Introducing... Mausi

Newcastle-based four-piece indie-pop outfit Mausi are currently one of the brightest names in the city's burgeoning music scene. It's a genre that's difficult to get right, with the line between well-constructed, buoyant melodies and cloying, mindless fluff being a dangerously thin one, and providing a strong distinction between the bands that do it very well, and those that do it poorly.

Luckily, Mausi find themselves on the right side of that line, blending the girl-and-guitar sound of Sky Larkin with the joyous danceability of Phoenix. Debut single 'Follow Me Home' sounds like the offspring of 'Lisztomania' and 'Beeline', with a toe-tapping beat, a blend of complementing male and female vocals, and a stubbornly catchy chorus. Well-balanced production values allow each part to shine through, without any becoming overpowering, and a softness that makes for easy, enjoyable listening (though not in the derogatory sense).

It's particularly impressive as a debut, accompanied by a video made especially endearing for its locations - Newcastle residents will recognise several Metro stations, as well as the Tynemouth market and coastline. Whilst it'll take a few more songs of this standard to cement the group as a potential Next Big Thing from the UK, it's an extremely promising start.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that it's currently free to download?



'Follow Me Home' is available to download now (see link above), and is being officially launched at Mausi's gig at The Cluny on March 3rd. Tickets cost £4, and are available here.