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LP
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SCRATCHY 080LP
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Old school friends and long-time collaborators, Mark Rowland and Paul Webber formed The Volunteered at the tail end of 2019 when they started working on new songs channeling old indie rock heroes such as Built to Spill, Guided By Voices, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Belle & Sebastian. They put out the We Fall Apart EP in 2020 as a modest self-release and now, what started as a way to keep busy during lockdown has been expanded into a full-length vinyl. "We had the vague notion of recording an album at some point in 2020," says Mark "and we definitely intended to play more shows. We were talking to people about joining the band. It was supposed to be a big year for us." Then, the pandemic happened. Stuck indoors with all plans put on ice, Mark and Paul went through their demo recordings to see what they had to work with. They took elements of those recordings, added to them, and started working on some new songs. Along the way, they recruited some friends to guest on the record, including future Volunteered member Elizabeth Sadzik, Detroit-based singer-songwriter Cody Ketchum, René Methner of German indie rock band Para Lia, solo artist Ritch Spence and Simon Bromide. It's a varied listen, from the pounding, tuneful fuzz of lead single "Going to Amsterdam" to the atmospheric heart-string puller "The Lights". Everywhere you look there are hooks waiting to pull you in and some great pop songwriting recalling everyone from Buddy Holly and Weezer to The Triffids and Pearl Jam.
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