THE BACKSTORY:
Prudence is the alter-ego of musician Tom Crandles – a man who is certainly no stranger to the music business. Hailing from Sydney, Crandles has spent the past few years as the touring bass player for Australian indie-rock heavyweights DMA’s. And, prior to that, he was the sonic architect behind the band COLOURS and one-half of the acclaimed synth-rock duo Au.Ra.
It’s been a long time coming, but Crandles is now finally embracing the spotlight on his own terms. Working under the moniker ‘Prudence’, the Australian musician released his six-track debut EP Major Tom last year, a majestic, experimental collection of songs that blurred the lines between post-punk, shoegaze and dream-pop. And now, making the most of his time during lockdown, Crandles is back with a terrific new single, ‘Heart Sways’, the first song he’s recorded with a full band.
Initially conceived as a low-key bedroom project, Prudence first took shape when Crandles was busy touring with DMA’s. Constantly travelling, bouncing from continent to continent, he began to treasure those rare moments of solitude in his hotel room – and, eventually, started composing solo material. Describing his sound as “a natural disaster of dissonance and melody”, Crandles writes music of big, bold ambition, which he neatly crams into dense, hooky pop songs. In the best tradition of psych/dream-pop/shoegaze, Prudence are a perfect collision of sonic exploration and strong, bracing melodies.
Having recently grown into a full band project – with the addition of pianist Aleesha Dibbs, bassist Kat Harley and drummer Steve West – Prudence surely has the potential to become even more epic and expansive. We can’t wait to see where he goes next.
KEY TRACK: ‘Heart Sways’ – Crandles’ latest single, his first recorded with a full band, this lush, reverb-soaked pop gem provides further proof that he’s taking psychedelic music into gloriously unknown territory.
FOR FANS OF: Tame Impala, Ride, Mac DeMarco, Talk Talk.
