GOTTA KEEP ’EM SEPARATED?

July 3, 2024

Stitcher

STITCHER
DISTANT MIRAGE

I didn’t know it was possible for a band to sound like The Offspring and Led Zeppelin in the same song until I listened to Warrane/Sydney band, Stitcher’s, latest single, ‘Distant Mirage.’ We shall deal with the potential lawsuits and need to share writing credits and royalties later.

On first listen, I was ready to intensely dislike ‘Distant Mirage’. With its blatant musical rip offs and signature hook that verges on cultural appropriation, I was getting all set to be outraged, huff and puff and do a bit of the how-dare-they dance on this callow band’s face. But then I listened again and again, etc., and now I can’t get ‘Distant Mirage’ out of my head. In a good way, too. It’s actually an alright song from a band that could be anything, but isn’t anything quite yet.

The starring role in ‘Distant Mirage’ is taken by singer, Annabelle Piper. While on this outing she isn’t fully formed as a vocalist, Piper’s depth and uniqueness are somewhere in the mix; it’s up to her where she wants to take things from here. The rest of the track is, musically, pretty standard if not a bit scattergun in its trawl through every single one of the band’s influences, but ‘Distant Mirage’ does have some top notes of genius. Like where guitarist, Bailey Sykes, switches from sounding like he’s just come out of guitar class on that riff(off) to faithfully emulating the sound of Jimmy Page’s Telecaster on Led Zeppelin as the track builds to its inevitable hard rock climax.

I lost count of the clichés Stitcher pull out in ‘Distant Mirage’ around eight bars in, but after the fifth or sixth listen I reined myself in a bit and my ire turned to a rueful smile at the cheek of these four young pups who are just cutting their teeth as musicians. Give them a couple of years, and Stitcher could well be something, maybe even everything. I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed for them.

As for stealing the riff from The Offspring’s ‘Come Out And Play’ and sounding like Led Zeppelin all at the same time, I have this to say. Zeppelin were one of the world’s greatest cover bands and rip-off merchants, so there’s plenty to emulate there. As for The Offspring, they were only ever slightly better than OK, but they sure knew a good hook when they heard one, so why not? If I were managing Stitcher, I’d be writing to the lawyers of both bands inviting them to sue. The controversy could just be the making of this newly-emerged Warrane band.

Ultimately, however, if ‘Distant Mirage’ is a glimpse into their future, Stitcher won’t need such shenanigans to help build their career, they might just make it on their musical merits alone, if they ever figure out who they are.