You Walk Through Walls - Sleepwalking

Sometime last April, I sat upstairs at the Lexington (a small music venue in north London) enjoying a pre-gig drink with my wife. The bands on the bill that evening were post-rock escapists, Kontakte, and headliners, Air Formation.

Whilst we chatted quietly, Matt Bartram, lead singer of Air Formation, quite unexpectedly made his way over to us before signalling his delight at the t-shirt I was wearing - a recently acquired Flying Saucer Attack original, courtesy of eBay. In a brief chat, during which Bartram eulogised the Bristolian space rockers (a major influence), we went on to discuss Air Formation, and most pertinently, their future plans. It was twelve months since the release of last album, Nothing to Wish For (Nothing To Lose), and, encouragingly, Bartram indicated the possibility (perhaps hope) of recording new material over the forthcoming summer. Indeed, everything seemed rosy to the outsider. Disappointingly, he gave no further compliments about my clothes.

Air Formation:
Live at The Lexington

Thinking little more of it, we went on to enjoy a barnstorming show as Air Formation belted their way through the high-points of a back catalogue stretching back over ten years. Central to this were tracks from 2007's Daylight Storms, a near flawless record, and unquestionably the band's finest moment. The set climaxed with a euphoric rendition of Cold Morning, dedicated to Club AC30 label boss, Robin Allport. Strangely, and perhaps tellingly, it all felt like a bit of a "thank you and good night" moment.

Nonetheless, when news broke just a few days later that Air Formation had decided to split, it all came as a horrible surprise. Here was a band with bags of talent, a remarkable songwriter and a raft of talented musicians. And now it was over.

Or so it seemed.

Whilst Air Formation, themselves, may be no more, two former members (songwriter, Bartram and drummer James Harrison) have teamed up with bassist Harry Irving to form the London-based three-piece You Walk Through Walls.

Having maintained their allegiance to Allport, the band quickly signed to Club AC30 and have an eagerly-awaited EP, Destroyed Places, scheduled for release this summer.

In anticipation of that release, the band have posted two tracks to their Soundcloud page. Not Like You At All, pummels high-tempo indie over a backdrop of hiss and soaring lead guitar, whilst Sleepwalking (featured below) showcases Bartram's signature reverb euphoria. It's a breathless start for a band of whom we hold high hopes.