20/8/20
Words | Greta Kaur-Taylor
Photography | @pmh_photography
Indie band Spacetoast’s very own Dan Hewitt is set to release his solo EP, titled ‘Psychiatric Sofa’ in the coming days. It’s a far cry from what you’d expect from the frontman of one of the cities most popular indie bands, driven by their passionate young audience and catchy setlists.
Hewitt is dialling it back experimenting with a sound that he had yet to explore, it’ melodic and melancholic, everything you’d expect from music recorded right now. ‘Psychiatric Sofa’ is Dan’s response to an overflow of time and creative build up over quarantine.
Hewitt says ‘Psychiatric Sofa was my little project over lockdown. As the band [Spacetoast] had been put on hold due to the fact we could no longer gig or even meet to practice, I found that producing this EP was the best way to channel all my creative energy into something enjoyable.’
Opening track ‘The Girl Is A Monster’ introduces the EP how it means to go on, stripped back bedroom fuzz and intertwining guitar create an atmosphere that can only be described as layed back. However, not lacking the usual angst of someone who has been cooped up for months on end.
Sceptical of how the EP would continue to flow without being monotonous, ‘He’s Leaving Home’ lay that scepticism to rest. again we have that bedroom fuzz but it continues to be well executed with Hewitt introducing that extra bit of instrumental interest, synths are really what stand out on this track as well as a stripped back vocal delivery.
Speaking on the way he has stepped out of his comfort zone musically Dan says ‘Musically, it is probably the biggest contrast to anything I have released before, with the band or on my own as a solo artist. I think this is because I have taken more influence from synthesiser-based music rather than staying in my comfort zone and writing music almost entirely for guitar.’
‘Psychiatric Sofa’ is exploitive for the artist, a sense of that exploration and stepping away from his normal pattern of working and writing is captured in this EP. It feels organic and it’s good to see Hewitt explore other avenues of sound and venture from the usual. This EP is not just a Spacetoast part 2 it is something that can be listened to in its own right.
On being explorative Hewitt adds ‘ Everything you hear on this EP (except for the skit) was recorded and produced by me in my bedroom and I’d like to think this homegrown method adds a sort of character to the record. I’m hoping people listening to it will gain insight on my thoughts and feelings over lockdown, although some of these songs were written way before – with one song featured being written back in 2018’
‘However, I do think that the production of this EP acted as my replacement for the human interaction that we all took for granted before the start of Covid and maybe you can hear that in the music. Perhaps that is why this record is titled Psychiatric Sofa, or maybe it is just because it sounds kind of cool to say.’
Closing track ‘Hey Boy’ is a syncopated mash up of funky guitar lines, emotionally driven lyrics and the final mark that the EP makes on its listeners.
‘Psychiatric Sofa’ is Hewitt’s latest offering and conscious flow of thought, it’s homegrown and it’s personal.
The latest EP ‘Psychiatric Sofa’ from Dan Hewitt will be available for streaming on the 23rd of August.
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