STILL TRAFFICO – A BAND TO SAVOUR, NOT JUST PRE-SAVE
ORIGINALLY out of Manchester – yet with one ear casually pointed towards the sounds of the Mersey – STILL TRAFFICO’s new single, ‘SEAGULL’ is now available to stream on all platforms.
Inspired by JMG Le Clézio’s ‘Désert,’ in which seagulls carry the ancestral spirits of a migrating tribe, the song is about the search for innate connection to Britishness but coming up short. The singer sits in his flat, staring at a mouldy wall, fruit flies overhead – oddly reminiscent of seagulls. Roused, he takes a train to the seaside, but never arrives.
SEAGULL is an intriguing, yet instantly absorbing, effort. The drive and rhythm, strangely reminiscent of Wire, are a perfect foil for the pithy observations of a peak Matt Johnson, and a beguiling mix of the innocence and confidence of a band at the start of their journey, indicate a bright future for the young four-piece.
Mancunian school friends Cam McColl (lead vocals/guitar), Dan Carabine (lead guitar), and Connor Lilley (drums) formed Still Traffico in London in 2023, with bassist Dan Arthur ultimately completing the line up.
Influenced by everything from Chanson Française storytelling to Michael Head, African desert blues, contemporary house to post-rock, post-punk and more, Still Traffico produce a fine blend of indie pop and post-punk, a fusion they call, ‘Railway Pop.’
“Growing up in Manchester and being into guitars generally, you can’t really help but be influenced by the strict diet of Oasis, Smiths, Joy Division, Happy Mondays that you’d hear ad nauseum in clubs and pubs,” said McColl.
“But whereas my pals got into bands like Courteeners – who were a bit too Britpop-reboot and bland for my tastes – I got into Echo and the Bunnymen after my dad took me to see them when I was 15 at the Buxton Opera House. Listening to the Bunnymen made me get into scouse bands around at that time – the Lotus Eaters and Frankie goes to Hollywood.
“My dad also loves John Power, so I was always into the La’s and Cast anyway. Then, eventually I fell upon Michael Head’s peerless body of work, and I’ve been obsessed with his beautiful music ever since. All our songs follow his lead some way or another.”
Catch Still Traffico live at the 02 Academy, Islington on 27th October.
STILL TRAFFICO online:
Music | STILL TRAFFICO (bandcamp.com)
