Emerging from the vibrant underground of London, England, The Sad Season is a band shaped by evolution, friendship, and an unwavering commitment to emotional truth. The group’s origins trace back to a deeply personal creative partnership between Mikee (from SikTh) and Tomasz, two long-time friends whose connection goes beyond music. Their early sessions revolved around acoustic guitar arrangements and dual vocals, producing raw, intimate compositions rooted in shared experiences of melancholy, heartache, and introspection. Over the years, their collaboration matured into a partnership defined by trust, co-writing, and artistic harmony, laying the foundation for the distinct sound the band would eventually cultivate. As their vision expanded, so did the band. In 2024, Sian joined on bass, injecting a fresh sense of rhythm and character into the soundscape. Her presence didn’t merely fill a space, it transformed the emotional chemistry of the group, adding depth, vibe, and nuance to their evolving identity. The final piece of the puzzle came in 2025, when Ralph stepped in on drums, bringing refined precision and an elevated dynamic that completed the band’s metamorphosis.
With this four-piece lineup, Mikee, Tomasz, Sian, and Ralph, The Sad Season shifted from an intimate duo into a full, textured, and articulate musical collective. Their influences form a rich tapestry of lyrical depth and sonic experimentation. Inspired lyrically by storytellers and emotional architects such as Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Neil Young, Lou Reed, and Nick Cave, The Sad Season grounds its songwriting in poetic introspection and emotional authenticity. Sonically, the band draws energy from the grit and unpredictability of Sonic Youth, the atmospheric tension of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the experimental layering of Mogwai, and the haunting psychedelia of The Velvet Underground. Add to this the raw force of grunge and the punch of 90s metal, and their sound becomes unmistakably distinct, a tapestry of gnarly riffs, dual vocals, hypnotic grooves, and melancholic undertones. The band’s music was shaped over several years of recording, layering, reworking, and refining, a process that reflects their emotional journey from turmoil toward empowerment. The result is a sound that blends dirty garage rock grit, 60s psych exploration, and progressive post-rock expansiveness. Their live performance at Arctangent 2025 stands as a testament to how far they’ve grown, not only musically but emotionally, finding strength and clarity through sound.
On 30 May 2025, The Sad Season will unveil their long-awaited EP, “It’s All Too Loud in Here”, a project years in the making, born from emotional turbulence and moulded into something powerfully transformative. More than just a release, this EP represents the culmination of the band’s journey through darkness, noise, and inner conflict toward a message of positivity, empowerment, and love. Every track carries the remnants of melancholy, anger, and heartache, but rises ultimately toward clarity, control, and the healing found in nature and genuine human connection. Drawing inspiration from a wide spectrum of influential artists, from Leonard Cohen’s poetic introspection to Sonic Youth’s rebellious innovation, this EP embodies a sound both raw and refined. It intertwines gnarly riffage, wild yet fragile vocals, and a hypnotic groove into a singular sonic experience that feels cinematic, immersive, and emotionally resonant. “It’s All Too Loud in Here” is not merely an EP, it is a sonic confrontation and a cathartic release. It invites listeners to step into a space where vulnerability becomes strength, where noise becomes clarity, and where emotional pain is transformed into something beautiful and affirming.
It’s All Too Loud in Here EP Track List:
Hermits Under Balnkets:
“Hermits Under Blankets” by The Sad Season opens with a sonic texture that feels both intimate and atmospheric, as if one were stepping into a dimly lit room where silence holds its own kind of tension. A slow, melancholic guitar line introduces the piece, its tone slightly gritty yet hauntingly clean, shaped by subtle reverb that stretches every note into a reflective space. Beneath it, a deep, resonant bass hum anchors the atmosphere, acting almost like the quiet heartbeat beneath the surface of stillness. The percussion enters delicately, a steady rhythm crafted with light hi-hat taps and tom accents that build a restrained pulse rather than a driving beat. This gives the song an organic movement that mirrors the natural rhythm of thought and solitude. The vocals slide in almost conversationally at first, soft, weary, yet emotionally articulate, before gradually expanding into layered harmonies that carry shades of longing, fatigue, and self-reckoning. Lyrically, the song paints the picture of an individual retreating from the chaos of external noise, seeking comfort in isolation, yet realizing that silence itself can become deafening. The lines linger on themes of emotional exhaustion, introspection, and the bittersweet stillness that follows when one pulls away from the world. The careful balance between minimalism and emotional weight gives this opening section a raw, magnetic allure, every note feels intentional, and every pause feels like part of the conversation.
As the song unfolds, its middle section deepens the emotional tension and expands the arrangement. The guitars begin to weave together, one shimmering with high, glassy notes while another introduces low, distorted undercurrents that feel like buried emotions surfacing. The drums open up with airy cymbal splashes that introduce a sense of space, contrasting the closeness of the earlier section. The bass, once subdued, grows more pronounced, walking through chord changes that subtly shift the mood from resigned to reflective. The vocals, now layered with faint echoes and harmonized whispers, take on a vulnerable, almost confessional tone. There’s a poetic rhythm to the phrasing, lines stretch and breathe, each word delivered with a deliberate tenderness that captures the ache of solitude. Thematically, “Hermits Under Blankets” transforms from being a song about hiding to one about awareness; it’s less about shutting the world out and more about confronting the noise within. The production accentuates this by maintaining a delicate tension between intimacy and distance: the reverb extends the sound outward, while the dry, close-miked vocal draws it back in. This sonic duality gives listeners the feeling of being both inside the blanket, safe, secluded, and outside it, listening to the quiet storm of emotion reverberating through the walls.
