This summer a Wizard (Gavin Monaghan) pointed my ears in the direction of poetic Wolverhampton troubadours, HÜDS. My ears said “more please”.

Then, a couple of months ago, I found a Vanadian Avenue live music video of the young quartet playing “Coasting” and “Copicat” at a Stourbridge show with superb rockers, The Pagans S.O.H. and Kick The Clown. 

I discovered that HÜDS and myself share views on The Scum Oozepaper, that the second song was about a piece of recording equipment and that their musicianship thrilled me to watch. I HAVE to see a show.

These last couple of years, especially, The Midlands are deconstructing rock and inviting music lovers to come to dine at this total feast. This is one of the bands radiating psychedelic sparks.

An oriental-tinted guitar jangle veers into aerodome ceilinged spacerock. It’s obvious from the first doomy note that this angular sonic ride has no driver and you’re just gonna have to hold on tight.

No wait, it’s uplifting and joyous as riffs, rants and shuffled rhythms fight their way back and forth, up/down, aurally turning themselves inside out with dangerously driven verses crashing into shout-n-slam-along chorus.

No, wait, Copicat is a rush of bonkers dynamics that are wildly out of control, multi tanget classic rock that is also as self controlled as a sociopath’s smile. Orchestrated chaotic freshness to kick away the blues. These are some of the best headfuck decibels in the land. 

As a band, HÜDS have welded Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, Manic Street Preachers and Primal scream to primal psyche punk energy. The Midlands is a Heavy Rock HQ of this planet, the influences are in there, too.

“constant state of agitation / born into this desolation” (‘Copicat)’ 21st Century earthlings, Billy Frampton(guitar/vocals), Edward Dexter (Guitar/vocals and the ‘Copicat’ artwork), Karl Stothard (Bass Guitar) and Rohan Mittal (Drums). Collectively, they are SOME band worth investigation.

They showed immense potential with the harmonic and urgently dream punked ‘Deathtrap Paradise’ in Spring 2018. The band kept busy demoing and gigging. They have become a fixture on the Brum and Wolvo scenes. 

In 2019 HÜDS travelled to other parts of the country to play, and worked on new music with producer Gavin Monaghan (The Twang, Editors, The Sherlocks) at his Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton which is a mecca for Britain’s highly acclaimed Newer Wave secret rock stars, nationwide. His recordings are acclaimed over a wealth of radio plays and glowing reviews at all levels.

Here is another, ‘Copicat’ has been played on BBC Introducing WM, Black Country Radio etc., and as reputation spreads, the credible feedback is gonna keep coming. Trust.

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with thanks to Captain Kirk xx

Words: Caffy St Luce