Aberdeen psych band Floating Heads have recorded an EP with renowned producer Jason Shaw which captures their ferocious live sonic assault.
Four-track Crawl, set for imminent release, was recorded with by Shaw at Fuzzface studio in Largs.
Shaw has previously worked with influential psych bands such as Helicon, Black Heart Death Cult, Acid Rooster and The Janitors.
Floating Heads singer-guitarist James Callander insists working with Shaw made the band’s sound even bigger.
On stage Floating Heads are a thunderous behemoth, with James warning “we are very noisy. You better take earplugs when you come to see us.”
That sound has been expanded further with the recent addition of another guitarist – and is captured on Crawl.
With a growing live reputation Floating Heads recently performed at the legendary CozFest alongside bands like Evil Blizzard, The Cosmic Dead and The Utopia Strong.
James said: “We recorded with Jason at Fuzzface over a weekend.
“Jason made our sound massive which is what we wanted.
“He has recorded The Janitors, Helicon and different psych bands from all over the world.
“Jason wasn’t just there to record the songs, he was also there to offer really valuable advice.
“Things such as ‘this sounds great, why don’t you put this in’.
“He put a fender baritone guitar in and it sounded great.
“Jason really got to the essence of our big, big sound because we are very noisy.
“You better take earplugs when you come to see us.”
Fuzz club records signing target
Formed in 2019 Floating Heads are James (vocals/rhythm guitar), Matt Carrington (guitar), Brady Cunningham (guitar), Konstantin Karman (bass/synth) and Chris Hadden (drums).
The band released six-track EP No Reflections in 2020.
The Yesteryear EP followed in 2022, recorded at Dystopia Studios in Glasgow.
An early taster for the Crawl EP is fuzzed up, heavy psych track Raindance.
Floating Heads ultimately aim to be snapped up by an established psych label such as Fuzz Club Records.
Based in East London Fuzz Club Records has released albums by psych greats including 10,000 Russos. The Black Angels, Dead Skeletons, The Myrrors, The Janitors and The Third Sound.
James said: “Floating Heads are not an Indie band – we are psych.
“You get bands saying they are psych and I always think ‘are you really?
“Often they’re not.
“We are.
“We want to get noticed by a label like Fuzz Club, because it is something different that we offer.”
‘Scottish music is not all about the Central Belt’
Floating Heads performed in London earlier this summer on a bill that also included Gnob and Red Sun.
The new EP also includes Empty Sayings, The Killing Floor and Crawl.
James said: “The songs cope with loss.
“We brought in another guitarist and it has worked brilliantly for us.
“We are writing all the time and bouncing new ideas off one another.
“It is a bigger sound as some of our songs have three guitars in them, so they sound massive.
“All we want is to get more gigs, more exposure and to help Aberdeen music.
“Scottish music is not all about the Central Belt.”
Playing the legendary Kozfest
Floating Heads played Kozfest on the same bill as Evil Blizzard, Cosmic Dead, The Utopia Strong that ran from July 26 to 28 in Devon.
James said: “Part of our mission is to get bands from Aberdeen on the map such as ourselves.
“We’ve supported The Third Sound. I’m friends now with Hákon (Aðalsteinsson, from The Third Sound).
“We have kept in touch and became friends, the same with Helicon.
“That’s what music is about, those connections.”
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