New Music: Polhawan – Ride On

Wild Mountain Time sees Polhawan – musician Tim Rowing-Parker – offer up five wonderful cuts of melodic lo-fi alt-rock.

It features Ride On, whose easy-going observational tones carry a distinctive 90s alt-rock sound, following a similar pattern to previous single No Sweat, though less psych and garage. You could easily view both songs as contradictory companions, tone and tempo dissimilar, both driven by a kosmische groove and folkish sensibility, yet taking those down very disparate routes.

“Ride On is a simple song; it feels pretty bare bones,” says the artist. “It didn’t feel right to add much to it or overcomplicate anything, so I just let it be.”

“It’s about letting go. To me, our experiences can often feel measured and quantifiable; we’re so used to that. I’d love to be better at just letting life wash over me and living in a way that feels more natural and in the moment.”

He adds of the EP, “It’s the first time in years I’ve released a collection of songs together. I love the context the songs give each other, and this bunch feel like they are pretty happy hanging out together, all different, but comfy in the same room.”

Wild Mountain Time was released on the 14th of May via Bristol-based Breakfast Records, also home to the likes of Getdown Services and Langkamer.

Polhawan plays a series of live dates in the coming weeks, including Sheffield, Stroud, Bristol, and Trowbridge in the UK. Wild Mountain Time can be heard on Bandcamp and Spotify; for gig and EP news, head to the artist’s Instagram feed.