Stream the new EP by Seconds Apart, ‘Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder’

By Ben Tipple

British alternative rock has celebrated some particularly strong releases in the last few weeks, not least Witterquick’s ‘Beneath The Spinning Lights’ and Fatherson’s ‘Open Book’. ‘Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder’, the new five-track EP by South Yorkshire duo Seconds Apart easily cements itself on that list, balancing the grandiose melodies of those contemporaries and the punchy sound of the likes of Don Broco.

Comprised of Martin Cartlidge and Owen Claxon, Seconds Apart have had a typically turbulent past for such a young band. ‘Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder’, produced by Lower Than Atlantis’ Ben Sansom, simultaneously represents the troubles and celebrates their resolution.

“This EP has been entirely autobiographical from the start,” Claxon explains. “We’ve had a lot of down time as a band, hence the overall title, and we’re ready to be back. Tracks like ‘Make Me Believe’ attack our battles with self confidence and self conviction, and the way we sometimes question if what we’re doing is worth the effort, whereas ‘Romance On TV’ was really personal to me as it just showed the time at two in the morning where I’d be thinking about music and writing and with the step back we’d taken.”

“Without purpose I’d ultimately get drawn into whatever was on TV, and it always made my life seem a little grim by comparison. It hasn’t all been negative, the second track on the EP ‘That Friday Feeling’ really is about what it says on the tin. It’s about letting loose.”

“Whether it’s a good or a bad vibe in the music, it’s all from the heart and I hope everyone can relate,” he concludes.

Stream ‘Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder’ by Seconds Apart exclusively below. The record will be available from the 4th July 2016. The duo will be celebrating the release with a live appearance at Sheffield’s Corporation on the 15th July as well as playing the city’s Tramlines Festival on the 22nd. For more on Seconds Apart, check out their Facebook and Twitter.