Memorials

Based in the United Kingdom, Memorials brings together musician and singer Verity Susman (of Electrelane) and guitarist/producer Matthew Simms (of Wire). Formed in 2022 around commissions for film music, the duo has developed a form of experimental pop that blends stretched psych-rock, off-kilter folk, rough electronic textures and improvisations informed by the spirit of free jazz. Their first recorded phase focuses on the soundtracks to two documentary films, with the albums Music For Film: Tramps! and Music For Film: Women Against The Bomb released in 2023, where recurring melodic themes intersect with denser noise sequences and minimalist passages. Entirely produced in their own studio environment, the project relies on a very analogue recording approach and on collective songwriting that leaves ample room for exploring timbre and dynamics. From these film works Memorials has developed a more immediate live dimension, as a duo or with guests, transforming the film pieces into songs, extended improvisations and instrumental suites. In 2024 a collaboration with Fire Records opened a new chapter geared toward a debut album conceived outside the strict confines of film music.