Flame drops ‘Medea In Blue’ EP

Flame are an Edinburgh-based quintet who are rapidly staking their claim as one of the most exciting acts in Scotland’s alternative rock music sphere, stitching together grunge, shoegaze, prog, folk and funk into a sound that’s highly original. With BBC Introducing Scotland support and a growing run of memorable live performances, including a headline slot at King Tut’s Summer Nights last month, the band have quickly confirmed their as a live act built around intensity, emotion and magnetic stage presence.

Their music draws personal experience into wider questions of growth, self-discovery and change, creating songs that can feel intimate one moment and overwhelming the next. They use the moodier corners of 90s rock as a springboard for a sound that blends contrasting textures into a gripping musical offering that’s struck a chord with listeners across the UK and beyond.

Capturing their sound in the studio, they first shared their sound in 2021 with the debut single “Like A Fish,” which they followed up with singles two and three before their first EP, Pride of the Lamb, landed in 2024. Since then, another trio of singles has continued to expand their sound, with this year’s releases “Naive” and “Heat” leading towards their brand new debut live EP titled Medea In Blue.

Recorded live in a rehearsal studio in the heart of Edinburgh, Medea In Blue captures Flame at their most captivating and across six tracks, the EP strips away the distance that studio shine can sometimes create, allowing the band’s energy and interplay to form in real time. It’s a record that feels like an extension of the room in which it was made; bright textures collide with powerful vocals, while the band’s fusion of alternative folk and rock continues to provide an engaging setting for their more expansive prog-gaze style.

Grunge, shoegaze, funk and soft rock all find their way into the frame but none is allowed to completely define what Flame are doing. Medea In Blue takes its title and spirit from its central figure, fierce, complex, achingly human and impossible to look away from. That sense of character runs throughout the EP, drawing listeners into a musical space where existential questions sit at the centre and by not presenting those questions with straightforward answers, Flame let the songs simmer in their uncertainty.

Kicked off by “Naive,” the bright flicker of guitar notes is met by the rustle of drums as the track slips into a breezy indie rock scene capped by frontwoman Fiammetta Nisio’s expressive vocals which spin memorable hooks above the bouncy arrangement cut with playful lead guitar flourishes. “Tornado” follows, slowing the pace with a laid back jam that glides with mellow rhythmic energy, jangly guitar tones and alluring vocal layers, crafting a charming slice of rock-tinged indie folk music.

“Pride of the Lamb” forms with the flutter of twanging guitar notes as the steady patter of drums and intricate piano touches combines to create an intimate sound as emotive vocals ring out above, delivering a highly affecting outing that showcases the more tender side of the band’s vision. “Gravity” pairs soft piano notes with distant guitar chords and warm bass as Fiammetta’s hushed voice hovers above the stripped back arrangement, casting a dreamy sound that gently gathers subtle energy with the taps of drums and rising vocal intensity.

With “Take The Rubbish Out,” the shuffle of drums ushers in woozy guitar lines while quiet vocals glide alongside the immersive instrumentation before building with impassioned vocal delivery to serve up an epic display of the band’s songwriting flair and performance panache. Closing the EP with the recent single “Heat,” punchy drums propel lively instrumentation and dazzling vocal leads to deliver a stunning finale to Flame’s superb new release. As they continue their run of projects and gigs throughout this year, Flame continue to go from strength to strength with each move as a must watch band with an original and truly compelling sonic output.

Listen to Medea In Blue below