Asylums

Southend-based rock outfit Asylums fuse gritty, distortion-heavy guitar lines with concise pop frameworks while directing pointed satire toward contemporary cultural habits. Longtime associates Luke Branch on vocals and guitar alongside Jazz Miel on guitar initiated the endeavor by establishing their independent imprint Cool Thing. Lacking both prior recognition and financial backing, they soon concluded that attracting outside acts would prove difficult, prompting them instead to assemble their own group by recruiting Mike Webster on bass and Henry Tyler on drums. In this configuration the quartet drew sonic cues from Ash, Weezer, Supergrass, and Pavement. Their independent-minded approach extended across every undertaking, as the four members personally underwrote both band and label activities by maintaining a collective total of eight part-time positions. Between 2014 and 2016 they issued six singles, among them the first release “The Death of Television,” the breakthrough track “Joy in a Small Wage,” and “Necessary Appliances,” which served as the flagship single for their debut album. Each successive release expanded their reach, earning airplay on BBC Radio 1 and XFM. Despite an intensive touring calendar they managed to assemble their first full-length effort, Killer Brain Waves, whose lyrics retained a skeptical view of society delivered through their characteristic wry humor; the album appeared on their own label in 2016. Cynicism continued to inform their outlook, yet the musical palette evolved on the follow-up Alien Human Emotions, issued in 2018, which introduced slower compositions and leaned further into art-rock textures. The same trajectory persisted on their third album, Genetic Cabaret, released in 2020, where themes of unity and optimism accompanied ongoing social critique.