Landmarks - In Spite of It All (Artwork Feature)

Manchester alt-rockers Landmarks released their third EP today, on August 12th. Despite a setback when the studio was robbed, the band emerged with an EP that features the lyrics that they are most proud of in any song up to this point. In Spite Of It All features a more somber, mature sound and is sure to please fans. Be sure to read our recent interview with Landmarks where they tell us how Avengers: Age of Ultron inspired their song "Cutting Strings", how having their recording equipment stolen brought them closer together, and what fans can expect in the future. They also shared info about behind the scenes of their video for "Cutting Strings" and a track by track for the EP. Now they are sharing the details about the cover artwork for In Spite of It All.

"Just as Landmarks band were wrapping up their time recording, disaster struck, as bassist Adam reveals: “The studio was broken into during the night. Twice. Much of the equipment was stolen, and the studio was brought to its knees.” It was this twisted turn of events that, in part, inspired the E.P’s title, a middle finger to fate’s cruel hand; “That traumatic event solidified the phrase in our minds,” says Adam, “It’s subsequently come to work almost as a band motto for us. ‘In Spite Of It All’ sees Landmarks making a departure from their pop punk roots toward an alt-rock laced sound. Though still rich in melody, it’s an altogether more sombre affair, recalling the likes of Brand New in its downturned, more introspective aesthetic. With the band releasing the EP on 12th August, they decided to discuss how the artwork came about… 
 

“With our latest release we wanted to work with somebody completely different to fit the subject matter of the music. We noticed an artist online called Nathan Malone who had done some awesome work for not only small band's like 'Weak Knees' and 'You Know The Drill' but also established acts such as 'ROAM'.

We approached him with the idea of a tranquil lake with someone looking out over it. He was brilliant with his water colour paint work, so we asked if he could keep the colouring simple and apply that affect. The use of a canoe came about when we saw a photograph whilst on tour last year and from that moment we had the cover image made up in our minds. We gave him the idea's and colour scheme we wanted to work with and from then on he went away and did his thing.

As soon as he returned the finished piece we loved it instantly and really felt it captured the true essence of the record it was the face of, as each of the songs on the record have one common theme, which runs as a continuous thread through the record as a whole. This theme can be expressed as "Regardless of everything that has happened to me so far, this is where I currently stand, and here is where I hope to end up in the future...", as summarised quite succinctly in the record's title, 'In Spite Of It All'. The cover encapsulates this: the girl, on her own, looking ahead on the calm open lake, with her back to the past and looking on to what the future holds. Since having the record printed we couldn't be happier how it turned out. For anyone looking to get cover art or merch done I couldn't recommend someone more highly than Nathan."

Find the EP on iTunes and on vinyl.