Foxgloves Are Off: Meet HAARM

Liverpool is well aware of its reputation as a petri dish of musical talent. Recently the murky waters of the Mersey have spawned a number of unique and universally esteemed sounds, many of which have acquired impressive fanbases in the process. To name but a few, Clean Cut Kid, Circa Waves and Stealing Sheep are among those who've managed to gain momentum and keep Liverpool on the musical map of late – and if the attention that new trio HAARM have received is anything to go by, they’re surely headed in the same direction.

HAARM are Chris McIntosh (vocals/guitar), Jen Davies (vocals) and brothers Olly and Dylan Gorman (drums and bass, respectively). Initially formed as a songwriting project between old friends, the buzz surrounding their first single Foxglove swiftly reached fever pitch, leading to frequent radio airplay, over 33,000 plays on SoundCloud and Hollywood personality Chloë Grace Moretz expressing her adoration for the song.

“When Jen approached me,” says McIntosh, “the initial aim was just to write maybe a few songs that we were happy with, and then think about whether we were going to do a band ourselves or whether we’d try and give the songs to somebody else.” The results of their instant chemistry made it an easy decision: they opted to realise their potential as a band. “We just wanted to write as many good songs as possible. The first song that we wrote together was Foxglove – very quickly after that we realised this was something we wanted to pursue as our own band.”  

Released online back in January of last year, Foxglove opens with an attention-grabbing flurry of processed drums, swiftly joined by soft keys and simultaneous male/female vocals to create an instantly arresting earworm that – on the surface – drips with positivity. There's more to its appeal than merely being a good indie-pop song, however; it's bound to have connected with many of the nation's left-leaners.

“It’s a little bit political,” McIntosh explains. “It's about the Tory government dragging the country down into the depths of despair, basically.” The songwriter admits that he doesn’t usually set out with a theme or message, and the development of Foxglove was a creative coincidence that paid off. “At the time that we wrote it, the Tory government had just been elected back in. It was literally the day after. We were obviously a little bit disenchanted and a little bit pissed off about that.”

In the wake of Brexit and Trump’s presidential success, the lyrics seem more poignant than ever – as becomes clear once we dig a little deeper into the metaphorical meaning behind their sound. 

“The lyrics in the chorus are basically, ‘This ship that you are sailing’s going down / So show me land,’” McIntosh continues, emphasising the desire for change at the heart of the song. He goes on to explain how other lyrical contrasts (‘he stands in a doorway’ versus ‘she sleeps in a doorway’) point to the disparity between those in power and those left to fend for themselves. 

“Not all of our stuff is political,” he says, “we just went down that road with that one.” Even the song’s title serves to extend its allegorical concerns, however: “The idea behind Foxglove [is that] the flower means insincerity.” The perfect metaphor for the current Tory government? The disingenuity of the party's Brexit campaigners, and their willingness to throw the disenfranchised under the bus, would certainly suggest so.

McIntosh talks about the band's decision to stay behind the scenes for a long time after their formation – since the original intent of HAARM was to only write songs rather than perform them, the band’s live debut came almost two years after their inception. “We put off playing live for a long time. As soon as we put Foxglove out we got asked to do so many gigs, and so many great gigs as well, which perhaps in the past we would’ve jumped at the chance to do. We just felt that we were rushing into it a little bit; we hadn’t rehearsed as a band when we’d put Foxglove out because we’d literally just written those songs and recorded them. We didn’t even have a band really. So initially we kind of took our time.”

The waiting certainly paid off, and their first live appearance was eventually booked for the recent Liverpool Music Week, as the main support for sisterly oddpop duo Let’s Eat Grandma.

“By the time we were asked to do the DIY gig for Liverpool Music Week, we were champing at the bit,” he says. “It had been about nine months since we’d put Foxglove out.” The reception they received was wholly positive, with a member of the crowd holding up hand-crafted letters spelling out the band’s name and a headache-inducing roar of applause at their finale.

The future looks promising for HAARM to say the very least, and while the specifics of their plans largely remain under wraps, they’ve recently been announced as support to London's enduring post-punkers Bloc Party for three sold-out dates. “I love Bloc Party so I’m really pleased! Two dates in the Roundhouse, and one in the Manchester Albert Hall. Everyone in the band has always wanted to play the Roundhouse because it’s just such an amazing venue, such a prestigious place so it’s just like, 'Wow!' One to tick off the list.”

Keen to build on the success of their debut single and its equally vital follow-up In the Wild, the band will hit the recording studio in the New Year. “We’ve got four new songs that we’re dying to record. We’re going to record those in January and maybe look at putting out an EP in the springtime.” As embedded as they already seem in Liverpool's musical landscape, this is only the beginning for HAARM. With treats in store for 2017, it looks like their story is set to continue.