It was a quiet, cold Thursday night in Sheffield, England. Maya, Carl, Ruth, Tom and Rich arrived separately for an open mic night and, a round or two of hot chocolate later, left the venue a newly formed band. Or, that’s how Pocket Satellite tells the story of its origin. No matter how it happened, I’m glad it did.
The music Pocket Satellite makes is as charming and bright as the people themselves. Hailing from four cities across Britain, the five band members play 15 instruments among them. Fifteen! It’s possible I’ve never even handled 15 different instruments in my life. More importantly, I made a promise to these lovely people that I’ve yet to fulfill.
They probably don’t remember it, but I do, and I’m not about to break my barely memorable word. Here’s what happened. After spending the summer in London with Pepperdine, I found myself sitting in the house on the last night, dreading packing. There are so many other things I’d rather do than pack, like read a book, spend time with a friend, eat pie or, hey, see Pocket Satellite play a show. I left my packing mostly finished and headed for the Bowery on New Oxford Street.
I walked into a lively pub and down a wooden staircase into a small, dusky space illuminated mainly by the tinted lights on the stage. Around 30 people chatted and waited for the next group to take the stage. Once it was time for Pocket Satellite, I was content listening to their bright, melodic tracks.
After their set, I picked up a copy of their newest release, “Paper Aviator,” from Maya, acoustic guitarist and vocalist. I told her I first saw Pocket Satellite in London when they opened for New York indie-rock artist Jenny Owen Youngs, who, in turn, had opened for Regina Spektor a few months before.
“I can’t believe it!” Maya said. “The Jenny Owen Youngs gig was, what? a year ago? No, a bit more than that, and people still come up to us about it. It really did incredible things for us, and it was just an amazing time.”
She told me they were playing another show in London soon, but I replied that I was leaving the country in the morning, cringing as I tried to make that sound less criminal. When she learned of my destination, Maya told nearby Carl, also on vocals and guitar, and Tom, on drums, violin and other instruments, that I was from sunny California. They said they’d love to tour in California someday. To help make this dream a reality, I promised them I’d put in a good word with California. Yeah, I know it’s not much, you guys, but here it is.
Much of the other music I’ve discussed in prior weeks has been heavier and darker in both its instrumentation and subject matter, like Laura Marling’s new album, “A Creature I Don’t Know,” or Florence + the Machine’s single “What the Water Gave Me.” If the former wasn’t talking about the struggle between good and evil in our own lives, then the latter was talking about Virginia Woolf’s suicide. That’s not Pocket Satellite. In fact, it cannot fail in radiating happiness.
But I don’t mean to trivialize their songwriting by making it sound like fluff. I know the sad movie has a better shot at taking home the Oscar, but please don’t write off Pocket Satellite because their music is palatable. Instead, look at their lyrical creativity and layered musical arrangements. They are clearly a skilled bunch (15 instruments!) with clever, well-crafted, polished folk-pop worthy of the sidelong glances they’re starting to receive in the U.K. In fact, “Paper Aviator” was recorded as a part of the Roundhouse 30/30 Project, a collaborative project between the world-famous Roundhouse and EMI label to expose emerging artists and sharpen their music with the resources available to the larger names.
I think 30/30 made a good choice with this group. The whole “Toy Train” EP, inspired by the discovery of an antique glockenspiel, was on repeat for me for ages. The band manages to illustrate substantive lyrics with the most vivid and creative imagery. “We Chased Soldiers,” in particular, is a beautiful track on an album full of sincere expressiveness and lilting melodies. Carl and Maya’s gentle, breathy voices blend together perfectly, and, perhaps the best part, the whole band looks like they’re having the time of their lives on stage.
But if, say, Portishead is where your heart really lies, Pocket Satellite’s probably not your thing, and that’s all right. Their page on iTunes says that listeners who bought their music also liked music from artists including Bon Iver, Lily Allen, Foo Fighters and Jason Mraz. (I’m not sure how the Foos got there, but I guess I’m someone who really likes the Foo Fighters and Pocket Satellite as well, despite their vast differences.) And if your influences match some of theirs — Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Kyte, The Postal Service, Jenny Owen Youngs — then, please, give them a listen.
The Pocket Sats were the perfect punctuation to my summer, and I truly hope I get the opportunity to see them play again. Beyond being completely refreshing and enjoyable, they’re a genuine and talented group whose success makes the (music) world a bit more just. Now, here’s to hoping that Rolling Stone picks up this article and sponsors a tour of the Golden State.
