Exciting London newcomers Tether. offer up a modern spin on post-hardcore with a furiously feisty and intense but engaging sound that they describe as “energetic, cathartic and inspirational.”
The band was initially formed by Justin (vocals) and Kieran (guitars), who were previously in a band called Hunter Kill Hunter together. Justin is a promoter on the London scene, booking bands to shows as part of Trauma PR, and James (drums), Rob (guitars/vocals) and Jack (bass) all came from bands he booked.
The band members come from different backgrounds in heavy music but united in an aim to bring a fresh and modern twist to the post-hardcore sound they grew up loving, with energetic and chaotic live shows to boot.
And on the band’s formation, they told us: “We’d all agree that the band is more about just music for us. It’s about calling out all of the bullshit in the world, but putting a positive spin on whatever situation you find yourself in. Sometimes it can be hard to look past immediate obstacles and mold your negative experiences into a constructive outcome. We want to use Tether to inspire people to be the best version of themselves, especially in the face of adversity, hence the mantra: Break your Tether. Live Free.”
Our latest taste of this is The Deciders, which was released in February. It opens up with an edgy intro of chunky guitar chords answering a spinning riff, before launching into a lively opening verse led by entertaining vocals and a funky riff.
That gives way to a section of spoken vocals, which develop into big screamed vocals and spin into a funky little riff leading a big chorus. The pace drops briefly as feisty spoken vocals “Put forward your tribute, For these false idols you worship, A community you have botched, Will come back to ravage” give way to vicious low-tuned guitars and a huge cry of “Martyr, Give back your crown” to bring the track to a lively conclusion.
On the track, the band told us: “Furious, fuck the world, rock and roll. The Deciders is all about the ways power is used and abused in society and a reminder that those wielding power do not always have your best interests at heart. It’s fast and it’s heavy. The track has been out since February now and the reaction’s been amazing.
“Our single launch party at Blondies alongside our friends in Broken Calling was packed and a great way to celebrate the end of a chapter for us as a band. Even though it is a relatively old song for us (we recorded it in 2021 and have been playing it live since 2019) we really feel it’s a level up in terms of songwriting and the vibe we wanted to bring into 2023 with the new music we are working on.” Check out The Deciders in the video here:
That follows the excellent No More Sleepwalking, which was released last year. It opens up with a bouncy riff that’s joined by feisty vocals I can’t seem to sleep, It’s as if everything, everything’s on repeat,” and leads into an engaging chorus with clean vocals answering heavy screams. A second verse ends on a little breakdown that feeds into another chorus. Second time around, the chorus ends on a drawn-out guitar noise that drops into spoken vocals over palm-muted guitars and laid-back licks. But it gradually builds up to repeats of “I’ll blindly do this for the love” that set up a lively outro. Check it out in the video here:
Both those singles follow on from The Illusionist, which came after a few earlier singles that include the intense Survival Mode and the excellent For Failure’s Sake.
The Tether. sound has been shaped by the band members’ different tastes but united by the likes of Letlive., Pressure Cracks, Every Time I Die, Deftones, Counterparts, Stray From the Path and Glassjaw.
And on what influences them to write music, they explain: “Our sound is interesting and we nod to many of our favorite bands growing up. The feel is to be able to dance to a heavy band, so it’s very groove-based from a rhythm section perspective. From a vocal standpoint, it’s very much the same as above, with some spoken word across a few tracks to add some depth and messaging. If you want to have fun, come and catch a Tether show, and get involved. Tether is for everyone.”
If you like what you hear from Tether. then the good news is that there’s plenty more to come. They’re currently working on booking up gigs through the rest of the year, which should hopefully include supporting a big-name artist in London in July. They’ve also been working on their debut EP, which has been recorded at Rogue Studios and should be released towards the end of the year, with a first single from it out in the summer.
And just to whet your appetite for it, the band tells us: “These are definitely our strongest tracks yet and we’ve tried to expand the range of what we are doing by warping from more of a hardcore beatdown sound to some lighter melodic elements.”
You can follow Tether on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, grab their merch here, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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