“With our music, I particularly like to be on the extremes of things,” says MEMORIALS‘ Matthew Simms. “So if it’s supposed to be pretty in your face, I like to be fairly in your face. And then at the same time, if it’s kind of warm and gentle, I like that to be as warm and gentle as possible. I’m interested in those juxtapositions and making those, that’s how we want it to come across.”
Simms (who was in It Hugs Back and Wire) and former Electrelane frontperson Verity Susman first started working together to score a couple documentaries (2021’s Women Against the Bomb and 2022’s Tramps) but they soon found themselves writing songs and wanting to play live. MEMORIALS were born. They released their debut album, Memorial Waterslides, in 2024, and this month follow that with All Clouds Bring Not Rain, which expands their sonic universe further, incorporating baroque psych, folk, krautrock, prog, post-punk and more.
We talked to Susman and Simms on this week’s episode of BV Interviews about the new album, the band’s origins, the wide array of unusual and occasionally temperamental instruments used on the album, translating their often complex studio arrangements to their duo live setup, touring with Stereolab, their upcoming spring tour, composing the score for a new French Kate Bush documentary, the value of playing loud, Simms’ production work with Lande Hekt and Chastity Belt, what came of the pandemic Electrelane “reunion,” five records they think everyone should own and more.
Listen and subscribe here, below or wherever you get your podcasts.
All Clouds Bring Not Rain is out March 27 and MEMORIALS will be on tour with Holy Fuck on the West Coast, and East Coast dates include Tubby’s Kingston on May 21 and a NYC show on May 23 (details TBA). All dates are listed below.
MEMORIALS – 2026 Tour Dates
April 08 – Le Hasard Ludique, Paris, France
April 09 – Le Tangram, Évreux, France
April 10 – Variations Festival, Nantes, France, w/ Einstürzende Neubauten
April 11 – Calm, Limoges, France
April 12 – La Petite Populaire, La Réole, France
April 14 – Le Consortium, Dijon, France
April 15 – Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing, France, w/ Bibi Club
April 22 – The Croft, Bristol, UK
April 23 – Little Bully, Oxford, UK
April 24 – Prince Albert, Brighton, UK
April 26 – Heartbreakers, Southampton, UK
April 29 – The Lexington, London, UK
April 30 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds, UK
May 01 – The Castle Hotel, Manchester, UK
May 02 – NeoAncients Festival, St Laurence Church, Stroud, UK
May 07 – Wicket Hall, Canada – Victoria, BC
May 08 – The Pearl, Canada – Vancouver, BC
May 09 – Tractor Travern – Seattle, WA
May 10 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
May 12 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
May 13 – The Roxy Theatre – West Hollywood, CA
May 14 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
May 15 – Swan Dive – Las Vegas, NV
May 16 – Pappy & Harriets – Pioneertown, CA
May 17 – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ
May 19 – 13th Floor – Austin, TX
May 20 – The Pie Shop – Washington, D.C.
May 21 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s
May 22 – Allston, MA – O’Brien’s
May 23 – New York, NY @ TBA
May 31 – Nachtasyl, Hamburg, Germany
June 01 – Kantine am Berghain, Berlin, Germany
June 02 – Noch Besser Leben, Leipzig, Germany
June 03 – Kohi, Karlsruhe, Germany
June 04 – Club Manufaktur, Schorndorf, Germany
June 05 – Bellevue Di Monaco, München, Germany
June 06 – Rotown, Rotterdam, Netherlands