The Backlash formed in Milan during Spring 2013. Being the winners in a new bands music contest, they got immediately the chance to play big stages like Tunnel and Alcatraz, establishing themselves as a solid name in Milan’s underground music scene. Spotted by “Dj Henry” (aka Enrico Lezzeri, a well known name for Italian Northern Soul and Mod fans), they got signed by his own RocketMan Records.
“3rd Generation”, their first EP, was a collection of six tracks already popular with live audiences. It got rave reviews, and earned to The Backlash several live dates, in Italy, Spain, France and the UK, enclosing a support for The KVB.
In August 2016 the band decided to take a break from touring, to record their debut full-lenght “Mindtrap”, released in 2018, and promoted with support slots in Milan for We Are Scientists and The Academic, plus several appearances at In A State Of Flux, the leading itinerant festival for italian shoegaze scene. Wanting to be more in control of their schedule, and to reduce the timeframe between recordings and release, The Backlash then concentrated on building their own space and studio, named “Right Bright Side” (RBS), that’s where they recorded a new EP, “Passing By”, released early 2020. The EP features 4 tracks which are shiny jewels, speaking loud to the hearts and ears of everybody who is or has been in love with this ’90s British Sounds.“Everybody But Me”, the single, has been mastered by Frank Arkwright (The Smiths, Joy Division, New Order, Oasis, Primal Scream, Blur, The Charlatans…) at Abbey Road Studios in London.
“Right Bright Side” is a line from one of their songs, but it’s also a manifesto, pointing at where their sound belongs: luminous reverberations, vocals hovering above textured and coarse guitar chords, technicolor laser rays and spirals. The Verve’s A Northern Soul, early Oasis, the La’s, Ride’s Nowhere.
Unfortunately pandemic and lockdown made impossible to promote the release live, in spite of all the positive reviews and airplay The Backlash were getting.
After a first reaction of despair and frustration, the band concentrated on writing new songs, now at the stage of final mixing and mastering. The single “Rise” was released on November 16th, 2021.
The Backlash are ready to play finally live, and to label-scout for a due proper release in 2022.
La storia di The Backlash inizia nella primavera del 2013, a partire dal loro primo concerto, la partecipazione a un concorso per band emergenti che dà loro l’opportunità di debuttare live su palchi del calibro del Tunnel e dell’Alcatraz di Milano.
Da allora, l’interesse dei The Backlash è stato quello di affermarsi come una realtà consolidata all’interno del panorama underground milanese. Proprio durante un concerto a Milano, Enrico Lazzeri “Dj Henry” (storico dj della scena Northern Soul e Mod milanese, critico musicale e talent scout) propone ai The Backlash di entrare a far parte del roster di RocketMan Records e registrare un primo EP, prodotto da Ettore “Ette” Gilardoni.
Il primo lavoro discografico, dal titolo “3rd Generation”, raccoglieva sei dei pezzi arrangiati dalla band nel suo primo periodo di attività. Il lavoro ottiene ottime recensioni, ne vengono estratti tre singoli e viene promosso attraverso live in Italia (tra cui le aperture a Gazebo Penguins e The KVB) e all’estero (Austria, Spagna, Francia e UK), con due date allo storico Cavern Club di Liverpool.
Nell’Agosto 2016, con le ultime due date a Pescara e nella natìa Lecce, la band chiude ufficialmente la promozione di “3rd Generation” per dedicarsi all’arrangiamento e alla registrazione degli undici pezzi inediti che andranno a comporre il primo LP, “Mindtrap”. Tra il 2018 e il 2019 escono quattro singoli, e continua l’attività live: in particolare, i The Backlash aprono le date milanesi di We Are Scientists e The Academic e vengono accolti dalla scena shoegaze Italiana, partecipando a diverse edizioni del festival itinerante In A State Of Flux. In parallelo, la band continua a lavorare su nuovo materiale.
