South London’s Natural Mystery Museum follow in the tradition of the great British Invasion bands that came before them in finding influence in the sounds of the American blues movement.
Videos by American Songwriter
Only for this young band, the inspiration doesn’t stem from the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley but rather the latest generation of acts here in the States who continue to keep blues-based rock on the forefront of creativity.
“I really like the work of Jack White and Tom Petty in how simple their styles are,” Perry Reed tells American Songwriter. “Less is definitely more. Queens of the Stone Age for their unapologetic rock n roll sound. Plus White Denim, Kings of Leon and The Black Keys for good measure and a balanced diet.”
Yet when you listen to the group’s crunch-a-delic new single “Sixes & Sevens”, one can also clearly recognize the energy of such envelope pushing psych acts as The Oh Sees and Tame Impala in these three minutes as well. For Reed, the tune emerged from a feeling of rudderless wanderlust that comes with being stuck in the same town your whole life.
“This song came about from feeling confusion towards what Im doing in life and being stuck in a rut,” Reed added. “The phrase ‘At Sixes and Sevens’ means to be in a state of disarray which I read somewhere and thought that fits pretty well. When I put pen to paper and got down the bones it was like; okay, you’ve written what your currently experiencing, feel any better now you’ve got that out in front of you? Guess thats cheaper than therapy.”
American Songwriter is happy to premiere this exciting first single from Natural Mystery Museum’s forthcoming EP Illusionary Tales, which hits all digital platforms in November and serves as an evolutionary follow-up to their 2019 debut Volume 0. For a band who has only been around since late 2018, the rapid growth these guys have exhibited in two short years offers nothing but promise in the coming years as they continue to grow.
“It’s all subjective at the end of the day,” Reed said when we asked what he hoped listeners would get out of “Sixes and Sevens”. “Who am I to say how you should experience your reality. It was written for selfish reasons in a way, but if some one can get something from it that helps them through a similar time that’s a bonus for sure. [I just hope they dig] how dynamic the track is! It starts off grooving then when it hits the bridge it kicks off and wont stop for nobody, and when you think its done it shifts up a gear!”
