Hailing from South Wales, The Now are a young and upcoming independent alt-rock four-piece who packs a mean punch. Having just released their debut album at the beginning of this month, the band was playing a special album release showcase at the O2 Academy 2 Islington and, naturally, MetalTalk had to be there to check out this promising young band.
The Now
O2 Academy Islington – 7 March 2024
Words: Kahmel Farahani
Photography: Eric Duvet
Frontman Shane Callaghan begins the intimate gig by walking out and singing solo with a dramatic piano backing track before the rest of the band join in on their song Time Is Over.
The Now, who have recently been on tour with Feeder, showcase their unique style in songs like Devil Inside Me and Rockstar. Another easy comparison would be The Strokes.
Theses are short, sharp and punchy songs delivered with an easy modern style that slinks smoothly between indie and something a bit harder.
While The Now sticks pretty closely to this blueprint throughout, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s what Guns N’ Roses bassist and author Duff McKagan once called “Three Chords and the truth,” and sometimes that’s all you need.
“Great songs, intelligent writing, intuitive production, lyrics that mean something real and a band performing like their lives depended on it,” was how Paul Monkhouse described their debut album.
The Now provide a short, sharp and refreshing take on a tried and tested blueprint, and if tonight’s showcase is anything to go by, they should have a bright future ahead of them.
You can’t get more rock ‘n’ roll than that.