L’esigenza di ridurre i tempi tra la creazione di nuova musica e la sua diffusione porta i The Backlash a costruire ed attrezzare un proprio studio di registrazione: un covo, rifugio e fucina che diventa – appunto e finalmente – the Right Bright Side.”Passing By”, l’EP uscito a inizio 2020, contiene 4 brani che sono un gioiello, che vanno dritti al cuore e alle orecchie di chi questo sound, northern british e popolare, ce l’ha dentro da sempre. “Everybody But Me”, il singolo, è stato masterizzato da Frank Arkwright (The Smiths, Joy Division, New Order, Oasis, Primal Scream, Blur, The Charlatans…) presso gli Abbey Road Studios di Londra.
Dopo il forzato stop dovuto alla pandemia, The Backlash hanno pronto nuovo materiale, fra cui un nuovo singolo programmaticamente intitolato “Rise”, pubblicato, con un nuovo video, a Novembre 2021.
PASSING BY PRESS QUOTES
Melodici, sonici, incalzanti e capaci anche di dilatare spazi e tempi. Applausi. Rockerilla
I quattro pezzi del disco suonano una psichedelia che contagia anima e corpo in egual misura. Blow Up
4 brani, curati al massimo e mai banali per un lavoro ben definito e che fa di questo Ep un piccolo gioiello. RockIt
Sonorità a volte scure, puri mantra sonori e cavalcate chitarristiche poderose. Shoegazin’ Your Waves
Accattivanti visioni shoegaze bruciano soniche. Indie for Bunnies
I Backlash sono un gruppo vero che ha le idee chiare su dove vuole arrivare con la propria musica. Shoegaze Blog
Quattro brani che sono un piacere per le orecchie, un amalgama perfetto di chitarre ruvide e atmosfere, che a volte virano verso la psichedelia. 10/10 Offtopicmag
4 chansons, 4 tubes Indie pour 2020!!!! Joie! Bonheur! La Voix de Garage Grenoble
Rise is one of the 5 new songs The Backlash managed to write and record during the lockdown, and is for sure the one in which the garage rock influences of the shoegazers from Milan are more highlighted.
Two guitars, a riff reminiscent of Interpol, grave psych chords of BJM’s school, a tight drumming and distorted bass, compelling and simple lyrics perfect for sing-a-longs and indie clubs. Everything was recorded and mixed by the band itself, and then mastered by Frank Arkwright (The Smiths, Oasis, The Charlatans, Blur, Joy Division, New Order) at Abbey Road Studios.
Rise wasn’t born out of thoughts, but from a sudden feeling: “it’s like when you’re driving alone, playing loud music and totally lost in your own mind, away from the real world so that you cannot even remember your route. And you have a revelation, all at once you’re conscious of yourself, of where you are and how you reach that point of your life. It’s about feeling suddenly alive (again), willing to rise above all the mud.”
The video clip was made by Andrea Conti, drummer for Clustersun, who also directed the latest clips for the psych trio from Sicily.
He wanted to visually fix the feeling of “getting lost while looking for ourselves. A physical and mind trip taken without knowing the goal and the final destination. Are we escaping our past or are we chasing the future?“
RISE MEDIA LINKS
Indie for Bunnies (IT) – video première
It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine (SLO) – video première
Loud Cities Radio Show (GR)
DKFM (US) – New Tracks
The Alternative Frequencies Rock Show (UK)
The Blackout Radio Show (GR, CYP, CAN, UK, USA)
El Santo del Rock (MEX)
Backseat Mafia (UK)
The Big Fat Indie Show (UK)
Awayday Radio Rise for Recognition (UK)
The Book of Lies (UK)
Zone Nights (ARG)
Bushwick Garage /Radio Free Brooklyn (US) ep. 303/304
Off Topic Mag (IT)
Arearock (IT)
Rock Garage (IT)
Shoegaze Blog (IT)
Riserva Indie (IT) – playlist
Post-Punk Revival and Alternative Playlist (Spotify)
Indie Pancake (Spotify)
The Grand Indie Mixer (Spotify)
Selection Sorties (FR)
Indie Pop Vibes (FR)
Voix de Garage – Radio Campus Grenoble (FR)
829 Media (GR)
New Music for Old Punks / New Wavers
A GIANT LEAP 