Cherbourg take the twee out of the London folk scene with the punchy and distinctly gloomy Into The Dark (released 1st June). This EP stands out in what is becoming a heavily saturated market. Lead singer Andrew Davie does have the recognisable twang of Noah and the Whale’s Charlie Fink, but he has a much different story to tell.

The whole tone of Into The Dark is refreshingly different from what one has come to expect of modern folk releases. The opening track ‘Man’ slowly builds before reaching a climactic and surprisingly heavy end, reminding me more of my pre-teen Nu Metal phase than the sensitive indie-boy I have since become.

‘Shine’, the final track, is a more chilled affair maintaining the heartfelt lyrics evident throughout the EP. “I promise you from the pits of my heart/From the gutter of my soul/I’m gonna give you all I could not give” are possibly the most powerful lyrics of the EP without the need of the crescendo that accompanies the choruses of each of the other songs.

Cherbourg maintain the zesty appeal of the folksters who came before, but punch out in a bold way which has been somewhat lacking prior to this EP. They are making distinct music having created their own unique sound and are clearly moving on from their peers. Into The Dark has introduced the next step in the London Folk scene, putting a refreshing, if not a bit of a gloomy spin on the West London fiddle and guitar formula.
 


You are witnessing history in the making, with the new brand of Music interview.

I had a nice little interview with Cherbourg over Twitter messages. The band only had 140 characters to answer each of my questions, and I assure you, there was minimal cheating...

The TWINTERVIEW is born!

Firstly, who are Cherbourg?

Cherbourg are Davie, Fiddle, Chris and Kev. Davie and Phil met at school. Chris and Kev played together in various projects before. The band you hear today is the result of us taking Davie fiddle and the lucky egg (previous band) to the next level.

Who are your main influences?

Our main influences are Bon Iver, Guns ‘n’ Roses, The Cure and Kings of Leon.

I keep hearing of links to Laura Marling and co. How do you all know each other?

Phil Fiddle used to play with Laura and we all live in the same part of west London. Two of us went to school with Noah and the whale and Mumford and Sons.

What differentiates your music from the other London folksters like Noah & The Whale and Mumford & Sons?

I guess we are more rocky and less folky. We come from the same roots but we present our music more boldly.

Your new EP 'Into The Dark' seems quite a bit darker than 'Last Chapter of Dreaming' Has there been a conscious change in direction?

No. It's just a representation of where we are in our lives, it's not formulated.

Your tour starts on 23rd May, will it your first big nationwide tour?

It is our first headline tour. We're very excited. But we've been on the road before so we've brought more than one pair of pants this time.

Who do you have supporting you on tour?

We're really excited to have the amazing Kurran and the Wolfnotes, The Agitator, Lights, and Country Winston's (Mumford & Sons) solo project.

On the topic of other bands, do you have any favourite up and coming artists?

Aside from the above, Alessi's Ark, Jesse Quin and the Mets, King Charles,Ryan O'Reilly, to name a few.

I know the EP is just about to be released, but is there an album in the pipeline?

Yes. An album is definitely in the pipeline. We'll be writing over the summer.

Now for a silly one, who is your favourite superhero?

Wolverine!!! Definitely!!!