Far beyond the outer ring roads of Leeds and Sheffield, there is an alluring ambivalence to a band from Grimsby crafting escapist indie.
Indigo Bay are that band. While their contemporaries and the city’s promoters were championing #rawkmusic, Callum (singer/rhythm guitar), Alex (lead guitar), George (bass) & Amias (drums) held up in the room of a college eulogising about Mac DeMarco, Hippocampus and Her’s.
In fact, Her’s are the reason the band registered a blip on the Heist or Hit radar. Callum uploaded a cover of Speed Racer to YouTube. What followed was a flutter of DMs & the rest is history.
Like the Marvel franchises they binge on, the band’s coming of age narrative must be preceded by its origins story. If they had a superpower it’d be escape. Escape from preconceptions, expectations, depression and geography. The name itself is representative of a paradise of sorts; a portkey to an abstract sanctuary of music making. Meeting at college, Callum, George, Amias and Alex, were all in different bands put together by tutors. Bored by the insipid nature of group projects, ‘Indigo Bay’ became a place they collectively escaped to. “Alex and I were jamming some Mac DeMarco songs in a room with Amias.” Says Callum. “George walked by so we told him to grab a bass and plug in. We couldn’t stop grinning at how good it sounded. After that we would rehearse in that small room any chance we could. Sometimes we like to think that room is Indigo Bay.” The room in question can actually be seen in the music video for Bats.
Half inside jokes, half inadvertent family, these days Indigo Bay are a tidal range of dispersion; at different universities at low tide and all sleeping in Callum’s bedroom at high tide. It’s this family first, all or nothing existence that keeps them so prolific. “Our ‘sound’ is just the four of us having a laugh and enjoying being with each other. We’re grateful to have one another.” Spend more than half hour with Indigo Bay and you’ll learn that Amias can do a Rubiks cube in 40 seconds, Callum can draw (like, really draw), George is unnervingly good with butterfly knives (watch out!) and Alex will be able to eat any meal before you do. The tumbledown aw shucks-ness of their group dynamic only makes them all the more endearing. There’s a generosity to their knock-about energy and room on this road trip for all comers.
Bats is out now. Find out more by clicking here.
