Grammatics offer free download

by Kev Geoghegan
Radio 1 music reporter

Grammatics on the set of the video for New Franchise

Pop newcomers Grammatics are making a new track available to fans as a free download.

Taking a leaf out of Radiohead's pay-what-you-want book, the Leeds-based quartet have posted the song, New Franchise, on their official website.

It's an atmospheric slice of lush indie pop with random electro beeps matched by a killer piano hook and singer Owen Brinley's soaring vocals.

The video, which is on the band's MySpace site, sees Brinley walking through a dark forest whilst behind him bizarrely costumed people dash between the trees.

Formed in 2006, the band are yet to release a debut album but are already being described in the music press with words like "revelation" and "geniuses".

"I think we do have that dark edge to our sound but I think there's room for all kinds of music at the moment", Brinley told Newsbeat earlier this summer.

Drummer and co-founder Dominic Ord said: "Everyone seems to be floating around on a wave of joy that, for me, doesn't exist anymore. I'm f*****g fed up and sick and tired of it.

All great songs come from trying to do something different and that's all we're trying to do really Owen Brinley

"I think it's about time that people got off their arses and started at least trying to say something about it.

It is a sentiment that has been shared of late by artists like Reverend And The Makers frontman Jon McClure and The Enemy's Tom Clarke.

Brinley, who met Ord studying music technology at college, admits they have similar views.

He said: "There's a definite feeling of unrest to a lot of the songs. I know that the Rev and The Enemy come at it from a very working class background.

"We're more looking at it from a lower middle-class background. We don't come from a privileged background but when you get into your mid twenties, where do you go?

"You can spend your early 20s working for a promotions company or working at a venue or whatever, but to get a degree from your career is nigh on impossible for some people."

The band have already cut their teeth supporting The Futureheads earlier in the year and playing festivals like students-only bash Beach Break Live and Latitude.

They are currently recording the debut album in Yorkshire seaside town Bridlington.

Brinley said: "It's quite claustrophobic, we're using loads and loads of instruments, we're throwing everything we can at it."

Ord continued: "We're putting a lot of effort into making the perfect record and I don't know if that's ever going to happen.

"But that's the name of the game."