06 Oct DISCOVER: Extranauts
New to Music Sync Licensing from Ireland
Avant Music Port Catalogue ONE STOP
Style: Indie Rock
Vibe: Catchy, Robotic, Bouncy, Determined, Pleading, Walking, Flirty, Playful, Upbeat, Groovy, Confidence, Ambitious, Feel Good, Successful, Passionate
To those of you that have been with us for a while these lads won’t really need an introduction, but since their name-change and a debut album we thought it important to remind you of their charm and talent. Thus:
Boasting a breadth of influences, earworm worthy hooks, and catchy funk-fuelled melodies in aplenty, the long awaited release of âThe Alchemistâ marks just one small step for Extranauts, and one giant leap into a vibrant, technicolour universe of sounds to comeâŚ
Taking inspiration from â60s psychedelia just as much as it does dance music, the bandâs debut long-player sees Extranauts wearing their influences proudly on their sleeves. Funnelling a rich amalgam of genres, styles and sounds into thirteen tracks, the album swings from retro-tinted indie-rock cuts like âUptightâ and the twangy âLiquidatorâ, to more kaleidoscopic moments like the dancefloor anthem ‘Everybody In The Nite”, âLazarusâ, and the jangling, groove-laden âThe New Age Of Innocenceâ.Â
Having started out under the moniker The Dead Heavys, Extranauts have attracted praise from the likes of XFMâs Eddy Temple Morris, The Enemyâs Tom Clarke, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers and Louder Than Warâs John Robb, who enthused: â[the band] could easily grab the attention of a stadium full of fans or the chartsâ’.
While initially taking inspiration from late â60s psych-pop and mod groups like The Small Faces and The Kinks, it was a shared passion for indie-electronic crossover acts that would become crucial to Extranautsâ melting-pot sound. As lead singer and songwriter Keith OâNeill explains:
âWe were heavily influenced by Krautrock bands like Neu & Can and that kind of relentless motorik beat but with a lot more melody and emotion on top. New Order have always been a big influence in how they can meld the danceable track with a melancholic track so that was also a big touchpointâ
Finding a fan in Creation Records founder Alan McGee who discovered them in their remote hideaway in Waterford, Ireland, before the pandemic; buoyed by his support, the sextet spent the interim years putting the finishing touches to what would become Extranautsâ debut album.
The album was produced by Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Kasabian, Andrew Weatherall), who was able to capture the bandâs immense live energy in dazzling technicolour.