New Music: Red Telephone – Willing to Wait

Cardiff’s Red Telephone are a unique proposition, one of those pioneering bands that make music that will set trends, not follow them. You can savour this intriguing individuality on Willing to Wait.

The song, which is from the group’s Delay the New Day album, has an avant-pop feel to it, as comfortable next to the music of Sparks and Roxy Music as it is the stream of consciousness indie confections of Of Montreal.

But Red Telephone do not ignore the ‘pop’ side of the avant-pop equation. Jangling guitars weave into a catchy vocal melody; you might find yourself joining in with the chorus, and the song feels designed to be enjoyed live, but is equally effective with your headphones on and the world held at bay.

Says the band, “Willing to Wait is probably one of the more hopeful songs on the album, insofar as it’s about being honest with yourself – or asking the right questions rather than staying on autopilot, at least. We’ve frequently found ourselves fighting pressures to fit in and play the game.”

“Sometimes it’s seductive and you’ve really got to fight those temptations, remind yourselves of the bullshit, and I think that ultimately this album, as a whole, was about us embracing the creative process and our instincts for the sake of our sanity. We wanted to embrace a spirit of independence and reconnect with the process; the things that got us excited and gave us meaning when we first started out.”

Delay the New Day can be downloaded on Bandcamp, where it is also available in CD and vinyl formats. Head to the band’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds to learn more about the LP.