AfterDark’s Dean Hodge Interviews Leif Erikson – “I want to ensure, when writing songs, that they retain a little bit of mystery”

Published on AfterDark (19 Oct 2016) – click here to view article

AfterDark’s Dean Hodge speaks to Leif Erikson lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Johnston ahead of the band’s upcoming appearance at Sŵn Festival in Cardiff (23 October).

London quintet Leif Erikson‘s choice of name – inspired by the famous Icelandic explorer – is perhaps an apt one for their dreamy, dexterously-produced indie-rock sound. They bridge elements of the jangly guitar hooks of The Stones Roses and pre-Screamadelica Primal Scream, the angular melodies of Joy Division and the shoegaze grooves of Ride. Within wide lyrical landscapes – of life, love, loss, lament and everything in between – the band churn out cathartic melodies like unearthed diamonds, and chisel at them with lean guitar riffs and polished vocals. Ahead of their eagerly awaited return to Cardiff this weekend (23 October) – as part of the line-up for the 10th anniversary edition of Sŵn Festival – AfterDark’s Dean Hodge spoke to lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Johnston about the band’s plans for new music, growing up in London and the inspiration for their songs.

Review: DimSŵn 2016 – ‘A premature serving of Sŵn’s 10th birthday cake, with just as much rich sonic filling’

Published on AfterDark (14 April 2016) [click here to view]

Dean Hodge reviews some of the acts from this year’s DimSŵn Festival in Cardiff , 9 April. (Photography by Nick Evans)

Anelog, The Moon Club (Photo: Nick Evans)

If its older sibling Sŵn is the headline act of the festival season, then the younger DimSŵn is the inaugural support whetting aural appetites for the soundtrack to our year ahead. With the tenth year of Sŵn approaching, DimSŵn was in some ways a premature nine-and-a-half old birthday celebration – a mere slice of the Sŵn birthday cake full of the rich sonic filling and rare flavours-of-the-month that this defiantly Welsh institution never fails to mix up.

As is often the case at Sŵn, it falls on the slim guitar-adorned shoulders of a singer-songwriter act to open proceedings. So DimSŵn 2016 gets under way in Undertone with Merthyr Tydfil chanteuse Bryony Sier – the first in a line of acts representing the Forte Project stage. She manages to inject a unique edge into the country and folk genre with a voice that sounds more Memphis than Merthyr, and melodies cut straight from the heart.