Any artist that has a distinct artistic vision is one that’s worth checking out, to be sure. The medium or style of that art isn’t particularly important, but what all great artists have in common is a desire to create the vision they see in their heads. One listen to UK post-hardcore band Static Dress and that’s likely the vibe you’ll get from them in just a few minutes of airtime – yet they routinely transcend their genre tags often.
Emerging in 2019 with their debut single “clean.”, Static Dress started immediately gaining attention with their take on a nostalgic post-hardcore sound – yet labeling them as some kind of nostalgia-reliant group is extremely foolish. While it’s true that vocalist Olli Appleyard and Static Dress’s talented rhythm section (behold, Sam Ogden on the drums!) might be reminiscent of bands like Dead Poetic, older Underoath, Glassjaw, and perhaps Thursday, there is little that is actually predictable about Static Dress themselves.
While there wasn’t quiet even a three year wait between the band’s debut single and the album that would become their 2022 debut full-length, Rouge Carpet Disaster, it sure felt like it to the band’s rabid fanbase. In the interim, word of mouth helped spread the next salvo of Static Dress singles hit most of the intended targets – and when you’re armed with a vocalist who has more range than the Sniper Rifle from Halo 2, it’s not particularly a surprise why they’re getting tapped to support major tours (like the current BMTH dates + last year’s nothing,nowhere. headlining tour).
Far more than some sort of nostalgic tribute act to the past, there’s elements of genres in the band’s sound that are really, really exciting – particularly the shoegaze influences on songs like “Push Rope” and “Attempt 8”. Thankfully, the effort they’ve put in is really paying off. And effort is the operative word for Static Dress, who put a lot of that into more than just the music – it’s the audiovisual component, the supporting of new bands and artists, and even a brave Redux version of Rouge Carpet Disaster. When you add the overarching aspect of community that the band is so passionate about, there’s an urgency and flair that is uncommon in the music scene as well. And buoyed by Roadrunner Records, the sky really is the limit for Static Dress at this point. It would probably be smart to get on board.
