Tracks That Shaped Our Sound: Cloud House

Cloud House is an alternative pop/rock band from Scotland. After initially accepting a support slot, lead singer Conor McCarry reached out to drummer Jack Hughes and guitarist Patrick Wallace, who initially played bass guitar. Formerly known as 10:08, the band played two successful support slots in two months and began recording. Cloud House is the culmination of various solo projects; musicians who prefer playing in a band than pursuing individual careers. The band have lofty ambitions and hope that their grand sound will see them filling the biggest and most prestigious venues in the not-so-distant future. We spoke to the band in the wake of their latest release Wild Eyes, talking to them about the tracks that shaped their sound!

Weezer- Happy Hour

We've always been obsessed with bands like Weezer who manage to create the perfect blend of guitars and vocals. Sometimes vocals get lost under the guitars, and sometimes guitars don't drive through enough. When writing Wild Eyes, we wanted to find that perfect balance between Conor's vocals and the multiple guitar tracks - whether we did or not is up to you! Weezer's harmonies and massive chorus lines coupled with the guitar energy on this track are such an influence in what we do and it was important to us to create that on this song.

KennyHoopla, How will I rest in peace if I'm buried by a highway?//

We were listening to a lot of KennyHoopla around the time Wild Eyes was recorded, along with other artists like nothing,nowhere & MGK. The bass guitar tones in this track-inspired us to add a little more crunch to Calum's bass tone - we think this comes through in the track. The high-pitched guitar part in the choruses here was another influence, so subtle but so impactful.

The Sound, The 1975

From a lead guitar and guitar solo point of view, this was a massive influence. We love how bold and in-your-face the guitar tone is in The Sound's solo. It's like the guitar demands all of your attention and steals the show for a little part of the song - then subtly diverts your focus back to the vocals and melody. It gave Patrick the confidence and inspiration to go for a really big solo part and sound to match.

Mr Brightside- The Killers

Such a timeless tune. The tight driving rhythm on the verses really opens up the melodic chorus and gives the catchy hook even more impetus. We wanted to create a similar vibe with the beat of this track - always pulsing forward and launching into each chorus. We kept in an extra kick drum hit just before chorus two to make sure the song was really driving forward.

Saturday- Sam Fender

We actually used Sam Fender's first album as a reference for sound during the recording of Wild Eyes, and some other tunes we've been working on recently. Again, the balance between vocals and guitars is so good here - nothing is overpowering but everything stands out. 'Saturday' in particular is a really good example of a verse giving life to a chorus - there's such a great kick into action.

Check out the single here: