On “No Dreams for Fayres”, singer Sarah Cogan’s sweet, flowy vocals coast effortlessly atop Dylan Frankland’s crystalline guitars, every note conjuring up the jangled melodies of classic groups like The Smiths, The Sundays, and Cocteau Twins. Under it all, drummer Cian O’Neill’s driving percussion propels the song into the stratosphere. But “No Dreams for Fayres” isn’t merely an exercise in nostalgia — TALLIES’ modern twist adds a tightness, an urgency, an awareness that breathes new life into a beloved genre. “I don’t want to wake up/I just want to lay back down,” sings Sarah on the song’s chorus, encapsulating in few words how just about everyone has been feeling over the past few years. “It’s kind of ironic; I wrote the song pre-COVID, about a time of depression in my teenage years, but as soon as the pandemic started I had the exact same feelings,” says Sarah. “It was insane — how do we have a song that’s about me 10, 15 years ago, and is now relevant to me at 30 years old? It’s pretty funny how that happened.”

“No Dreams for Fayres” is also TALLIES’ first release on new label Bella Union, a partnership that was written across the indie pop firmament since the band’s beginnings. Run by ex-Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde, Bella Union’s ethos aligns perfectly with TALLIES’ dedication to immersing themselves in the label’s signature sound. “Putting out a record with one of our heroes is extremely cool,” explains Dylan, “being on Bella is a really big deal for us.” It might seem hard to imagine a world in which Sarah and Dylan, writing songs together while studying sound engineering at Algonquin College in Ottawa, would someday be working with one of their favorite musical influences, but fans of the group’s heart-expanding, awe-inspiring tunes won’t be surprised — they’ll know they had it in them all along, and that the journey has just begun.

Record Label: Bella Union (EU/UK), Kanine (US), Hand Drawn Dracula (CAN)

Artist Links: Instagram / Spotify / Bandcamp

Agent: matthew@versestouring.com