Phoria

Phoria are an art-rock band based in Brighton, England. The band consists of Trewin Howard, Ed Sanderson, Jeb Hardwick, James "Cheese" Cheeseman, and Seryn Burden.

Phoria
OriginBrighton, England
GenresArt pop, Contemporary Classical, Art rock, Indie rock, Experimental rock, Progressive rock, Dream pop, Electronic
Years active2010 – present
Websitephoriamusic.com
MembersTrewin Howard
Ed Sanderson
Jeb Hardwick
Seryn Burden
James Cheeseman
Past membersRoss Crick
Tim Douglas

Phoria released their debut EP Yourself Still in 2010, followed by Bloodworks (Akira, 2013) and Display (X Novo, 2014). The EPs earned the band international critical and popular acclaim.

The band's first full-length album, Volition was released on 3 June 2016.

Their second album Caught a Black Rabbit is out November 13th 2020.

Biography

Phoria began in 1997, when Trewin, former guitarist Jeb, and Ed began taking music lessons at their Salisbury primary school. Originally on cello, classical guitar, and violin, it was there that the three classmates first wrote and performed together.

As friends, they spent their youth in the Salisbury countryside, absorbing music and switching between the disciplines of songwriting, electric guitar, and piano, before leaving for university in 2005.

Jeb and Ed both attended the University of Southampton. Ed continued to study music, specialising in violin and piano. Jeb studied for a sociology degree, though spent much of his time experimenting with music and visual arts.

Trewin attended the Dartington College of Arts in Devon. He had initially enrolled on as fine arts course – utilising his skill as a painter – but was soon drawn back to music. He left Dartington with over two hundred original musical compositions.

Having completed their studies, Trewin, Ed, and Jeb returned to Salisbury and took full time jobs. Jeb's included a brief spell as an insurance agent. Ed, with a passion for acting, took large but unfulfilling parts in a series of niche-market films.

It was not long before the three of them realised that their future lay elsewhere, and moved to Brighton to start their musical careers.

While studying at Southampton, Jeb and Ed had met Tim Douglas through a mutual friend. Following successful spells playing guitar in bands across the South West, Tim moved to Brighton to play bass, and complete the Phoria line-up along with then drummer, Ross Crick.

Seryn Burden joined the band in August 2011, twelve months after the release of Yourself Still, following Ross's departure.

In 2016, following the release of Volition, and a string of successful EPs and UK and international tours, Jeb Hardwick left Phoria to pursue a career in filmmaking. He was replaced by James Cheeseman.

Yourself Still EP (2010)

The band's first EP Yourself Still was released in 2010 and earned positive reviews from various music blogs. The blog The Sirens Sound reviewed the EP, stating that '[Yourself Still]...carries various musical vibes from cinematic orchestra to post-rock and indie-rock to a stunning pop environment leading the overall outcome of this record to blazed emotion.' Describing Phoria as 'A band you definitely want to keep an eye on.'[1] Similarly, online alternative music zine InForty.com described the EP as 'A delicate mix of indie and post-rock', continuing: 'Phoria...already boast a sophisticated and polished sound. It’s a mournful one too, but they don’t dwell on it – there’s too much progression and dreamy ambition for that.'[2]

The EP was featured on CDBaby's music discovery podcast in July 2011.

Bloodworks EP (2013)

Bloodworks was released through Akira Records in Spring 2013.

Lead single "Red" hit number 2 in The Hype Machine blog aggregator charts within only a few days, cementing the track as one of the standout singles of 2013 from a relatively unknown band. With the single released just days before the EP, ThisIsFakeDIY said of the track '[It gives] the impression that this here EP's going to be a game-changer. Glossy production is met midway by a startling, intimate style of songwriting, half Youth Lagoon, half something grander and more orchestral.'[3]

The EP was met with glowing reviews. Earmilk said of the band: 'they took their unique approach and ran with it, producing a composition where all five songs stand apart as gems. They have created an overall unique experience, with emotion drawn out from the subtle and unweighted vocal approach. Every component seems to build and break down around the travelling vocals and in doing so, they create an almost angelic feeling at times.' Musicbrokemybones described Bloodworks as an '...incredibly captivating record.'

