Quiet Houses – mark/james
Keeping up their creative run, Quiet Houses are back with their latest single ‘mark/james’, the follow-up to June’s ‘Buttercup’. With their previous releases securing support from BBC Radio 1 and Spotify’s New Music Friday, the band looks to up their game with their distinctive brand of indie-pop.
Opening up with a vibrant drum machine that just keeps pushing, ‘mark/james’ quickly cements itself as a dynamic pop anthem. Brimming with rapture and groove, the single sees Quiet Houses navigate slick indie sentiments, providing a sound that feels equally as lively as it does intimate. The track showcases the group as bold and innovative, touching on elements of dream pop and folk to create a truly unique appeal.
The duo comment, “‘mark/james’ is a song for all our brave sisters and brothers out on the front lines of dating in London. It’s about navigating casual relationships in a world of £7 pints and flat shares with 8 people. It was written in our first London flat in Walthamstow; it was summer, and we were both working full-time hospitality jobs, squeezing in music-making whenever we could in random pockets of time.”
Adding, “The guitar loop and drum machine were the first elements to come into being and got us so excited, it felt playful, flirty, and unserious, and the lyrics came pretty quickly after. When the pace of the melody is so fast, you can fit in a lot of story. The drums were played by Meg Learmonth, we recorded them with the track slowed down 40% before speeding it back up to get those snappy transients. Chris Rabbits re-recorded the original bass line with the fun fills.”
Consisting of lifelong friends Jamie Stewart and Hannah Elliot, Quiet Houses are an indie-pop duo who hail from Edinburgh, Scotland. With countless bus rides to Glasgow fueling their musical education, it wasn’t until they saw The Staves live at Glasgow Art School that the pair were inspired to start writing together.
Moving to Manchester, with their ambitions realised, their songwriting sessions turned into something more serious, marked by intricate guitar work, warm vocals, and meaningful lyrics that explore growing up, emotional vulnerability, and the bittersweetness of life’s comings and goings. Their debut EP was released in 2021 to exciting acclaim, with backing from BBC Radio 1 and Spotify Editorial ‘New Music Friday’. Coupling this success with sold-out shows in both Edinburgh and Manchester, the group went on to release their follow-up to a constantly growing fanbase. Also drawing attention to their dynamic live show, the band have shared stages with the likes of Tide Lines, Dolores Forever and Bonnie Kemplay.
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