UK neo-psych band Temples working on debut LP, visiting North America this fall (including Bowery Ballroom)

by Bill Pearis

DiS: What influenced you to make music with such a distinctly classic psychedelic sound? Is that what you were listening to at the time, or was it something you’d grown up with and always intended to pursue musically?

Tom Warmsley: We started off where everybody starts from. We’re big fans of pop music, The Beatles and the Stones, all that kind of stuff. Then as our tastes matured, we brought in other influences. We’d heard lots of bands do certain things in certain ways, and I guess our intention was to try and take a bit from each and create something of our own.

James Bagshaw: I think also, fans of music; which we are; tend to be fans of producers as well. People that create things sonically like Jack Nitzsche. People that everyone talks about because they deserve that acclaim for being prolific in their field. When we uploaded the songs originally it was our choice to not only make a statement with the songs, but also with the sound too. They were all done at home in my bedroom. We were searching for the right sound that the songs desired and deserved, because I think any song can be totally different depending on the way it’s produced. And then it comes across in a completely different way, so I think once we achieved that sound with those four songs it gave us a thread and made us realise exactly what we want. Instead of going in with a producer who would have stamped his own sound on the songs we created a sound of our own. – [Drowned in Sound]

UK band Temples‘ music career got off to a quick start. It began as a recording project between Tom Warmsley and James Bagshaw and, after posting a few songs online, Temples were signed to Heavenly before ever playing live. They made their official arrival with “Shelter Song,” a swirling psych pop single, powered by ringing 12-string guitars, a groovy bassline, pounding drums and a little harp flourish in the chorus. The band followed that up with a second single, “Colours to Life,” in June, and that leans a little more baroque than their first. They’re both pretty good. If you dig Jacco Gardner, TOY, and Jagwar Ma (or Tame Impala), you may have already heard Temples. Either way, you can check out both singles in video form below.

Temples, now an actual band, are finishing up their debut album but will be here this fall to see what North America thinks of them. The full tour hasn’t been announced yet but they will be playing NYC on November 25 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (8/23) at noon with an AmEx presale beginning Wednesday (8/21) at noon.

Videos below…

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