Eagleowl: Clean the night (Wiaiwya, Single, 2014)

Formed in Edinburgh in 2005, eagleowl – all lower-case if you please – were initially a duo comprising Bartholomew Owl (guitar, vocals) and Malcolm Benzie (violin, guitar, vocals). With the addition of Clarissa Cheong (double bass, vocals), several years of activity as a trio followed. The band has since grown into a multi-instrumental six-piece also featuring Rob St. John (organ, harmonium, vocals), Hannah Shepherd (cello) and Owen Williams (drums). eagleowl’s sound – trembling strings, hushed harmonies and gauzy electric guitar, tracing a line somewhere between Low, Mogwai and the Dirty Three – has likewise expanded. But without sacrifice to a resolutely less-is-more song writing approach that eschews bombast in favour of restraint, promotes suspenseful builds over cathartic climaxes, and never rushes when it can take its own precious time. 

When not performing together, all six members are highly active in other bands and collaborations, be it with Scottish alt-folk troubadour Withered Hand, Icelandic singer-songwriter Benni Hemm Hemm, their band mate Rob St. John (who also pursues a solo career), or Canadian indie-pop collective Woodpigeon.

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