An energising soft-rock sound with star Stevie Nicks-esque vocals, a bohemian chic west coast vibe, immense potential, and even a couple in the band – it’s no wonder that the rising Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals are being compared to the UK’s real life answer to Daisy Jones & The Six. That’s a conversation that will really take off as the band share their new single ‘Chrysalis’.
Storytelling folk-rock that’s big on melody and exemplary musicianship, ‘Chrysalis’ more than lives up to such lofty comparisons. Bailey’s voice is potent and passionate as she sings about the determination and possibilities that come by making a new start, while her bandmates’ tight male vocal harmonies counter the femininity of her lead. Bailey wrote ‘Chrysalis’ with Ian Barter (Amy Winehouse) and it was produced by Josiah Manning.
Bailey says, “‘Chrysalis’ is a song about rebirth and transformation, which ties beautifully with our emergence as a band. When we were playing it on tour, we could feel the energy really shift and we knew that we’d got something pretty special.
That energy carried through into the studio, it was such a magical session, and the result is probably the closest we’ve got to capturing the essence of who we are as a band, and how we sound live. We can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
The band’s live vibe has taken in some huge scale gigs, including shows as guests to Simple Minds and Keane as well as an array of key festivals such as Black Deer, Boardmasters, Wilderness, The Long Road and The Great Escape.
Based in St. Ives in Cornwall and a leading figure in the local Kernowfornia scene, Bailey Tomkinson first made waves when her independently released video for the solo track ‘Astronaut’, which fired past competition from global star names to reach #1 on the iTunes video chart. Even country icon Brad Paisley joined the praise as he hailed Bailey with comparisons to Taylor Swift and Emmylou Harris.
Yet Bailey felt more like she felt at home within the kinship, camaraderie and richer sound of a band rather than a solo artist. Step by step it evolved to encompass her partner Jordan Lee Collins (guitar), Tadhg Cullen (bass), Callum Masters (drums) and Daniel Woodfield (saxophone). Sharing influences such as The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Sheryl Crow and Sam Fender, the band are now on the cusp of much bigger things.
Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals will follow the release of ‘Chrysalis’ by playing The Slaughtered Lamb in London presented by Live Nation on September 25th.
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