Modern Studies - Cassandra (2022)

Modern Studies removed to a byre in deepest
Perthshire to create their latest EP, Cassandra, out 29th
November on Fire Records.
This is not a faithful retelling of the myth. Rather,
elements of the legend were extracted and used as
the starting points for new found ways of working
together; to be refracted and re-invented, and further
coloured by their immediate environment - the
autumnal landscape, the river and hills, and in
particular the surrounding fields providing a passing
point of rest for thousands of migrating geese.

“We worked parallel to the myth, drew out some tiny
truths for ourselves, and used aspects of it to spark
ideas and unconventional musical techniques over
four days in a barn.” Modern Studies
While still recognisable as part of the Modern Studies
canon, Cassandra is part live recording, part
improvised, part chance, and part instrumental
dreamscape, eight conjoined tracks which rise and fall
in two movements.
Lyrics are minimal and drawn from the myth as it
relates to today’s world, and are chiefly born of
conversations the band had during the making
process on a variety of hefty topics, such as truthtelling, the weight of a gift, a double-cross, male gaze,
trust, classical art, expectations vs reality, depictions of
violence, lying to oneself, revenge, mental health and
the afterworld.

Modern Studies will be touring their acclaimed recent
album ‘We Are There’ for the first time across the UK
this Winter on their headline tour. They’ll also be
performing a more experimental live set at the Rio in
Dalston on 10th December alongside Vanishing Twin,
Fenella (Jane Weaver) and Yosa Peit