After thirty years of silence, the former jewel of Sarah Records returns with an enchanting new album carrying an eternal adolescence.
Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, the masterminds behind the legendary Bristol label, had announced a rule: 100 records, a few albums, and nothing more. When that figure was reached in the summer of 1995, Sarah Records shut down its activities, ending eight years of existence and instantly entering the lore for having written one of the prettiest chapters of British indie, while leaving its flagship signings somewhat orphaned.
Among them, Heavenly, a delightful Oxford-based group led by vocalist and guitarist Amelia Fletcher, who authored three early long-players and a handful of irresistibly catchy singles for Sarah, before being halted in 1996 due to the tragic passing of drummer Mathew Fletcher, just months after the release of a fourth album, Operation Heavenly, issued on Wiiija.
Forever young…
Nothing about Heavenly seemed destined for a grand return. And yet, thirty years later, buoyed by the surprising success of the single P.U.N.K. Girl (1993) on TikTok and a surge in streaming numbers, the indie pop outfit climbs back onstage with a new album that dodges nostalgia, as if it were picking up exactly where everything had paused.
Playful compositions, lyrics that strike a deceptively innocent note, and an intact melodic craftsmanship where guitars and keyboards from the era merge—Heavenly’s early records managed to crystallize adolescence forever. This release proves that it never truly ends.
Highway to Heavenly (Skep Wax Records). Out February 27. A performance at Petit Bain, Paris, on March 6.
