With new single ‘Saturn, the Rain?’ out now and a full album on the way- currently working under the same title – Painted Places are leaning into something with a beauty in its honesty and rawness. The track sets the tone for a release shaped by daydreams, mortality, and Madchester-tinged melancholy.
Songs in Painted Places usually begin with Tom experimenting on his guitar: “I’ll potter about for a while until something inspiring pops up,” he explains. “Then I play it on repeat until it grows into a proper tune.” A quick acoustic demo is sent to Beno (bass) and Jack (drums), and by the time they hit rehearsal, the track’s already halfway there. Lyrics often follow, although Tom admits that starting with words can sometimes feel like a chore.
Speaking of lyrics, most of them drift in from daydreams: “They’ve all got that otherworldliness vibe,” he says. Mortality sneaks in too: “No idea why,” Tom admits, “but loads of them are aware we’re not here forever.” Over time, the band’s sound has evolved – bigger choruses, smarter lyrics, and a much richer production.
Take ‘Touch the Sky’. Tom reckons it’s the most honest he’s ever written: “We didn’t have to twist any words to fit – it just came out naturally.” Then there’s ‘Saturn’, which features backwards guitars and an earthy, tribal-sounding melodic: “I was aiming for Beatlesy, but it came out more Stone Roses, which works.”
Tom’s not trying to be flashy: “I’m no guitar god, and I’m definitely not a proper vocalist,” he says. But he backs his songwriting, and rightly so. Since COVID, he stopped trying to write like his heroes (think Pete Doherty, Lou Reed) and just started writing like himself. The result? More rawness, and much more personal.
Painted Places also changed how they record. Instead of live takes, they built each song layer by layer: “It suited the style better, gave us more space to experiment,” Tom explains.
The sound? It leans into that familiar late ‘80s/early ‘90s territory – shoegaze, Madchester, Britpop – but with heart: “It’s not some new genre, but hopefully there’s comfort in the familiarity. If people are going to be impressed, it’ll be by the songs, not the solos.”
So why make the record now? Tom added: “Honestly, we just didn’t want these songs to disappear. They’re part of us now. Even if we never play them live again, they exist – on tape, or at least on a Spotify server.”
What’s next for Painted Places? Simple: “More gigs. More tunes. The writing never stops.”
You can listen to new single ‘Saturn, the Rain’ now on all major streaming platforms.
