Astraba shares debut EP ‘Holy Island’

London-based band Astraba have been making an impression within atmospheric alternative rock, bringing together dreamy psychedelia, folk-infused songwriting and the darker textures of post punk. Revolving around the interplay of layered guitars, synths, dynamic percussion and haunting vocal harmonies, the band create music that balances delicacy with a sense of underlying tnsion. Featuring Emily Lissack, Willow Cunningham, Ali Wheelhouse and Klara Weiss, Astraba have developed a sound that feels equally expansive and immersive, drawing listeners into a world where atmosphere is just as important as melody.

Previously known as Blue Akimbo, the group first attracted wider attention with their celestial debut single, “Sink the Moon,” released via LOUD WOMEN. The track delivered the first showcase of their developing alternative rock sound, earning airplay on BBC 6 Music and KEXP and bringing their music to an international audience. Its reception provided an exciting introduction to a band whose output favours intricate sonic detail, distinctive vocal arrangements and a desire to explore the spaces between familiar genres.

The group’s musical identity forms through the contributions of its individual members; Emily takes the lead on vocals, guitar and synths, while Willow adds vocals, keys and synths. Ali brings a further guitar dimension, with Klara on drums providing the rhythmic energy. Together, they build arrangements that move between atmospheric restraint and more forceful passages, allowing different textures to coalesce while retaining a distinctive sound that’s been winning over listeners across the UK and beyond.

Now, their brand new debut EP titled Holy Island represents an emphatic expansion of their vision and across five tracks, Astraba develop the ideas introduced on “Sink the Moon,” combining eerie synths, stacked guitars, intricate percussion and striking vocal harmonies into a carefully connected musical journey. Not presenting five entirely separate statements, the band have designed the EP to play out as one continuous piece, with tracks segueing into one another. The release invites listeners to experience the record as a shifting landscape, where changes in rhythm, instrumentation and mood contribute to a wider sense of movement.

The title track opens the door to this world through a highly improvised arrangement, drawing the listener into Astraba’s swirling and enigmatic atmosphere. Hushed instrumental tones and drifting textures gently swirl with hazy vocalisations to cast an immersive soundscape that gradually builds with soft keys, intricate guitar notes and sparse percussive shots, swelling into a gripping crescendo of crashing drums and crunching guitars before simmering to an intimate close.

“Puppet” then introduces sharper grooves, bringing a more direct rhythmic presence to a song concerned with inner conflict and the persistence of personal demons. The contrast between the two tracks demonstrates the band’s ability to shift between hypnotic soundscapes and more defined musical structures while maintaining a consistent sense of tension, with the taps and patter of drums propelling pulsing instrumental elements as alluring vocal leads glide above.

At the centre of the EP sits “A Darker Colour,” a reflective moment shaped by crisp rhythms, jazz-tinged chords and unresolved melodies. Its understated tension offers a different perspective on the band’s sound, finding emotional context in details that remain deliberately unsettled, casting a mesmeric listening experience where flickering guitar notes and sweeping vocals combine above the rustle of drums to deliver an engrossing sonic scene.

The EP’s lead single “Kismet” provided an initial window into the direction of Holy Island, introducing listeners to the band’s expanded sonic fabric ahead of the full release. Within the context of the complete EP, the track forms part of a wider progression, its atmosphere and textures contributing to a body of work that reveals more of Astraba’s creative intentions with each successive movement where delicate instrumentation and expressive vocal performance float through a progressing arrangement that flows with shuffling percussion and moments of surging energy.

Closing track “High Tide, Full Moon” brings the journey towards its conclusion through an arrangement that gradually transforms throughout. Beginning with delicate keys, the song builds beneath the pulse of marching drums and increasingly prominent synths, growing into a sweeping, cinematic landscape but as the intensity recedes, refined guitar lines and subtle textures return to the foreground, guiding the listener back towards the more restrained atmosphere that opened the record. The transition creates a sense of circularity, reinforcing the EP’s design as a continuous experience as opposed to a collection of disconnected songs.

Following the EP’s release, Astraba will bring their immersive sound to a London headline show at The Victoria on the 3rd of December. As they move from their early singles into this more ambitious body of work, the band continue to develop a musical world unlike any other and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store next on their enticing musical adventure.

Commenting on the release, Emily shares, “Holy Island is a deeply personal place for both Willow and I. We each found ourselves there during uncertain and vulnerable periods of our lives. To me, it felt like the island’s natural isolation, accessible only at low tide and surrounded by the harsh North Sea, somehow mirrored how we were feeling at the time. We wrote “Holy Island” [track] as a fully improvised piece, to capture the confusion and ambiguity of a complex inner monologue. From that starting point, the EP gradually revealed itself as a reflection on both the world around us and the one within… we wanted to capture the confusion, power and psychedelia of just feeling lost.”

Listen to Holy Island below