This is Video of the Week from Wales Arts Review. We’ll be showcasing some of the best art in Wales with a new video shared every week. From music to drama and everything in between, videos will not be limited by medium. Today we’re featuring ‘Calling’ by alt-pop quartet, Hourglvss.
We’re indulging in a healthy dose of 80’s themed pop for this week’s Video of the Week, as we take a look at the new single ‘Calling’ from alt-pop quartet, Hourglvss. The band, featuring Katie Benbow (vocals/keyboard), Sophie May Williams (vocals/keyboard), Rosie Hamilton (guitar) and Lauren James (drums), have had a busy time recently, being featured on the BBC Introducing Stage and the Isle of Wight Festival’s One to Watch list.
Hourglvss have drawn inspiration from a range of artists such as Wendy and Lisa, Depeche mode, Confidence Man, and Self Esteem. Hourglvss tell tales of love and loss with hypnotic vocals, intoxicating harmonies while displaying a forceful sense of groove and drama that transverses through Pop and Clubland. That breadth of influence is easily recognizable in the warm aesthetic of ‘Calling’.
The song was also an opportunity for the ban to reflect on their own narratives and how they navigate mental health battles within their music.
“The themes of our songs began to naturally change since being together, it became easier to speak about what was going on in our brains and our lives as women at this current time. These songs are about our friends, our girlfriends, our mental health. At practice we always ask each other how we are doing, and we talk, it’s like a coffee morning” says Katie Benbow.
“Before Hourglvss, I never had a group of solid girlfriends. This is a love letter to all the girls in the band and to all girls and their friends. I had never found a community where I felt I fit in and where you all care about each other, where you can tell something is up with someone and want to check in.”
‘Calling’ is out now and available to stream in all the usual places.
