Manchester-formed band Corella share 'Head Underwater', the latest taste of their debut album, Once Upon a Weekend, out May 3.
A the stadium-sized rock anthem, ‘Head Underwater’ sees the band lose themselves to the reckless hedonism of a night out on the town. “It’s definitely a bit heavier than other songs on the album, more chaotic and carefree,” frontman Joel acknowledges. He goes toe-to-toe with rockstars twice his age, belting out the chorus over Depeche Mode-indebted synths and blistering guitar riffs: “I wanna free myself Down in a feeling.”
Comprising frontman Joel, bassist/vocalist Ben, guitarist Jack and drummer James, the pop-rock group formed while its members – all hailing from northern towns – were in their first year of university studying music. They met after being placed in the same university halls, bonding over their shared love of indie bands such as Foals and Two Door Cinema Club, along with classic pop and rock including The Beatles, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Dire Straits.
Listen to ‘Head Underwater’ by Corella on the Premier League Playlist on Spotify.
On the cusp of releasing their debut album, Corella have already established a devoted following thanks to their formidable live shows and singles including ‘Don’t Stop Me’, which recently received airplay on BBC Radio 1.
Once Upon a Weekend is inspired by the duality of life – responsibility vs dream-chasing – and written while the band were all working full-time jobs at the same time as pursuing success in the music industry, playing 1,000-capacity venues on Friday and Saturday nights. “It’s about living for the weekend, where we’d get away from ‘work’ and get to play live to thousands of people,” Joel says. Just like in their album artwork, which shows the band clinging to a roundabout as it spins them around, they have no intention of letting go of such a whirlwind ride.
The album itself delves into the band’s experiences growing up in northern towns, along with classic tales of love, lust and misadventure. Produced by Sugarhouse, the band’s trusted collaborators, it bursts with life: “Some of the tracks were ones we just wanted to have fun
with,” Ben says, “while others are definitely more reflective of the last seven or eight years.”
Once Upon a Weekend’s release will coincide with Corella’s biggest headline tour to date, meaning fans old and new will get to experience their chemistry in real time. Because whatever happens, the band are friends for life, tied together by the bond their music has created for them. “There’ve been moments for all of us where we had to pull each other out of the rubble,” says Ben. “We’ll always be there for each other, no matter what.”
