Emerson: Britain’s Newest Surfer Rock Band, Performs Their First Headliner Show

Photos by Niamh Mayhew.

Britain’s newest surf rock band performed their first headlining show late Monday night at Peckham’s own New Cross Inn. The show included two other performances from Paris Blue and Micah Rose-Trespeuch. Emerson, an emerging indie rock band hailing from Fleet, put on an electrifying show that met all expectations for the band’s growing demographic. Emerson consists of four current members: George Atkin (lead guitar and vocals), Alex Groom (rhythm guitar and vocals), Will Lynch (bassist and vocals), and Max Collings (drums).

Atkin, the lead singer of Emerson, holds himself confidently onstage; so much so he reminded me of George Harrison from how he held his guitar down to how he counted beats. Groom, on guitar and vocals, looks like the band members you would come across in California, and his at ease persona translates well onstage along with the overall surf aesthetic minus the swim trunks. Groom also ran the London Marathon the day before the gig, which is insanely impressive that he completed a marathon and is able to move his legs. Lynch, bassist and Pete Yorn look alike if I’d ever seen one before, has immense pressure as the bassist: mysterious yet cool persona that is held by all bassists apart from probably Paul McCartney (but he originally played the guitar, so it’s a pass). Collings, on drums, sported a Marmite t-shirt that spelled out "My Mate," and of course, that caught our eye and warranted some giggles. Despite Collings being the newest member, he held his own and fits in very well with the other members, and of course, he looks like he’s having a great time.

The four of them are incredibly in sync, almost as if they’ve all put in their 10,000 hours, and they all complement each other not only musically but as fellow band members. Their set consisted of a couple of unreleased songs and their only song on Spotify: "Mum’s Dinner." The song was my first introduction to the band as I missed their gig earlier in the week, and I felt like it was a very lovely introduction to not only their sound but Atkin’s songwriting.

While hailing from the UK, Emerson's music does take great influence from the rock bands before their time from the California and UK scene including The Beach Boys and the Beatles, the perfect balance of the British Invasion with a touch of Southern California influences. Their California sound doesn’t take away from their influential Britishness, though. Atkin spoke a bit about The Beatles, as I showed up in an Abbey Road t-shirt, a great conversation starter for any musician and music lover alike: "Who’s your favorite Beatle?" Atkin gushes about Paul and George, not only their voices but their unforgettable songwriting. He’s well-versed in The Beatles, more so than other fans I’ve met in the past. He speaks about never having listened to Abbey Road and the White Album in its entirety at once, wanting to savour his time listening to the discography of one of the greatest bands of all time; definitely a take I have never heard, but the more I think about it, the more genius his decision is. Despite The Fab Four’s Anthology albums and their newest single, a limited discography is frustrating when you’ve exhausted it as much as I have. Atkin’s deep appreciation of the Beatles has inspired several trips to Abbey Road, hopefully foreshadowing moments in Emerson’s journey.

With a changing music landscape, I’m finding that more and more bands are distancing themselves from the original sounds of Arctic Monkeys and Blur, and are now leaning towards the indie bands of the Pacific coast. Not that I’m complaining at all. The more surf rock, the happier someone’s life is, at least that’s what I firmly believe. California has created some of the greatest rock legends of all time, as has the UK with two separate British Invasions, so this current trend is a match made in heaven in the name of music.

As showtime was creeping, we spoke about how difficult it can be to perform live no matter the level of money and fame. But the things going ‘wrong’ add beauty to live shows; you can’t hide behind a mixing board and heavy auto-tune during a live show. The feedback from the guitars (and said things going wrong) brings something special that can make or break bands: authenticity. In a time of social media and posed lifestyles, music and culture are in desperate need of authenticity. I’ve spoken about this before in other articles: rock music and indie music should not be polished. It should be loud, distorted, dirty, full of mistakes, because that’s what being a rock musician is all about. Emerson and its members definitely don’t take themselves too seriously, and with that, they produce amazing shows full of energy and great music that’ll definitely leave its mark on the indie music scene.

Sticks were flipped, guitar strings scratched, and it all came to an end with a lively cover of “This Charming Man” by The Smiths. Overall, Emerson seems to only be gaining momentum; you don’t want to miss out.

Their newest single “Off By Heart” drops May 10th, and you can stream their discography on Spotify.

Photos in order:

1. Emerson, with George Atkin fronting

2. Will Lynch

3. Alex Groom

4. Max Collings