Geowulf, a dream pop/surf rock-based band, with members from Brisbane, Australia, and London, United Kingdom, are taking over the industry with a unique, distinct sound that blends a variety of sounds that connect well between lovers of indie rock/pop and lovers of lucid dream music. Both singers of the band, Toma Banjanin and Star Kendrick, gained early success with the band from songs like Saltwater, which constituted of the same elements of dream pop and surf rock. Ranging their early influences from bands like Beach House, Mazzy Star and Fleetwood Mac, their distinctive songwriting and interesting aura of production is what makes the band so different from other acts using multiple genres to form one sound. They bring an organic sound when it comes to songwriting, and each member brings their style to establish a preceding sound for what the band brings. Another interesting thing about the band is about their name; to examine, geo means earth, which Star combined with the fabled name of a Swedish warrior, Beowulf, as a way for the group to be named.
Arriving at the Drake Hotel for their Toronto show, it made me reminisce the moments of going to a smaller show to see upcoming artists on the rise, and to examine how they perform live, how they sound live, how the fans interact with their sound, how they respond to the band or DJ, and much more. From this show, I noticed that there was a mix of young and old people in the crowd, who usually hear about the artists from either the local zine from a music publication company, from Spotify and Apple Music, and who just come to see whatever acts come to perform at their favorite venue. It was also interesting to hear that people from outside of my city, who come from smaller cities or cities with an inaccessible music scene to check out their favorite artists, and it proves that their dedication was really amazing.
As the only band performing in the show, Geowulf started to come on stage, with all four members, and they are actually well-put for a dream pop/surf rock band. Even though most of the stuff you hear when they perform seems like folk/indie rock music, they actually bring a unique dream sound whenever they perform. Although attendance is pretty usual for a smaller band since it was about fifty to sixty people inside the venue, everyone seemed to really enjoy and know about the music much more, and they really enjoyed how the acoustics sounded. Another interesting moment was how there were lots of people in the crowd were dancing and enjoying the time of their lives.
The orchestration, stage performance and the way the lead singer sang were very well put out and they actually know how to perform very well in these circumstances. Star’s vocal range, as well as the way she initiates her verses and chorus through the tempo and speed of the band was well put out. Her voice actually brings a more vibrant and melodic feel and has more of an indie, bluegrass-type sound, as well as the way she drags her lyrics. By bringing everything they had, they still managed to close off their Toronto show on a good note. Geowulf will still continue the tour until November 27th, 2019 at the Exchange in Bristol, United Kingdom. For more information on their tour dates for each city, check out their Instagram page, under @geowulfmusic for further details.
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By: Joshua Habtwold | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!
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