Like a storm brewing over their native Cumbrian fells, experimental post-rock outfit Seven Seals are ready to unpack lashings of atmospheric anthems and raging intent with their ‘lost’ album Owl Cage – an exploration of prison via posthumously found sounds and a lesson in the importance of finishing what you started.

“It’s a fascinating theme,” lead Seal, Simon says of the record’s curious concept about the trappings of prison. “In the studio, when put together, the lyrics looked like a story about a murder, prison, wrestling with identity, with bad relationships, feeling trapped, and escaping from fate.”

No sooner than 14 years since the initial conception of Seven Seals’ eagerly-anticipated debut album Owl Cage, Manchester label Cosmic Glue’s relentless persistence to entice the band out of hibernation has paid off. Simon (vocals, synths, percussion, songwriting, production, lyrics), alongside John Powney (vocals, drums, percussion), Jay Glover (vocals, guitar, synths, songwriting, production), and newest addition Nick Latham (bass) returned to Yorkshire’s Loom studio with producer Grant Henderson, to hone a fresh release capturing the sound of a countryside band who take positivity from nature, whilst sharing their wide-eyed look at the world. “I love the idea of being like nineteenth century romantics The Lake Poets… but musical,” tells Simon.

Originally formed with Jim Tyson (bass) and John Bingley (guitar), Seven Seals’ origins began at school when as 9-year-olds, Simon and John B would find themselves kicked out of guitar club for tuning their instruments without their teacher’s permission. Later, after local lad Chris Acland, the drummer of Britpop band Lush tragically lost his life to suicide, his dad was clearing out the family’s historic Sprint Mill and happened upon Chris’ old mixtapes which found their way into Simon’s hands. “Those cassettes were amazing. Like reading someone’s diary,” he says. “It was music for music’s sake. Weird but often clever. It wasn’t pop but had hooks. So cool. They made Owl Cage what it is. It’s why our music can’t be pinned down.”

The Acland tapes transformed Seven Seals from satirical screwing around to serious musical proposition. A part-time postman, the songs soundtracked Simon’s deliveries around the Cumbrian dales; Television, Bauhaus, The Slits, Gang of Four, The Birthday Party and more, all seeping into Seven Seals’ consciousness. Cuts of Peel sessions introduced bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and then, there were the girlfriend tapes. “I’ve no idea who this girl is, or if there was more than one compilation maker, but one made a number of cassettes of country and bluegrass, George Jones, Jim Reeves, and Burl Ives.. I love and thank her for this.”

From the crime of ‘Murderous’ to the political prisoners of Chairman Mao in ‘Small Broadcasts,’ Owl Cage’s songs seemingly arrive straight from the slammer, with Henri Charrière’s Papillon and Peter Greenaway’s A Walk Through H offering some incarcerational inspiration. “Reading novels while writing lyrics is dangerous,” quips Simon. “With Owl Cage we wanted to go heavy but not BE heavy.” Fiery transmissions with thrift shop controlled chaos, the band mix prog-rock and prog-pop alongside post-punk and the 90s sounds discovered in their teens. Books like This Band Could Be Your Life and Get in The Van opened up the 80s US Hardcore scene where Black Flag, Fugazi, Hüsker Dü, and even The Jesus Lizard were thrown into the Seals’ explosive and atmospheric mix. “I like the ideas of apocalyptic music and trying to cheat death, Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal is amazing,” says Simon of the Swedish fantasy film noir, hinting at the origin of their name.

Bleeding with excitement from the Scouse scene, the album recordings were produced by friend and connected Merseyside scenester Yorkie at Liverpool’s Highfield Street Studio. They capture fast times supporting Space and Shack with visits from Echo & The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant and Pete Wylie. Just as Seven Seals’ Instagram is a litany of old set lists, illustrations and DIY home videos from back then, the record traces their spiritual homes in Cumbria’s foothills around Shap Fell, their Minotaur EP sessions, moments in time when they’d share drinking dens with fellow Cumbrians British Sea Power and Wild Beasts, or create first demo EP As Above So Below in the back room of Kendal’s 500-year-old pub The Fleece Inn. “We recorded on laptops and made videos there. Hung out. The ghosts made us feel welcome,” they say.

Family guys keeping their village DIY spirit alive whether supporting Kelley Stoltz or playing at Kendal Calling and hosting its Main Stage, with their debut LP finally getting the full vinyl release it deserves, Seven Seals have arrived revived, back from the dead.

All songs & lyrics by Seven Seals John Powney - Drums, vocals, percussion John Bingley - guitar Jim Tyson - Bass guitar, vocals. Simon Pickering - Synths, vocals, percussion Jay Glover - Guitar, banjo, lap steel, vocals Yorkie - Hugo Ball sound collage Mike Pickering - Soprano saxophone

Produced by Dave “Yorkie” Palmer for Universal Shoes Productions. Additional production - Grant Henderson & Seven Seals Engineered by Pat O’Shaughnessy, Jack Jelfs & Grant Henderson Mastering - Tony Dixon Masterpiece Masters Record Highfield Street Studios Liverpool autumn 2007 & Loom Studios 2019 Executive Producers - Mike Pickering & Lucy Barron