Photo credit: Max Jowitt – http://www.maxjowittphoto.co.uk
From busking in London to headlining local events, fresh-faced acoustic rockers The Floodgates have rocketed through the past year, even playing for Heavyweight Boxing champion David Haye at the opening of his gym. The Tunbridge-Wells trio draw inspirations from Mumford and Sons, Bruce Springsteen and Jeff Buckley, resulting in a sound rich in folk tones and raw, organic vocals.
Originally a folk rock duo, the trio formed in the early summer of last year and released debut EP God Knows earlier this year. The EP is not only comforting but also incredibly mature for such a young group. The EP holds a touch of class and the rough and ready vocals are the crowning source of emotion. Add to this the catchy chorus of title track ‘God Knows’ and you have an EP that has it all; upbeat and then relaxing in all the right places, it’s the kind of debut that gets you begging for more.
At seventeen years old, lead vocalist Martin Stenning hits the nail on the head with his song writing yet remains humble with his efforts, “I only started dabbling with the idea of song writing at the beginning of 2013 and alongside Tim [bassist] we started with a few cover videos on YouTube”. Percussion from Alex Wane adds to the classic melodies that make this band a top easy listening act to keep an eye out for.
More recent inspirations come from George Ezra and Tom Odell and fans of these acts are likely to fall for the smooth harmonies that are particularly prevalent in the band’s latest single ‘You’. Released on 13th October this track presents a crisp sound that is a great step up from the content of ‘God Knows’. Since being invited to play at the open day of David Haye’s gym the band played at big venues, including the O2 Academy Islington as well as a headline slot at their local Tunbridge Wells Forum. The Floodgates are moving fast, improving on each track as they go and they’re still yet to leave sixth form.
SAMANTHA MAE 