The Left Outsides - The Shape Of Things To Come (2015)

The Left Outsides, Mark Nicholas and Alison Cotton, are a husband and wife duo from the MIdlands and Sunderland based in London, England whose atmospheric, hypnotic songs echo Nico's icy European folk, pastoral psychedelia and chilly English fields at dawn.

Their new album is The Shape Of Things To Come, mixed by Martin Noble of British Sea Power and Graham Sutton of Bark Psychosis - 13 songs including modern-day murder ballads, 60s beat psychedelia and outsider folk, with music and lyrics inspired by memories, dreams and Gregorian chants.

Before The Left Outsides, Mark and Alison were in psych folk group The Eighteenth Day of May. Alison was also in Saloon, and over the past decade she's played viola live with British Air Powers (an early version of British Sea Power), Cheval Sombre, Pete Astor and Mathew Sawyer. She plays with Plinth and her viola arrangements can be heard throughout Comet Gain's latest album, Paperback Ghosts.

The Left Outsides have played across the UK, France, Germany and in the USA on their own, supported Dead Meadow, The Clientele, Mark Mulcahy and the Bevis Frond and also appeared at Phil McMullen's Terrascope festival. They've recorded radio sessions for Stuart Maconie's Freakzone, Tom Robinson's show on BBC6 Music and Pete Paphides show for Soho Radio.


“Woozily narcotic of tempo and bathed in reverb, minor chord-heavy songs…glide by in a melancholy swoon....there's a bewitching aura of moonlight dappled languor.” Mojo (****)

“Packed with atmospheric, gentle psychedelic folk…this is a delicate and sublime mix of swooning melodies and haunting, intelligent arrangements.” Shindig! (****)

“It’s dark yet playful; 'quintessentially English' yet worldly and well- travelled as if part acid folk with hints of portentous balladry and filmic imagery as viewed through a gypsy campfire and all thoroughly delightful.” Terrascope (album of the month)

"Its ethereal folk and dreamy psychedelic songs have the power to hypnotise. Heartfelt, introspective Englishness has never sounded so good." SoundsXP