Introducing: Maker

February 5th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: BRIGHTON, Danny McGurn, Lana McDonagh, Maker, Missing, Secret Heart, We Got It (All Worked Out)

From the ashes of a number of former Brighton bands (amongst them The Agitator and The Perils) comes Maker, a brand new quartet from the seaside town who are turning the clock back to 1977 or so with their revved up MOR power pop (and also their appearance, although we assume the two are intertwined).

Fronted by singer Lana McDonagh, it’s her sweet and melodic vocals which take centre stage on their songs (at least the three they’ve posted online so far). Bearing a striking resemblance to those of Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper or latterly Lissie Maurus, you could quite easily imagine her getting stuck into “Go Your Own Way”, “Time After Time” or “In Sleep”, the standout track from Lissie’s 2010 debut. 

Of the tracks they’ve shared with the public, “Missing”, with its upbeat pace, striking hook and three-and-a-half minute duration, is a pre-packaged hit just waiting to soundtrack a million (or more) five o’clock drives home. That’s not to dismiss it as mere Radio 2 fodder, however, we’re simply saying that the potential reach of this group is quite considerable. 

Neither of the other two songs, “We Got It (All Worked Out)” and “Secret Heart”, display a dip in their quality control gauge, suggesting a band who already have a keen ear for what makes a viable, concise pop single (or have simply listened to Rumours a few times). No gigs have been announced at the time of writing, although with the interest in the band sure to reach palpable levels in the next month or two, we expect live appearances to be imminent.