Music

Five bands that shaped our sound: Landmarks

Manchester alt-rockers Landmarks reveal the bands that have influenced them as musicians and music fans.

There are so many bands that have influenced us as a band and each individual release we have put out. As individuals, we have wide-ranging musical interests, but our tastes tend to overlap at key intersections on the musical spectrum. Intersections which can be typified by a few key bands…

Taking Back Sunday - A Decade Under The Influence (Video)

TAKING BACK SUNDAY

These guys have had such a huge influence on us as a band since we first started playing together. Adam Lazzara’s energy as a front man is something we all admire, and the way he and John Nolan (at this moment in time) share vocal duties in a back and forth manner is something we’ve tried to feature in several of our own songs. The key aspect of this band is progression, each album sounds different in some way to the one that came before it, and we hope to be able to achieve that as well over the course of our career.

The Hotelier - Your Deep Rest

THE HOTELIER

Whenever we get in the van to go to a show, you can guarantee The Hotelier’s first album will be the first thing played. We must have all sung along to their music more than any other album whilst on the road (the CD itself is now completely scratched through love and overuse). The Hotelier’s musical style is simple and yet somehow simultaneously intense and sedate. The lyrics are heartfelt and extraordinarily honest. They are probably the best ‘new’ band out there right now. Their second album was recently released and cemented in our minds the fact that they are here to stay. They mean a lot to us.

Jimmy Eat World - The Middle (Official Music Video)

JIMMY EAT WORLD

It’s hard to imagine many bands having the lasting power of those that came about before them in this day and age, but Jimmy Eat World have proved that it can be done. Their arsenal of radio-friendly hits speak for themselves, but the album tracks on each release pack just as powerful a punch – this band just don’t do filler. They blur the line between the mainstream and cult favourites almost seamlessly and appeal to such a wide variety of people; it’s something we can only hope to do ourselves as we continue playing music together.

Brand New - Jude Law and A Semester Abroad

BRAND NEW

It’s not often that a band takes on almost mythical status, both in the eyes of their fans and the rest of the music industry. As an influential faux-deity, Brand New are essential to who we are as a band and the kind of music we aim to produce. Jesse Lacey’s skill in penning lyrics is something every band should live up to. A decade of listening to Brand New is showing more and more in the songs we write, especially as our new release contains what we think is some of the most mature, technical and honest material we’ve created to date.

The Academy Is...: Slow Down [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

THE ACADEMY IS…

This band don’t get the credit they deserve and it’s such a shame that they aren’t held in higher regard. Almost Here is a flawless debut album which occupies a space we often place ourselves in, never straying far from pop punk but never quite fitting in with the rest of the genre. As they went on, they became a much more straight laced pop rock outfit, but William Beckett’s fantastic range and ability to write clever – often witty – lyrics is something we greatly admire.

Landmarks release new EP, In Spite Of It All, via Scylla Records on 12 August 2016. See more from them @LandmarksBand.