Several tracks from the EP have been licensed to festival-featured European cinema, and Canadian television series Saving Hope.

Display EP (2014)

Display was released in June 2014. The lead single 'Emanate' received 250,000 plays across YouTube and Soundcloud in the first two weeks.[4][5]

Volition (2016)

Volition was released in June 2016 following several delays. It received positive reviews across the critical sphere, with The 405 describing the album as 'gigantic...[yet] effortlessly intimate,' praising the 'cohesion in sound and vision'. Ben Yung of therevue.ca gave a glowing review, stating: 'Volition is stunning, an absolute emotional roller coaster from start to finish. It is easy to understand why it took two years for the Brighton-based five-piece to complete their debut, as every single detail has been given the utmost attention and the production is refined and masterful. Every note, every vocal component, every lyric, every instrumental texture has been attended to and nothing feels out of place. With the precision of a surgeon and the steely aim of an assassin, Phoria hits every mark, including piercing a hole through our hearts with their visceral and emotional electronica.'

The album was supported by festival appearances throughout 2016 and a UK and European tour.

In 2018, the song "Evolve" was featured in an episode of the Syfy original show, The Magicians.

Tim Douglas left the band in 2019 citing 'personal reasons'.

'Saving Us A Riot' was used in Season 3 of Killing Eve. [6]

It was announced Jeb Hardwick had rejoined the band in August 2019 [7]

Caught A Black Rabbit (2020)

In August 2019, photos were shared of the band recording at Abbey Road Studios. [8]

On the 23rd June the band shared the first track from the upcoming album, 'Intro'. [9]

Their second album Caught A Black Rabbit was announced on Facebook, and is due for release on the 13th November 2020. [10] It has been described by the band as 'contemporary classical'. [11]

The first single from the album, 'Current' was premiered on Clash on the 23rd of July. [12] Trewin Howard said about the song, "We all have hidden depths, through which our vulnerable excitement flows... sometimes a storm will brew and the glassy surface that hides it all is disturbed," [13] Circuit Sweet wrote ‘It’s a harrowing orchestration, a feeling of courage shines deep within this elegant track. This is such a beautiful and powerful release.’ [14]

Style

Phoria draw on a range of musical genres to create their sound. In the days of Yourself Still, chordal guitar figures and often dense instrumentation drew comparisons to such bands as Radiohead, Sigur Rós, and Mew. The music blog therecommender.net, when reviewing preview material from the bands then forthcoming Bloodworks EP, wrote 'This...isn't just reminiscent of Radiohead, this is reminiscent of Radiohead at their best.'[15] Martin Grech, Cinematic Orchestra, and Elbow are also major influences.[16] The band have more recently been compared favourably to Aphex Twin, Autechre, and James Blake.

Discography
  • Yourself Still (EP) (2010)
  • Bloodworks (EP) (2013)
  • Display (EP) (2014)
  • Volition (2016)
  • Caught A Black Rabbit (2020)

References
  1. "Review: Yourself Still". SirensSound.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  2. "Review: Yourself Still". InForty.com. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  3. "DIY". Thisisfakediy.co.uk.
  4. "Emanate". Soundcloud.com.
  5. MrSuicideSheep (2 May 2014). "Phoria – Emanate". YouTube.
  6. "Behind the Music of 'Killing Eve': Episode 4". BBC America. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. "Jeb Hardwick on Instagram: "@phoriamusic #phoria #intro"". Instagram. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  8. "Phoria". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  9. "Phoria". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. "Phoria". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  11. "Phoria". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  12. "Phoria". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  13. "Track Of The Day 22/7 - Phoria". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  14. "PHORIA Announce New Album 'Caught a Black Rabbit' Out November 13th on Akira Records - Listen To New Single 'Current'". Circuit Sweet. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  15. "Phoria". Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  16. "Phoria Myspace". Myspace.com.
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