The North – Blood Orange
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Origin: Leeds, UK
Genre: Indie rock, shoegaze
With Blood Orange, Leeds-based four-piece The North present a gripping and emotionally resonant LP that blends the raw immediacy of indie rock with the swirling textures of shoegaze. Across five tracks, the band carves out a space that feels both grounded in grit and lifted by dreamlike soundscapes—a bold and immersive statement of intent.
Band Members
-
Billy Memphis – Vocals, songwriting, guitar
-
Sian Keates – Drums
-
Kobi Griggs – Lead guitar
-
(Bassist not listed but implied in “four-piece”)
Together, the members of The North form a tight-knit sonic unit, combining rhythmic power with expansive guitar work and emotionally driven vocals. Billy Memphis's songwriting serves as the backbone of the release, while the band’s chemistry brings each track to life with force and finesse.
Sound & Aesthetic
Blood Orange is characterized by its blend of atmospheric density and melodic clarity. Soaring, reverb-drenched guitars meet crisp percussion and emotionally raw vocal lines, creating a sound that is both immersive and urgent. The contrast between the band’s heavier shoegaze tendencies and their sharp indie rock instincts gives the album a compelling tension.
There’s a cinematic quality to the production—moody and layered, yet not overly polished. Each song builds gradually, sometimes erupting into walls of sound, other times pulling back into more restrained, introspective spaces.
Themes & Mood
Emotionally, Blood Orange explores themes of distance, desire, self-questioning, and the lingering pull of memory. The title evokes something vivid and bittersweet—something beautiful, but also bruised. The music mirrors this feeling with its push-and-pull dynamic, capturing both intensity and fragility.
The mood is melancholic yet powerful, reflective yet forward-moving. It’s a record that sits in the in-between: between daydream and heartbreak, noise and silence, collapse and clarity.
Critical Response
Blood Orange has already been noted for its confident vision, textured sound, and emotional weight. Critics and listeners alike have praised The North for their ability to deliver an album that feels both classic in spirit and fresh in execution. This LP marks them as one of the most compelling rising acts in the UK indie and shoegaze crossover space.
