More about: Sea Girls

Since the release of their debut album Open Up Your Head in the summer of 2020, London quartet Sea Girls has worked tirelessly to capitalise on their success. Whilst cooking up the ambitiously fun new album Homesick, the band found time to embark on a tour in autumn last year. With an absence of gigs in 2020—a time which ultimately proved to be their breakout year—Sea Girls were gleefully upbeat in response to returning to the stage. "It was great. It's just what we wanted to do. It was a big reward to be playing shows. There were two years of tension without playing, and it felt like this perhaps won't be able to happen anymore." An essence of optimism and hopefulness lingered in the air. 

With the iconic Reading Festival only their second show post-lockdown, Sea Girls could appreciate its prominence. "It was probably the biggest gig we'd ever done. We used to go as 16-year-olds, and when we started a band, we never thought we'd be on the main stage ever. Maybe just one of the little stages!"

Taking their name from a misheard lyric in the Nick Cave song 'Water's Edge', Sea Girls consists of Henry Camamile on lead, Rory Young on guitar, Andrew Noswad on bass and Oli Khan on drums. In 2020, time off from the road gave the band some well-needed space to focus. In this time, the band recharged and discovered a new zeal for musical creativity. "Lockdown meant that we could write and record the album pretty fast. With the debut album, we were writing for over four years. And this was written and recorded within nine months. I don't think we would have an album of this quality if we didn't have time to reflect and write. We would have been touring all of 2020."

Their fanbase was a big part of the Sea Girls drive to stay focused on being a band and staying innovative. Where some artists took a step back and found themselves on hiatus, Sea Girls knew their role in staying in touch and keeping busy. "We didn't have to be idle; we had our fans with us, so we were lucky, and we felt we owed them. We wanted to keep that relationship. We kept in touch with fans throughout that whole time. We were in a position where we could still feel like a proper band, even though we weren't playing."

The connection with their dedicated following certainly means a great deal. "Being able to talk directly to our fans by sending them a message is fantastic. If we had our favourite bands on social media when we were 16, and they replied to something we'd asked them, we would've lost our minds!" They were aware of the significance of feeling connected to something positive during such a challenging time. But, there were apparent bumps in the road coming out the other side. Where artists have struggled to reignite the fire they had before 2020, Sea Girls managed to swerve and dodge such obstacles and came out punching. |It's different to bands when we were growing up. You could be mysterious and hide away in your mansion and then make an album every few years. But it's not like that now."

New album Homesick explores returning to one's roots at its core. "Being homesick means you belong somewhere," says frontman Henry Camamile. After the pandemic outbreak, he returned home to his teenage room. In lieu of wallowing and frantically pondering the state of the world, Camamile found that his songwriting kicked into gear. "The album feels relevant because it was written and recorded so recently. It's reflected in the songs. 'Lucky' was inspired by a letter from my great-great-grandfather that he wrote just before he went over to D‑Day, and it just made me think, fuck, we're so lucky".

Sea Girls take on complex yet relatable themes with a sense of majesty in their music. "The track 'Hometown' tackles loss, which we didn't explore on the first album. We wanted to make sure that it was appropriate and respectful. The new album confronts bigger issues, like mental health, because life has moved on since the first album."

'Paracetamol Blues', a track that delves into the struggles relationships can bring, is a fine example of the band writing about what they know. It's crucial to the band that their music and identity remain honest. "We're just writing about real stuff, real feelings. Some of it's optimistic, some of it isn't. It's addressing things in our lives that hadn't happened before." The sincerity in which they see themselves is commendable. Sea Girls aren't afraid to self-deprecate and pull back the curtain on things personally: "It's sincere, not a flattering self-portrait. The temptation is to write yourself as the hero". And how does this translate into daily life? "You write; you're a piece of shit everywhere around your house. Keeps us humble."

Homesick shows where the band is right now. First single, 'Sick', a boldly written procession of everything perturbs Camamile, plays out like a live therapy session—unloading of frustration. "The intention was to highlight the pissed off attitude that I had at the time when you're kind of at the end of your rope, when you become pissed off at the things you used to love, like the Beatles, being sober, drunk and modern life. Being stuck in your room, scrolling with nothing else to do. It's full of attitude, and the song is about nailing that attitude".

Aware of the problematic second-album syndrome afflicting so many bands, Sea Girls knew they had their work cut out to ensure success for the follow-up. To shake things up and maintain a fresh perspective, they teamed up with legendary producer Jackknife Lee. "Having Jackknife there forced us to take bolder risks. He was very savage. It was like: 'if it's not good enough, it's not good enough'. He pushed us. Having that has elevated the songs for sure."

The result is a step forward for the group. Their jangly brand of catchy indie rock returns in full swing but with added zing. "We wanted to deliver everything sonically, and it was important to push things sound‑wise. We made sure that each of us shone." The grand scope of songs speaks for itself. But to amp up the character of the songs, they needed to work on a bare-bones level without the cascading electric guitars, vast choruses and pounding drums. "We stripped it down to what it needs to be. To ensure everything has a purpose and when each of us can shine as we do."

With a resurgence of guitar bands in the mainstream, the band were aware of the challenges that traditional rock bands face in such a competitive market: "We've always tried to do our thing. Everyone's got what they want to sound like. We do our thing and keep our heads down". When artists find their sound, the odds of falling into predictability are high, but Sea Girls stayed on top of that by striving for originality... "We didn't want to repeat ourselves. That's what we tried to strive to do through all our songs and albums. We don't want to do the same song twice."

Now that life has dramatically picked up again, Sea Girls keep in mind the advice they've received to stay balanced and level headed. "A couple of times people have told us to make sure you book a two week holiday. Otherwise you'll end up having a show every week. You get booked up. Make time for yourself."

In the midst of the Sea Girls train raging full steam ahead, the band is having a blast. Looking back on their journey so far, they are grateful for their position and are aware of the fortunate circumstances and hard work that led to their success. Though it's early in their journey, this is a group of longevity, and they are savouring every moment. "The beginning is the most fun. And sometimes, you get caught up in it and it's a whirlwind. You blink, and you miss it. So try to enjoy that. We're managing to do that."

Next on the group's agenda is an extensive autumn tour, including a show at the colossal Alexandra Palace in London. What Sea Girls have to say about such an event can be summed up in one word: "special". 

Homesick is out now.

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More about: Sea Girls