London’s Uzumaki (or are they Norfolk’s? Who has rightful claim?) release their brilliant debut album ‘Waded’ and it’s an accomplished follow up to last years’ EP ‘Square One’.
Uzumaki are one of those bands that are blessed with an ear for melody that means they can produce track after track of jangly splendour and not seem to run out of any ideas. ‘Waded’ is exhibit A- 12 tracks of unabashed well-crafted punk-y or punk-adjacent tunes that channel the catchiest elements of genres past. There’s a palpable 90s influence running through Uzumaki, you can hear the very best of alt music that the decade had to offer via their songs- grunge, pop punk, Britpop, college rock, it’s all there from Weezer to My Vitriol, from Blur to the Pixies. We spoke to frontman Alex Cheung about their debut, his residual affection for Norfolk and what’s in store for the band after this release…
Releasing your debut album has got to be an intense mix of nerves and excitement, but when you’ve worked on something for so long and produced such a strong body of work, it must also be a relief to set it free into the world?
Alex: “I’m extremely excited to release this album. We’ve worked on it for quite some time now and feel like it’s the definitive body of work which represents us as Uzumaki”.
It certainly feels that way. Last year’s ‘Square One’ was a strong release (as demonstrated by the fantastic single ‘Ugly Hunger‘) but ‘Waded’ has the intricate sound that signals a band that are really coming into their own and getting much more confident in their skin.
The opening title track and impossibly poppy ‘Heaven’ are both breezily youthful, tracks that sum up the band and what they do pretty well.
The lead single from the album- ‘Scenes of Beauty’-is the big album centrepiece, an incredibly strong, mature track with multiple features that demonstrate not only Alex’s songwriting but the musical chops of everyone in the band. There’s a bit of everything- drum solos, harmonies and nifty guitar riffs- it is the standout track and one I have had on repeat ever since its release.
More of a riff-y track with ‘Look Outside’ and the vocals on this and ‘Game We Play’ are a bit more snarling , the album really getting into its stride by this point. The sound may branch out a bit but Cheung and bandmates- Nick Allen on guitar, Alex Fletcher on drums and Conor Thompson on bass- are always trying to keep to what makes them Uzumaki; never straying too far into anything heavy that will overshadow the delicate layers that make each song well rounded and crafted. This mastery of composition is also showcased wonderfully in ‘Change of View’.
Do the band feel that the album is a progression from where they were musically with their 2023 EP?
Alex: “It’s interesting because some tracks from Waded were written pre-‘Square One’, and some post. There were some tracks we had which we knew belonged on an album, not an EP, and held them with that in mind. For us, the initial singles, the EP, it’s all been a lead up to this album. The first singles we released were lighter, the EP was darker, the album has both and feels complete.”
You cannot accuse Uzumaki of being unable to pin a great melody to their lyrics, far from it. Each song on ‘Waded’ is as catchy as the last, built around strong melodic cores running through the songs, supported by four musicians who all play towards the same goal so ably.
Alex: “I usually write the guitar and vocal lines first, before anything. I later wrap the lyrics to what I’m mumbling in that voice recording. What’s weird is that sometimes what I mumble, spontaneously, ends up being the lyric I use. Sometimes, I subconsciously murmur some potentially-generic sounding lyric whilst writing the melodies, but when I zoom out and listen to the recording, I realise the lyric is actually extremely meaningful to me and usually specific to something which is happening in my life at that time.. it’s very therapeutic.”
The dreamy retro sound of ‘Cold Feet’ and the Pixies-esque ‘Catapult’ demonstrate the collection of influences that Uzumaki are a conduit for, so is the vast landscape of 90s alternative music something all band members have in common?
Alex: “Sure! The sound of the band has evolved quite a lot since we started. Originally I wanted the project to sound like METZ or just Bleach era-Nirvana. But through jams, and with the collaboration of all of us, the sound has changed into something we all resonate with. We’re all roughly the same age, born in 92-94, and we all grew up reading the same Kerrang mags and watched the same Scuzz channels. The influence for us is definitely within that 90s alternative (Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, Teenage Fanclub) world, but you can hear our more early 2000s UK-based, working-class bootleg-Slipknot-Iowa-hoodie-wearing upbringing within the sound (eg. Green Day, Offspring, Blink).“
And that upbringing of which Alex speaks was not in the metropolis that is our dear capital (which is where the band are now based), but in the more rural setting of picturesque Norfolk. Can it be that Norfolk was unable to contain the burgeoning rock stars of Uzumaki, necessitating a move to a more urban environment and all its opportunities?
Alex: “Exactly. We’re all from different parts of Norfolk and met at college. I love Norfolk and owe a lot to it, but like many young people growing up in a rural landscape, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out to gain my independence. I went to Uni in Brighton and the rest of the guys did whatever they did, Fletch moved to Australia etc.
I moved back to Norfolk just before lockdown and it was so strangely easy to just reunite with the guys. I walked up to Nick at some show at Gringos and I mentioned these songs I had been writing and was wanting to start a band. They were inspired by many, I cited Smudge, The Breeders, Sonic Youth as influences and he said ‘like Bugg?’ The songs I was writing at the time were very influenced by Bugg, I knew that this was all going to click into place at that moment.
After lockdown and a couple of years in Norwich, I was very ready to move to the city. I’ve always romanticised NYC and pictured that being my home for ages. London felt like a more viable option so here I am.”
Uzumaki have some tour dates throughout the month of September so ‘Waded’ is going to be officially on the road! I would highly recommend seeing the band at one of their live dates, not just because the album is so good but the band are a joy to watch in a live setting. Alex did let slip that there might be more shows added soon so keep an eye out on their socials to see if they are coming to a city near you.
‘Waded‘ is an accomplished piece of work for a band that are going from strength to strength, bringing fresh energy and new ideas to UK indie rock scene. Their sound is underpinned by an authenticity and love for the craft that you can hear in every resplendent riff; riffs that will rattle around your head for days after hearing them. On this trajectory, I can’t wait to see what one of the UK’s most promising bands does next.
You can order/listen to ‘Waded‘ (which is out on 13th September via Everything Sucks Music) HERE.
