundara Karma’s songs is astonishing. The socially aware aspect of “Explore” is also radiant, yet it still feels as though each sentence could stand on its own as a statement. There’s a capturing honesty lingering under the surface that so intimately offers a deeper connection to the listener.
Sundara Karma has made yet another banger, so you should treat yourself and listen.
The extended version of Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect is due July 7th.
Reading quartet Sundara Karma ever since featuring their first track almost two years ago. Since then they’ve released a steady stream of indie anthems-in-waiting, slowly building up their fanbase to the point where they’re playing the main stage at Reading and Leeds Festival in August. Now, they’re making their bid to go even bigger with the rerelease of Loveblood, which we’ve been tipping as a hit to anyone who will listen ever since we first wrote about it. Piledriving drums, widescreen guitars and a gloriously massive, strident chorus. If Kings of Leon released this, it’d be number one for months.
Sundara Karma – Youth is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect
Sundara Karma finally release their debut album. Indie-Springsteens with arena ambitions give four-square guitar rock a refreshing, euphoric makeover. Sundara Karma aspire to the driving, rousing anthemia of Bruce Springsteen and Arcade Fire, with big ideas about death and sacrifice and music up to the task of reflecting same.
Nirvana – Hollywood Rock Festival, Rio ‘93
Double 180 Gram Green Vinyl set in Gatefold Sleeve. Nirvana, live at Hollywood Rock Festival, Praça Da Apoteose,Rio De Janerio on January 23rd 1993. Prior to the release of their raw and uncompromising In Utero album in September 1993, Nirvana performed in various parts of the world, kickstarting with two shows as part of the Hollywood Rock Festival in Brazil. This set was recorded in Praça Da Apoteose, Rio De Janeiro on January 23rd, and originally broadcast on MTV Brazil. It finds the band playing tracks spanning their entire career, with a guest appearance from Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and is presented here together with background notes and images.
David Bowie – Legacy – The Very Best of David Bowie
Music, art and fashion would not be in the place it is today without the seminal influence of David Bowie. A titan of popular music and pioneer of changing culture, it is not surprising that his death in January was met with such shock and sadness across the globe. Throughout his life, David Bowie has amassed such an influential and varied musical back catalogue, that he leaves behind him a body of work that can be unrivalled – a true legacy. In this must-have Bowie collection, you can experience Bowie’s genius from start to finish. From his early days as the iconic Ziggy Stardust, to his final days before his sudden passing, Legacy brings you the best material from Bowie’s star-studded career. Not only is Legacy the ultimate Bowie collection to own, but it also features a previously unreleased mix of his renowned song Life On Mars ?. With a more orchestrated and cleaner mix, this unreleased version was mixed by Ken Scott the original producer of the track
CD – 20 Tracks, 2CD – 40 Tracks – deluxe digipack with additional photos. 2LP – This special 180 Gram Double vinyl edition of the album comes as a Gatefold with 2 limited edition 12” art prints of the 2 images used on the sleeve.
With just weeks to go until release of Sundara Karma’s debut album, titled ‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect’ is unleashed to the world, the band – who completely ‘smashed it’ as some would say – are sharing another track from the record.
‘Happy Family’ is an Americana-infused stomp, following on from indie dancefloor smasher ‘She Said’ and the live favourite ‘Olympia’. Of the song, frontman Oscar Lulu says: “When writing I tend not to have any clue where the song is going, it’s only once the song’s been written that I find the meaning or sense in it. Unwittingly it turned out to be the saddest song on the record.”
‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect’ is released on 6th January. Sundara Karma tour the UK from later that month, including dates in support of Two Door Cinema Club.
Sundara Karma have released a new track from their forthcoming debut album Youth Is Only Ever Fun InRetrospect out 6th January.
‘Olympia’ epitomises the simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing sound the band’s devoted followers have grown to love. Shot at their recent headline show, the live performance showcases the vivacity of the astounding legion of fans the band has amassed in the past few years, promising a huge reaction to their forthcoming debut album.
It’s a relative slow-burner compared to some of their previous singles. That doesn’t make it any less enthralling, as they combine both the heartfelt intimacy of psychedelic pop credentials with euphoric results. ‘Olympia’ sees them aim for the summit.
The Fat Angel Sings 