Grails

GRAILS have performed at Roadburn twice before – both times being hand-picked by curators, first Neurosis, then by Tomas Lindberg. Whilst they do indeed seem to be musicians’ musicians, they also have a far-reaching and broad fan base beyond those who also use music to paint evocative pictures. Their latest album, Anches En Maat, does exactly that – a cosmic voyage of cinematic missives that scoop us up and take us somewhere otherworldly. A firm favourite at Roadburn HQ during the tail end of 2023, Anches En Maat provides the catalyst for a return invite to Roadburn and the foundation for what is sure to be a spellbinding set. 

The album is very much the sound of a band confident in their practice; sauntering through minimalist landscapes and heart-wrenching, soaring orchestration at will, Grails invite you to join them on a journey with seemingly no end destination in mind. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a band without direction. In fact, the album was crafted under what has, over the years, become unusual conditions for them – the core band members (Alex Hall and Emil Amos), joined by their collaborators (Jesse Bates, AE Paterra and Ilyas Ahmed), in person, in the same room. The immediacy of their collaborative work propels the odyssey onwards.  As our venerable guides gently steer us through a whistlestop tour that takes in post-rock, jazz, synths and more, their passion and decades of experience shine through.

Of their upcoming Roadburn performance, the band comments:
“We’ve played Roadburn a couple of times in the past, but as part of artist-curated events. To be invited directly means a lot to us, and especially in the context of the festival’s updated programming vision. The Roadburn team and venue staff are the BEST IN THE BIZ and we’re looking forward to it tremendously. Thank you, Roadburn!”

Step aboard as we prepare to embark on a journey we won’t soon forget.

– Becky Laverty