We Say…
Hailing from Cambridge, Tape Runs Out are the six-piece brainchild of band-leader and vocalist, Liam Goodrum-Bell. Their debut album Floodhead was released at the end of March via Trapped Animal Records and showcases the result of a year spent experimenting in guitarist Dan Dawson’s home studio. It is a deeply experimental collection, each track beginning as a seed before being nurtured and cared for until ready to fulfil its role in the collective ecosystem of the album as a whole.
Thematically the record explores themes of being overwhelmed with both anxieties and possibilities, as Liam explains, “I’m guilty of starting shiny new projects before completing previous ones…this inability to see things through naturally leads to feelings of failure and self-resentment”. As well as personal themes, the record also seeks to find linked themes within the natural world, and how we are all existing at the whim of nature, take the titular Floodhead “the wall of water that precedes a flood, which I thought was an apt representation of how it feels in those moments of existential panic“. The record opens with Jab, a pulsating scene setter, from the early strings and gentle guitar chords through to crashing walls of Explosions In The Sky-like guitars and gentle burbling of watery synths, you can almost feel the sense of the slow inevitability of erosion in the vocal as Liam sings, “I’m not a precious stone, a sharp and precious gem, I know I messed it up, I know I caused it all”. Elsewhere, In The Muddles is a considerably more luxurious, but none-the-less watery affair, it has the feel of sinking into a warm lake, with swelling guitars, metallic percussive flourishes and waves of synths creating something strikingly ambitious and strangely organic sounding. It’s a nice counterpoint to the more space-like qualities of Overseas Assignment, a cinematic-prog song that wouldn’t sound out of place on one of Midlake’s more recent offerings. Perhaps the record’s most striking, and honest moment comes at the end, as on the nine-minute epic Pillowtalk, Liam channels his inner Granddaddy and simply repeats the phrase, “I’m tired”, as a crescendo of distorted guitars, urgent hammered dulcimer and pulsing bass swell around him, like a moment of consciousness fading into the engulfing embrace of sleep as if even the strengths of his anxieties and fears eventually can’t hold back the flood of giving in to natures urge. Ultimately Floodhead is a record that thrives on its complexities and contemplations, the sort of record that’s so full of meticulous details that it seems to offer some beautiful new trinkets to discover with every listen. It may be a record about the dripping tap of expectation, yet Floodhead lives up to the pressure and thrives, it is finished, fantastic and ready to make a real splash.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are Tape Runs Out?
We are a six-piece band from Cambridge, UK, and we play a mixture of indie, alternative rock, alternative folk, and dream pop. It was originally a solo project of mine (Liam), but has grown and morphed over the last decade into what we are now – a full band finally releasing their debut album!
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
The first Tape Runs Out show was an open mic in a cafe in Camborne with me and another guitarist. The stakes were pretty low so I wasn’t feeling hugely nervous, and I vaguely remember it went fine! My first show with any band was a battle of the bands at my school as a teen. I was in a much more aggressive rock band, and we closed with a cover of Firestarter by The Prodigy. The feedback we received was that I was ‘scary’.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
I actually do make art in other forms, usually in the form of poetry and video, but the reason my primary artistic outlet is music is probably because it’s the art form that historically I’ve consumed the most eagerly, and one that I grew up surrounded by. It’s also the one I’m best at – if I was any good at painting I’d probably be doing that as well!
FTR: What can people expect from the Tape Runs Out live show?
We try to provide a bit of variety throughout our set, with a diverse selection of textures and tones to keep things interesting. My favourite bands are usually the ones where each song feels like its own new idea, so I’ve tried to emulate that when writing this album.
FTR: What’s next for Tape Runs Out?
We’ll see how our album is received, play a few shows with it, then get on with creating the next one! The composing and recording elements are my favourite part of the process, so I’m looking forward to getting back into the studio and trying to put all the new things I’ve learnt from making the first album into practice.
They Listen To…
Alisa Amador – Milonga Accidental
This is a song I first heard on an NPR Tiny Desks set, and was really taken by how subtle and luxurious the string arrangements were, and how well they complimented the delicate guitar picking.
Hiatus Kaiyote – Red Room
I heard this song piped through the speakers of a bathroom in Budapest and thought it sounded cool. Turns out I was right!
Hymie’s Basement – Ghost Dream
I’ve been a long-time fan of WHY?, and this side-project of his contains this beguiling and beautiful piece. It’s not a single by any means, but the best songs rarely are.
Low – White Horses
I’d heard a lot of hype about this album when it first came out, so eventually decided to give it a listen. Half way through this – its first track – and I was hooked.
London Bulgarian Choir – Kaval Sviri
I’ve loved Bulgarian choral music for some time, and this is one of my all time favourites. A friend of mine is a member of this choir, and I am very jealous that they get to sing these songs.
Floodhead is out now via Trapped Animals Records. For more information on Tape Runs Out visit https://www.taperunsout.co.uk/.
For The Rabbits 