Liverpool-based indie-pop five-piece, Hushtones have just released their new single, Paper Flowers – “a song about dealing with rejection and loneliness, and how brutal those things can feel. But as with all of the songs we write, we’ve developed this one into a fun and uplifting pop banger.”

Known for their unique male-female harmonies, heartfelt songwriting, and captivating live performances, the band is fronted by dynamic songwriting duo Martha and Mick, along with bandmates Caitlin, Abe, and Joe.

Martha and Mick met while treading water in Liverpool’s hospitality scene and they soon realised their shared love of songwriting and decided to collaborate. The rest of the band soon fell into place through a combination of open mic nights, pub sessions, and the vibrant local music scene that they now proudly represent.

In the first of two Why I Loves from Hushtones, Mick explains his love for The Beatles.

By far and away the biggest influence for me would have to be The Beatles. I know this is probably the captain obvious answer here but I feel like most of my learning and ambition to be a musician comes from listening to and studying their music from a young age.

Their innovations have stood the test of time and we’re all still influenced by them 60 years on, consciously or not.
My love for vocal harmony definitely stems from here and I have always tried to write my songs around the idea that there would be participation from others in the singing, something I feel gives music a unique flavour when multiple voices are used.

As a lead guitar player Harrison has been my biggest inspiration to push myself harder to become a better player, it’s not so much the technical ability more the feeling and emotion in the playing that can still give me goosebumps years later, think of the solo in Something.

Myself and Martha are very different when it comes to what we bring to the table as a songwriting team, the songs we write together for Hushtones are very different to what we write alone. This is something I think I’m unconsciously doing that draws on my influences.

Here’s Paper Flowers:

Our thanks to Mick and look out for Martha’s upcoming Why I Love on our pages.

Hushtones online: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Soundcloud

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

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