Maybe my least favourite way to discover new music, and one I try to avoid, is a late night Spotify deepdive. Giving into the algorithm typically results in commercialised results, but sometimes you hit gold.
Last winter, I came across the London based five-piece IMISSMYMOM. Their first album (the self titled IMISSMYMOM) danced through different genres and was dripping with emotion, lead singer Tennessee’s vocal strength complimented by expressive instrumentation. We caught them at a quiet New Cross Inn show in February where they gave an energetic performance to an dissapointingly relaxed crowd. This wasn’t usual, they told us after, something that we wouldn’t see evidenced until last weekend.
A year and a half on and IMISSMYMOM II was delivered. IB Kamara (who the band lovingly describe as their ‘MOM’ over on Instagram) has taken on the role of creative director for this second offering. As the previous Editor-in-Chief of Dazed and the current Creative Director of Off-White, he’s a name most new bands could only dream of working with. His vision took the form of a taxidermied fox which each band member takes turns caressing in the album’s promo shoot.
This latest release was marked with a night at the reasonably new grassroots venue Deptford Junction, tucked away behind the station under the arches. The band’s drummer, Kyle Creaton, co-founded the place. A family affair full of eclectic objects with a cluster of disco balls hanging from the wall like a glittering cancerous growth. It was hot, the kind of heat that doesn’t diminish after the sun goes down and as more people piled into the tight space, it was clear things were going to get intense.
The album itself ranges from their typical heavy style like the opener ‘Alive’, to more traditionally easy listening tracks such as ‘At The Party’. Coming from a band with such a varied mix of backgrounds, it isn’t surprising they want to explore exactly how far they can push themselves.
A few songs in and the crowd began forming a mosh pit where sweaty bodies stuck together. At one point a guy lurched towards us, dropped his bag at my feet, then jumped at a height back into the fold. It was chaotic, cathartic and close to triggering a mass fainting incident.They’re a group formed partly due to the warehouse scene, who recently told ASBO that they wanted to do “more warehouse parties”, and these kinds of spaces feel like the best way to experience them.
After the release party, Tennessee shared her thoughts on Instagram:
“This album felt like I was becoming a mom, a labour of love. I felt the stages of grief, change, and learned to be more patient and love in new ways. Now, I’m a proud mom.”
The bands enthusiasm to both explore and perform, as well as their ability to draw the attention of other notable creatives makes them feel like true artists. London is littered with bands pumping out variations of the same guitar tune and it’s always appreciated when a group tries to step away from that, harnessing their passion to create something that demands to be listened to.
