Spotlight: HIMALAYAS

Are you in the market for a new favourite band to be completely obsessed with? You’ve come to the right place!

The story of how they started is as old as time: Joe Williams, Mike Griffiths, Louis Heaps and James Goulbourn met at school and became friends over their shared love of music,plus the desire of creating something of their own.

Things gradually fell into place from 2015 onwards, and it looked like nothing could stop them towards the end of 2019; but as we all know 2020 proved to be a difficult year for the industry. In addition to that the band suffered from a personal set-back, when lead vocalist and guitarist Joe Williams abruptly fell into a coma after a show.

Photo Credit: Ffion Williams

Luckily, Williams has since made a complete recovery, which has given him a completely new outlook on life. This has translated well onto the band’s debut album, released this May. HIMALAYAS sound is energetic and confident.

Opening their debut album with the title track, listeners are immediately welcomed by an alarm blaring that then perfectly intertwines with the band, as everything kicks off on a track that sounds like grunge meets blues rock. Combined with a catchy chorus and a rhythm that has you bopping along non-stop, things start out strong and refuse to slow down until the end.

In a track-by-track rundown, on their youtube channel, the guys explain that the album deals with topics like the uncertainty of the future and reflecting past relationships. The heavy drums and intense guitar riffs grab your attention in a split second while your mind is being captivated by the lyrics. Especially ‘Somebody Else’ is a perfect example of this, as it opens with slightly creepy sound effects that blend into feedback before the band introduces dark drum beats and bass that leaves you in awe, further confirmed by the chilling vocals.

Although the release of their debut album has been beyond exciting for the Cardiff boys – this year has had many more highlights on the cards for them. Starting the year off as the support act for Dirty Honey on the UK leg of their tour and going on to play several festivals all over Europe, such as Mad Cool Festival in Spain or Reading & Leeds Festival in the UK, HIMALAYAS had a good year so far.

But that’s far from the end. HIMALAYAS will be supporting fellow rock band Loveless this September. Starting on the 16th of September, HIMALAYAS will take on Europe, with shows in France, Germany and all the way back to the UK. Performing a mix of their newer songs and some older tunes,with some typically British banter thrown in here and there, the band always delivers a crowd- pleasing performance. It will be hard not to be completely enamored by their natural charm and great tunes by the time the first song hits its last notes,that’s a promise. 

So – if you are a fan of rock music, a bit of banter and songs with a deeper meaning HIMALAYAS should definitely be on your list of artists to see live next. Go and grab your tickets here before they sell out!