Blossoms

Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, Friday, February 19

LISTENING to Blossoms’ Soundcloud page is like discovering two separate bands.

The year-old Blossoms EP showcases a psychedelic-influenced outfit with touches of Hammond organ and overdriven guitars on songs like Blow and You Pulled A Gun On Me.

And then, six months later, there is the power pop anthem of Blown Rose, complete with soaring harmonies which wouldn’t have been out of place in 1970s Laurel Canyon, contrasting with lyrics about the stately homes of England.

Switch over to YouTube and the song Charlemagne – from the titular EP released last October - changes the dynamic again.

Driven by a 1980s style synth riff, the sound is lighter, poppier and seemingly designed to fill indie dancefloors and pack the airwaves.

“It feels like we’ve already done an album, but not necessarily one which people will gauge us off and will go down in the history books,” says frontman Tom Ogden of their early releases.

“My songwriting has developed and changed into something we are very proud of.”

It was Charlemagne which has really pushed that development, which has since been underlined by January single At Most A Kiss.

Ogden describes Charlemagne as a turning point.

“Since then we have found our sound,” he says. “It was one of those moments.

“Before we were doing Doorsy things with the Hammond organ sounds – now they have been substituted by the squeaky synths.

“With Charlemagne it was finding that 1980s synth sound that makes you want to dance. When we heard it in the rehearsal room we had an X factor moment – we knew it was part of the natural evolution of the band.

“I write songs in the back room at home with a Casio keyboard with 100 pre-set sounds. I found this pre-set of a 12-string guitar. It came out like this squeaky sound. With the groovy bassline and drums it was one of those moments in the rehearsal room where we finished playing the song and wanted to play it again.

“Half the songs on the album are new. We were on tour all the time, so we were recording the album in four-day stretches once a month. Between sessions we were writing.

“We wanted the album to be full of greats – all my favourite albums have no filler on them. We wanted it so every song could be a single.”

The Stockport-based band had already built up a fanbase by putting on shows in nearby Manchester.

“We had done that stuff in other bands where you do academy nights with promoters ripping you off,” says Ogden. “You ended up giving 50 tickets to your mum.

“With Blossoms we said we would never do that again. With our own gigs the songwriting started to shine through – people were coming who weren’t just friends and family.

“When Manchester starts to take to you they really take to you – they support the band like they do a football team.”

This was augmented by good old-fashioned relentless touring up and down the country.

“We have been to Brighton twice before – in February 2015 and October 2014,” says Ogden effortlessly reeling off the dates.

“It’s one of our favourite places – we always had a dead good time. When we came back in February we sold out the Prince Albert – there were about 100 people there really taking to us.

“We’re focusing on being the best band we can be. So many other people are going to music schools - they haven't travelled up and down the country in a van that is breaking down, sleeping on the van floor or sneaking people into Travelodges. It makes you who you are.”

Having achieved a much-coveted number four slot on the BBC Sound Of 2016 list it looks like the wider world might be waking up to Blossoms.

And helping them achieve that dream are the production duo of former Coral frontman James Skelly and up-and-coming producer Rich Turvey who are working on their upcoming debut.

“James was key to it,” says Ogden. “As soon as we took him into the rehearsal room he could see there was potential in us as a pop band.

“We’ve had a lot of press saying we are psychedelic and in tune with the 1960s – we’re more into ABBA, The Beatles and Oasis. We want to sound modern and be on the radio!”

Support from The Vryll Society.

* Tom spoke to The Guide last week before planned tour supports Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry died in an accident in Sweden. Blossoms have decided to go ahead with tonight's Brighton show after cancelling appearances in Guildford and for MTV earlier this week.

Yesterday on their Facebook site the band wrote: "We first met Viola Beach on October 2, 2015 at King Tuts Glasgow. They were playing across town with Eliza and the Bear and they came down after to watch our set. We hung out that night and then invited them on tour. They were a great gang and a brilliant band.

"The last time we saw them was after the Leamington Spa show last Thursday. We said our goodbyes to them as they headed off to Sweden. We'll never forget them. Their tunes forever in our heads; Craig, Jack, Kris, River and Tom always in our hearts.

"On every date on the tour they were due to join us on, we will mark their slot by playing a full audio recording of their set that was recorded from the Leamington Spa show.

If you're coming to the gigs, get down early and celebrate their lives with an outpouring of love: Dance, drink and sing along. Viola Beach & Craig Tarry RIP."

Our thoughts go out to Tom and the band.

Doors 7pm, tickets £10. Call 01272 673311.