Thundermoon have released their debut EP ‘We’re Still Here’.
The new EP release from the Edinburgh-based synth-pop electro-queer trio was celebrated with a sold out show at Edinburgh’s Leith Depot.
Speaking of the EP release, Thundermoon said: “‘We’re Still Here’ is our debut EP and its been such an experience to make and release it out into the world. This EP is about the end of the world but in a hopeful way. The main themes for us are of queerness, mental health, the apocalypse of decaying capitalism, friendship, community, and solidarity.”
To celebrate their EP release, Thundermoon shared with us 5 tracks that influenced ‘We’re Still Here’.
LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends | Listen via Spotify
We love all things LCD Soundsystem and this song in particular has been our anthem for at least the last decade. This tune was played and requested so many times into the wee hours at parties and by campfires. ‘All My Friends’ brings back all the memories of being in your 20’s, going out to clubs, and staying up all night with your best pals to watch the sunrise. The lyrical genius of these guys is neverending “We set controls for the heart of the sun. One of the ways we show our age”; and the slow build-up of beats and patterns is reminiscent of something you’d stomp out into a club, but much more chill. We take a lot of inspiration for our drum beats and song structures from LCD Soundsystem, which you can hear especially in ‘Wild’ with the long winding storytelling that builds and builds into the end section. We’ll never not love this song.
Chvrches – Lies | Listen via Spotify
Who doesn’t love a beasting synth arpeggiator, right? Classic Chvrches style, this tune’s synth wave hits you from the start, and captivates you until the end. Aside from them being Scottish, we’re endlessly inspired by their epic sound banks and smooth creations. In ‘No Regrets’ we mirror this thick, punchy synth style to get folk moving.
Vok – Waterfall | Listen via Spotify
This track flows like a waterfall of sound. We’re hypnotised by the rich bass line that drives the rhythm of the song. The smooth, spooky vocals, that are prominent but nicely blending with other layers, inspire us in our tracks like ‘Dust’. Another constant with Vök, is their endless ability to produce epic synth waves that identify them. We aspire to be that band that folks are excited to recognise because of a sound vibe that makes us uniquely us!
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy | Listen via Spotify
Another collection of amazing drum sounds and synth, with the queer storyline to go along with it. Giving us an example of how far we’ve come, and how bad things still are for so many lgbtq+ people. Poignant but also a track you have to dance to. This one goes back to the inspiration that we take form these old school 80’s synth bands, in the sort of layering of different synth sounds, and those kind of 80’s style bass lines.
Underworld – Born Slippy | Listen via Spotify
‘Born Slippy’ is just an absolutely iconic song of the 90s. The drums, synth and vocals have given inspiration to a lot of our music. Listen closely to the synth on ‘Dust’ (the final track of the EP) to hear what I mean! Again, this track doesn’t follow standard lyrical or structural conventions and we’re big fans of moving away from convention when it comes to songwriting. This one also gets us in the feels because of our strong Edinburgh roots, and its place in 90’s dance culture, and obviously its place in Trainspotting. If you’ve ever seen a crowd of people when they hear that first synth chord of Born Slippy – nothing like it! We actually do a cover of this which we keep for very special occasions.
You can stream Thundermoon ‘We’re Still Here’ via Spotify below:
Listen to the band’s EP influences: