Cactus - Do It For Nothing

The best way to speed up a chemical reaction is to invite change and introduce an outside force: light, heat, movement. As The Cactus Channel know full well, the same goes with sound - introducing change compels a composition forward, as it rises, falls, peaks and boils. On their first release of 2017, vocalist Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music, My Own Pet Radio) is this catalyst for change, as the band collaborate with him on a full EP, introduced by lead single "Sorry Hills". As frenetic rhythms build only to fall away, and melodies loop, dive, and stutter, The Cactus Channel make music that both functions on and demands reaction. This collaborative EP treads a thin line between alt-soul and the best of indie pop, swimming in compelling atmospherics and deftly weaving Cromack's rich, drawling vocal and disarming, meditative lyrics through the band's typically intuitive arrangements. The Cactus Channel formed in high school, united by shared interests and a shared sense of humour - a love of soul music and the kind of hip hop, jazz, and alternative releases that spring from it, meant that from the beginning The Cactus Channel have prided themselves not just on eclecticism, but on the constant sharing of influences among their members. On this EP, the band venture into their second recorded project with a vocalist, exploring new influences and sonic territories.