Win Tickets for Mechanical Bride’s Special Show – 19 April

Mechanical Bride, AKA 25 year old songwriter and self-taught musician Lauren Doss, made quiet but confident waves back in 2008 with her debut release, a collection of beautiful songs called Part II: EPs. She’s gained her critical acclaim as an exciting and talented new British songwriter, being offered comparisons to the likes of PJ Harvey, Bat For Lashes and Laura Marling.

Now back with the release of her debut album Living With Ants, Doss is set for big things. And you lucky old Muso’s Guide readers are in for a chance for FREE TICKETS to go see Mechanical Bride playing a very special full band show in London at Dalston’s Boys Club in London to showcase the new album on 19 April.

Doss’s music captivates the listeners; each song tells its own story filled with weird and wonderful characters. The main character being Mechanical Bride, who was created by Lauren to describe the relationship between record players and the records they play; a mechanical partner with which they share their lives with. 

Living With Ants, Mechanical Bride’s debut album, is a defiant step up from Part II: EPs. It sees her song writing blossom from the stark, black and white songs on Part II, into fully formed techni-colour flourishes. “I wanted to find the beauty and colour from dark places that exist inside and outside of ourselves, the title ‘Living With Ants’ means learning to co-exist alongside niggling issues and worries that we maybe create for ourselves”.

Making music has always been a way to escape for Lauren; the new album is rooted in escapism and fantasy. There is a strong animal theme on the album, with some of the songs and even the album title, having animals in its name. As with the opening track ‘Magpie’, which begins with a sweeping piano, joined by Lauren’s gloriously stunning voice, reminiscent of singers form a bygone era. Laced with sighing strings, soft trumpets and lightly brushed drums, it slowly builds to a beautiful crescendo.

‘Young Gold’ (You Stole My Heart)’ is the kind of song you think you’ve heard before, it sounds so familiar. An uplifting ode to a friend or lover, the delightful melody intertwines with the horns and delicate beat, all masterfully produced with care and restraint by Nick Abbott and Lauren herself. Upcoming single ‘Colour Of Fire’ out 9 May, is a stand out track with Lauren’s voice once again tugging at your heartstrings as she sings around a swirl of piano and strings.

Although Mechanical Bride shares her name with a dark American science-fiction play by Fritz Lieber Jnr, the sinister nature of Part II EPs has been transformed like a butterfly, into the fully formed songs with lush arrangements, filled with colour and playful lyrics found on Living With Ants. Lauren has stepped out of her black and white music box and embraced all the outside world has to offer, without losing any of the childlike sense of wonder and magic. Everything on the album was recorded using vintage valve equipment, which contributes even more to that fantastical sound, like that from a lost and forgotten world.

If you want to win 2 free tickets to see Mechanical Bride on 19 April, simply click here to our Twitter account – the first to reply gets the tickets! God speed to you all.