Oh Atoms
Described as “the folk-pop Ting Tings†by the Guardian-online, Oh, Atoms are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Gwen Cheeseman (violin, keyboards, mandolin, melodica, vocals) and Marc Withecomb (guitar, banjo, lapsteel, ukulele, theremin, vocals) who create whimsical indie-folk-pop.
Gwen and Marc met in Austin, USA – she was on tour with Psapp (playing violin and toys) and Jose Gonzalez, he was enjoying a troubadour lifestyle aboard the Greyhound bus. Fast forward twelve months and much has come of that fateful meeting – a chestful of songs, a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV, the inclusion of their first single in a film and the setting up of the duo’s own record label Little Victories.
Due to be released in February 2009, ‘You Can’t See The Stars From Here’ starts with ‘Sugar Mouse’ their debut single which attracted the attention of Gurinder (Bend It Like Beckham) Chadha, who used it as the climax music for her latest film ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’.
With dramatic sweeping strings as an opener, jauntily plucked banjos and Gwen’s so-sweet vocals, ‘Sugar Mouse’ was originally released digitally to coincide with the film’s summer release and will be released on limited edition vinyl on January 19th. The single will be accompanied by a part animated video directed by Matt Bowron the winner of the Doritos ‘You Make It We Play It’ make-your-own TV advert competition.
Taking lyrical inspiration from 1930s tea dances, Victorian darkness, dead film stars and suspicious circumstances, musically Oh, Atoms’ predominantly-acoustic pop is at times Magic Numbers-ishly summery and sprightly and at others forlorn, melancholic and minor-key moody with recollections of the achingly pretty chamber-pop of Shelleyan Orphan. Asked to describe themselves, Oh, Atoms obliquely answer “a candlelit evening in a dusty attic with a Victorian spectre and a drunken beeâ€.