HOLY COVES BATMAN - THERE'S A WELSH ROCK BAND IN MY BARN!

INSPECT the listings of any self-respecting music venue and you’ll see the influence of the Welsh dragon.
Super Furry Animals, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, The Joy Formidable, Manic Street Preachers...Wales has produced a steady stream of all-permeating talent.

So it’s no surprise that the latest promising band to hit the psych-rock scene – Holy Coves – can be found toiling away in the bassist’s grandmother’s barn somewhere near Holyhead.

With a joint vision of the type of music they wanted to make, singer and songwriter Scott Marsden and bassist Jimi Eggleton, left rock band The Lizzies to form Holy Coves. Drummer Ash Garden and former Wendykurk guitarist Ben Lee completed the line-up.

Marsden said: “We wanted to do something a bit more dark and groovy and we just had different ideas. It’s not like we fell out with The Lizzies. We wrote this album and it’s only now we’ve got it to where we’re happy to put the music out.”

The band plays Barfly Camden on Monday (Dec 6).
Marsden said: “I love Camden, I want to live there. The first time I came to Camden, we must’ve played about 15 shows before we worked our way up to some of the venues. It’s got such a vibe. You walk through there and feel it.

“I remember reading about Noel Gallagher saying during the beginning of Oasis the scene in Camden was just happening but (now) it’s not there, it’s dead. But I think the vibe is still there. I felt it the minute I went there. You create your own scene at the end of the day. I do think it’s important for bands to play Camden – but you go where people want you to play. Experience it and make it your main aim to get down to London.”

Regardless of his admiration for Camden, Marsden’s full of love for his oft-maligned home town of Holyhead.
He said: “Holyhead’s my home, my life. I’ll always be here at some point. Even if I was living down south I’ll always have a place here.
“I absolutely love Holyhead, I’m really passionate about the place. It’s beautiful and doesn’t get seen for what it is. We did the music video yesterday and I used locations in Holyhead because I wanted to show some of the beautiful parts people don’t get to see, the mountains. We’ve got some really cool places I want to put into all the videos.”

Put that backdrop to the kind of sounds you expect from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Black Angels and that’s kind of where Holy Coves fit in.

But they’re not too rock and roll to hang out with Jimi’s gran, who has given over one of her barns for them to rehearse in. The guys pop in to see her every now and again and Jimi helps out around the house.
Said Marsden: “She’s an absolute star because without her we wouldn’t have that place. It’s a godsend for us. We’ve had it for about two and half years.”

Don’t be fooled into thinking Holy Coves has something to do with Holyhead’s coastline position.
Marsden said: “Holyhead’s known as the holy island so the Holy thing is from that part of it. You could say where all the beaches are is where we got coves from but actually we were looking through an old cockney slang book and it said coves was the name for geezers or criminals. We just liked the idea of holy before coves and it just sort of fits where we’re from.”

EP The Drones (out January 31), was recorded in a studio at the foothills of Snowdonia and Marsden promises: “This album is going to be amazing. There’s such a raw energy about it. When we play together there’s just something happening in the music now and it’s just really exciting. I can’t wait to put it out there.”