Being one of the most well-known bands to come out of Cumbria can be a hard feat to live up to. However, Hardwicke Circus took to this challenge with pride and have been championing Cumbria music since their inception in 2017 with their debut EP “Hot Moves.”
The band is comprised of Jonny Foster on lead vocals and guitar, Tom Foster on drums and vocals, Joe Hurst on Bass and vocals, Lewis Bewley-Taylor on Keys and Andy Sax on you guessed it… Saxophone!
Having released multiple tracks during 2021, including their album “The Borderland” and their accompanying single “Guiding Light” the band is now pointing their efforts to a benefit for Ukraine gig on the 30th of April.
In light of this, let's take a look back at their track “Walking On Broken Glass” currently standing at 11,224 streams on Spotify.
Beginning with an R&B style intro, the first four instruments set the rhythm and pace for the song. However, overall Walking On Broken Glass does have a complex dynamic, not structurally, but the sounds and the mix they use bring in a lot of influences from different eras of music.
For example, from this R&B vibe, the song progresses into soft rock not too dissimilar to that of the Beach Boys. This includes harmonies which can be sung along to like an anthem and a piano and saxophone which add space and atmosphere to the rest of the instruments, grounding the song with a light-hearted ambiance.
Further from this, the song builds with overarching distorted guitars, developing an angrier post-punk era tone. Although, it retains a feel-good sense where you could listen to this tune as part of your driving playlist.
The outro of Walking On Broken Glass gives off the perfect hang-out-with-your-friends feeling, singing the chorus together with a climactic finale of guitars reminiscent of the intro. Wrapping up a sweet lal indie anthem, ideal for a festival.
Hardwicke Circus are definitely one to check out if you're interested in new Cumbrian music, and if you’d like to catch them live, you can check out their acoustic set on the 30th of April in Carlisle, with tickets available here.
You can follow Hardwicke Circus here on Instagram.
If you’d like to get involved with having your music reviewed, feel free to contact Hollr at hollr@soundwave.org.uk