NEW ARTIST FINDS: BONDAX

As the grumpy, snarky music snobs we are, many of us can tend to lean toward grumpy music as well. I myself am a shameless shoegazer, and many of my colleagues here at BitCandy also seem to like the dark, the brooding, the socking, etc. It kind of comes with the territory as a music critic, especially when working with a site that advertises itself as snarky. We can sometimes get lost in the idea to that to be good, music must be dark and raw, or, at the very least, emo. New artist Bondax shows us this is not at all true, and with their happy, bouncy summer tunes breathe a little life back into the grumpy old heart of the indie music scene.

Bondax are comprised of 20-year-old whippersnappers Adam Kaye and George Lancaster, hailing from Lancashire in England, and at their tender age are already signed to Justus Recordings. They’ve put out 20-odd singles since their formation, and have been lauded by BBC radio as ones to watch. They’ve even done an XLR8R podcast – this all before they’re old enough to drink legally in ‘Murica.

Bodax’s latest release, a single entitled “All I See,” will be out in September and features vocals by Tanya Lacey, whom Bondax have worked with in the past on their Giving It All EP. “All I See” isn’t just bouncy and sumery, it’s downright uplifting, in a large part because of Lacey. She provides a great vocal compliment to Bondax’s fun ‘n flirty 90s-style house beats (think Cece Peniston’s classic “Finally”), and lyrics which celebrate the joy of the human condition. Excuse me, are we sure this is indie?

BONDAX - ALL I SEE

If you just listen to “All I See,” you’re missing out on the diversity this young duo has already cultivated in their short time on earth. Their Gold EP, which was released last April under Ultra recordings/Sony, is still very happy, but its namesake single is a little more toned down. With a beat structure which straddles dubstep and trap, a healthy dose of minor keys (rejoice, indie rockers!), and a raspier vocal timbre, the nod to 90s house is still very present. They’ve also got a video for the track, which appears to be a nod to American Psycho, with the palpable absence of Christian Bale:

BONDAX - GOLD

Bondax also have a number of future garage tracks along with their many poppy house songs, so it’s worth it to peruse their SoundCloud page in depth. I guarantee you’ll find something you like. Also check out Bondax’s Facebook page.

Bondax says they’re touring heavily in August, though mostly in Europe, including the Reading festival. There have been whispers about a North American tour soon, however, so definitely keep an eye on them as we wait, as always, for the US to catch on. In the meantime there’s plenty to amuse yourselves with in Bondax’s discography and the numerous dj sets they have sprinkled all over the internet. The message from Bonda is clear: be happy indies!

About Layla Marino

Layla Marino is a music and street art blogger with 17 years in the industry. She focuses exclusively on underground music, art, and culture, and loves working with BitCandy to find and bring new artists to a wider audience.