The final third of the song delivers a quiet but deeply satisfying resolution, tying the emotional and sonic threads into one cohesive conclusion. The drums adopt a fuller beat, yet remain tastefully restrained, keeping the heartbeat of the song steady and human. The guitars shimmer in harmony, one ringing through delayed trails while another adds muted arpeggios that glisten like faint light filtering through fabric. The bass, now steady and melodic, gives the piece a sense of grounding that feels like acceptance after struggle. The vocal delivery in this closing section is achingly beautiful, measured, honest, and drenched in quiet emotion. The singer’s tone carries both fragility and resolve, suggesting that isolation can be both a refuge and a crucible for self-realization. The final lyrics seem to embrace vulnerability rather than hide from it, framing solitude as a state of awareness rather than defeat. As the instruments slowly fade, leaving behind a lingering haze of guitar and distant reverb, the song feels like an exhale, a release after holding one’s breath through inner chaos. “Hermits Under Blankets” stands out as one of The Sad Season’s most emotionally articulate works, blending rock minimalism with poetic melancholy. Every sound serves the narrative, and every silence feels meaningful. It’s a song that doesn’t demand attention, it earns it through emotional truth, introspective beauty, and haunting sonic precision.
Tungsten Lights:
“Tungsten Lights” from “It’s All Too Loud in Here” opens with an entrancing blend of warmth and melancholy, immediately establishing The Sad Season’s mastery of atmosphere and tone. A muted guitar riff, rich with vintage distortion and smooth reverb, flickers like the faint hum of a city streetlamp on a rain-soaked night. It loops steadily, hypnotically, its rhythm both soothing and uncertain. The bass slides in soon after, dark and fluid, adding depth to the track’s sonic palette, while the drums enter with precision, a clean snare, tight hi-hats, and occasional tom rolls that breathe emotion rather than aggression into the piece. The production feels close and immersive, every sound occupying its own small space yet contributing to a sense of vastness, like the quiet expanse of a city seen through a fogged window. When the vocals arrive, they don’t interrupt; they emerge, textured and haunting, filled with fragile humanity. The singer’s tone feels weathered but resolute, carrying a tender melancholy that lingers in each phrase. Lyrically, “Tungsten Lights” reflects on the duality of illumination, the glow that comforts and the glare that exposes. Phrases touch on loneliness in urban light, the ache of memory, and the way human connection flickers like a filament, beautiful, but delicate and prone to burnout.
As the song progresses, the arrangement deepens in both emotion and sound. Layers of shimmering guitars drift in like faint reflections, one echoing the main riff with higher harmonics, another providing subtle rhythmic textures that expand the stereo field. The percussion evolves with understated power: hi-hats open slightly, cymbals breathe longer, and the snare hits become looser, as though the music itself exhales. The bass remains constant, a low, grounding hum that ties everything together, its tone warm and slightly compressed, providing a pulse beneath the glowing upper textures. The vocals intensify, becoming both more expansive and more intimate; reverb trails extend the phrases into open space, giving the sense that the singer’s thoughts are resonating into the night air. The lyrics move from observation to introspection, connecting the external glow of city lights to internal realizations about isolation, resilience, and self-awareness. The contrast between the brightness of the instrumental and the vulnerability of the voice forms the song’s emotional axis. It’s a study in balance—between noise and silence, solitude and connection, light and shadow.
By the time “Tungsten Lights” reaches its closing moments, it feels less like a song ending and more like a thought resolving itself. The guitars evolve into a soft, cascading pattern, shimmering under layers of delay and subtle reverb that feel infinite, while the drums slow slightly, shifting from precision to contemplation. The vocals, now steadier and fuller, carry a sense of release, a quiet acceptance of imperfection and the comfort found within it. The final refrain circles back to the opening imagery of tungsten glow, suggesting a full emotional circle: from the cold distance of external light to the warmth of inner understanding. As the track fades, the instruments don’t disappear so much as dissolve, leaving a faint echo that lingers like afterglow. Every component, guitar tone, vocal texture, rhythmic pacing, and ambient layering, contributes to a delicate equilibrium of vulnerability and strength. “Tungsten Lights” is not a song of spectacle; it’s a moment of reflection sculpted into sound, a perfect marriage of mood and meaning. It captures the quiet poetry of standing alone beneath flickering light, seen, yet unseen, feeling small but somehow illuminated.
It’s All Too Loud In Here is haunting, empowering sonic journey where melancholy transforms into strength through gnarly riffs, fragile vocals, hypnotic grooves, and deeply honest storytelling.
“It’s All Too Loud in Here” emerges as a deeply introspective yet powerfully liberating body of work, a project that captures The Sad Season at the very height of their artistic evolution, weaving their years-long journey of melancholy, anger, heartache, reflection, and healing into a cohesive emotional statement that feels both intensely personal and universally relatable. Every layer of gnarly riffage, every fragile or wild vocal moment, every hypnotic groove, and every textured influence comes together with intention, forming a sound that is unmistakably their own. What makes the EP stand out is not just its sonic originality but its emotional honesty; it is music born from the rawest corners of the band’s lived experiences, yet shaped with enough warmth and clarity to lift its listeners toward empowerment, positivity, and love. For anyone navigating inner noise, seeking emotional grounding, or longing for something authentic and resonant, this EP is not simply recommended, it is essential. It invites you to sit with your quiet, confront your shadows, breathe through the heaviness, and come out the other side stronger, more aware, and more aligned with yourself.
For more information about The Sad Season, click on the icons below.