The New Modern Lights Glow With Indie-Rock Nostalgia On Their Debut EP

The New Modern Lights first formed in 2015 (Credit: Richard Neo)

Good things come to those who wait. For The New Modern Lights, it took them six years to stoke the flames of their mutual endeavours, smouldering in a foundation of indie-rock fixation. The fruits of their labour: their freshly-released debut EP, The Distance Between Us.

For context, the quartet represents a movement that’s firm in its conviction, persisting with a guitar-conscious sound that refuses to become dated. Listening to the local outfit is like tuning into a time capsule of the mid-noughties; an early millennial’s memory of Topshop devotion and sweaty Beat! nights at Home Club. Unexpectedly, this is survived by a bunch of young guns who sound like they belong a decade earlier, yet they’ve managed to build a standing that’s irrefutably current.   

The material on their EP, produced by the inimitable Leonard Soosay, is a testament to this. You have the floaty “Dreams” that coasts like it’s surfing on clouds, rolling with sun-kissed harmonies and chiselled guitar hooks that’d feel right at home on a Two Door Cinema Club record. “Runaway” is an unyielding, synth-washed, stadium anthem that bears simple but effective chord progressions, and boasts hefty mass appeal with its empathy-drawing lyrics of hazy, us-against-the-world romance. And then you have “Bones” that walks tall with confidence, overcoming its themes of heartbreak with a white-knuckled, rock-rooted arrangement that’s absolutely ageless. It’s also pertinent to note that “Bones” was a big win for the band, scoring a Youth Music Award for Rock Single of the Year in 2021.

These lads have a sound that still stands the test of time (Credit: Richard Neo)

While these are tracks are barefacedly formulaic and aren’t exactly breaking any new ground, they help to sustain a musical era that’s too stubborn to perish. But maybe that’s exactly what the Gen-Zs need – a little bit of textbook education.

Listen to the debut EP of The New Modern Lights on Spotify. Follow their Facebook and Instagram pages to stay updated with their activities.