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New Issue

Apr 30, 2025 By Nick Roseblade Photography by Nick Roseblade Web Exclusive

After being on hold for forty-seven minutes with a washing machine manufacturer I needed a break. As it was a Friday afternoon, I skedaddled to the Bella Union Record Shop in town for another one of their sandwich sessions. This time the band was New Issue, who were on a mini-UK and European tour, playing in record shops, book shops and libraries.

This quartet, from Washington State, opened with “I am Seen from Glossy Recall”, a callback to a previous incarnation of the band called Hungry Cloud Darkening. After that majority of their half-hour set was culled from their 2024 album Diminished and Transmitting. Songs like “Curb Again”, “Ginger” and “Vision Limited” all got an outing. Hearing the songs on record is a totally different experience to heading them live. This, of course, comes as no surprise. Live songs are usually richer and with more immediacy, but here the songs took on a life of their own. They weren’t stretched, but they felt elongated. You also got to see the interactions between the band members. Sly smiles. Eyes on what they’re playing, but also on each other looking for cues for fuzz and solos.

As this was an intimate show, we were a few feet from the band in a compacted space, initially there was an air of awkwardness. “Raise your hand if you’ve had enough,” guitarist/singer/keyboardist Paul Benson said. “We’ll take it personally,” guitarist/singer Allyson Foster joked. And the jokes came again. Instead of drums the percussionist had to use bongos “We just got these from a shop” Benson said “We’re returning them after the show, so don’t scuff them up…”. The final two songs of the set were the best. “Planned Defense” was the heaviest song of the set. Here the band really leaned into a 90s alt-US indie vibe. “Pottery” ended the set with dreamy vocals, gently throbbing bass, woozy keyboards and captivating melodies.

New Issue were the exact band I needed to see half the excruciating hold music I was put through in the morning. Instead of a saccharine keyboard melody I was given songs that lived and breathed with emotion, feeling and love. And the sandwiches from Earl’s weren’t bad either!