Tall Ships

Three-piece Tall Ships emerged from the coastal town of Falmouth in Cornwall, England, navigating several lineup shifts during their earliest phase. Strongly shaped by Battles and Sigur Rós, schoolmates Ric Phethean on guitar, vocals, and synths, Matt Parker on bass and sampler, and Jamie Bush on drums and bass initially convened for a performance at a private house party. That appearance led directly to the March 2010 release of their self-titled EP, which drew immediate press interest. The follow-up EP, There Is Nothing But Chemistry Here, arrived soon afterward and gained exposure through New York gigs, support dates alongside Los Campesinos!, and a slot at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

The group nevertheless questioned the math-rock approach of those recordings, sensing a mismatch with their live sets that emphasized heavy guitars and expansive choruses over precise angles and keyboard textures. After living and tracking material in Falmouth, they moved to Brighton to develop their first full-length album, Everything Touching. Issued by Big Scary Monsters in October 2012, the record opened with the thick riffs of “T=0,” while “Best Ever” incorporated the celebratory spirit associated with Fang Island. Together with the buoyant reinterpretation of “Books,” the collection demonstrated Tall Ships’ shift toward a heavier, more anthemic sound less rooted in math rock.

Although the debut earned widespread praise and built a loyal audience, the band abruptly lost both label and management. Over the following four years they rebuilt gradually, ultimately financing their second album, Impressions, themselves with assistance from Fatcat Records; the record appeared in 2017.