“Dreamy Scouse barbershop with guitars.” – what else but the sound of Hushtones – a unique mix that has drawn comparisons to the likes of Fleetwood Mac, but with a fresh, modern twist. Following the success of their debut album Greetings From The Other Side (our review), it led to support slots for renowned acts such as Red Rum Club, Tim Burgess, and She Drew The Gun with more dates TBA for early 2025.

The band’s love of harmony-rich artists like Kate Bush, The Beatles, and more modernly, Flyte is evident, yet they’ve carved out a sound that’s entirely their own, and distinctly Liverpudlian. 

In the second Why I Love from Hushtones, vocalist Martha follows on from Mick’s Why I Love The Beatles with her views on Kate Bush.

Kate Bush has been a constant presence in my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, the sound of Kate Bush would sound track long car journeys with my mum, who was of course a huge fan. I was mesmerised by the ethereal, otherworldly quality of Kate’s voice, the layers of sound, and the strange yet beautiful stories unfolding in each song. She’s clearly inspired much of the modern music I listen to now like Florence and the Machine, The Last Dinner Party and Caroline Polachek and I certainly wouldn’t be creating music without her.

I can still vividly remember sitting cross-legged in front of the television, watching an old VHS of Kate Bush’s music videos, completely transfixed. There was something about her presence and drama, her unique sense of expression—that captured my attention and sparked my imagination. Years later when I began making and writing my own music, those initial sparks of inspiration showed themselves again in the way I write. Songwriting became a huge source of comfort and therapy and I felt it was ok to channel that same passion I had heard from Kate Bush into my own music. It was something that brought me relief from anxiety which is why I still do it to this day. 

When I began writing with Mick for Hushtones, it seemed we had different yet complimentary techniques and skills to bring to the table. We began combining our voices and musical ideas and made something that sounded different and new to us with but with a lovely sense of familiarity.  By blending these legendary styles, The Beatles and Kate Bush, we create music that both excites and resonates with me—music I’d want to listen to myself and hopefully others do too.

Here’s a bit of vintage Hushtones with Sinking:

Our thanks to Martha for her contribution to our Why I Love archive

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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