Drink The Sea, Debut UK Tour, Live at The Jazz Cafe, Camden Town, London

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Words & Pictures: Adrian Hextall / (C) MindHex Media

According to band members and official tour materials, supergroup Drink The Sea formed as a gradual, global collaboration spearheaded by Barrett Martin.

The timeline for the evolution / birth of the band makes for interesting reading given the pedigree of the core band members:

2022 (The Spark): The project began when Alain Johannes and Barrett Martin jammed at Martin’s studio in Olympia, Washington, to explore what musical “magic” they could create together.
Expansion (2024): The project grew as Martin travelled. He and Duke Garwood recorded additional songs in Reykjavik, Iceland, following a tour they did together.
Global Sessions: The recording process continued across several continents:
- São Paulo, Brazil: Barrett, Duke, and Peter Buck met to record more material.
- Joshua Tree, California: Alain Johannes joined the group at the Rancho De La Luna studio to record the final batch of live tracks.
- Santiago, Chile: Additional recording took place at Alain’s personal studio.
Final Production: The 22 tracks were ultimately produced by Barrett and Alain in Olympia and mixed in Barcelona, Spain.

Those final 22 tracks are now split across the band’s debut double album I and II.

1. Shaking For The Snakes / 2. Saturn Calling / 3. Outside Again / 4. House Of Flowers / 5. Pour Your Glow On / 6. Land Of Spirits / 7. Tuareg Asteroid / 8. The Strangest Season / 9. Paredes / 10. Where We Belong / 11. Embers

II:

1. Sacred Tree / 2. Sweet As A Nut / 3. Bembe For Two / 4. Mouth Of The Whale / 5. Rose Crested Sky / 6. Spirit Away / 7. Aching Harbor / 8. Sip Of The Juice / 9. Midnight Starlight / 10. Meteors / 11. Butterfly

With that level of commitment to delivery, to say there was a fever pitch effect for the band’s debut UK tour would be an understatement. The Jazz Cafe in Camden felt less like a music venue and more like a temple on Wednesday night as Drink The Sea brought their “traveling supernova” to London. From the first vibrations of “Shaking For The Snakes,” it was clear this wasn’t just a standard supergroup gig, it was a deep, multi-sensory immersion supported by the haunting industrial and desert visuals of filmmaker Tad Fettig.

Not only do bands like this not come along often, they typically don’t tour. An album might appear, the collaboration deemed a success, the world demands a tour and then …. nothing. Drink The Sea thankfully managed to turn the page and create a ‘can do’ narrative that has seen some dates outside of the UK as the band found their feet and learnt to gel. By the time they reached our shores however, it was a differently matter entirely. Practice, delivery, close proximity and more importance an opportunity to understand the subtle nuances of a team of talented professionals.

As such, the chemistry on stage was obvious to all. Peter Buck remained characteristically stoic on the flank, his Rickenbacker chime acting as the atmospheric glue for the band’s more experimental tendencies. Meanwhile, having never seen him perform before, Alain Johannes was a revelation, rotating through an arsenal of stringed instruments, including a Portuguese guitar and a cigar-box guitar—while delivering solos that felt truly otherworldly.

The glue at the back of the stage centered on, of course, Barrett Martin and on either side of him, percussionist Lisette Garcia who has worked with the Barrett Martin Group and bassist Abbey Blackwell (who has also played with Alvvays). The combined sound coupled with some soaring vocals from Alain just left one more piece to complete the puzzle.

Duke Garwood’s baritone vocals anchored the evening in a mournful, bluesy weight, particularly during the middle section of the set. A highlight for many was the double-punch of nostalgia at the end: a haunting rendition of Mad Season’s “Long Gone Day” and a surprisingly heavy, psychedelic take on R.E.M.’s “The One I Love.” By the time they closed with the raw power of “Hangin’ Tree,” the audience was left in a state of collective trance. Drink The Sea isn’t just playing songs; they are building a world.

As we stepped out of the famous Jazz Cafe, feeling like a bucket list moment had been well and truly ticked, it’s worth noting the one missing link that initially was responsible for being the magnet that drew everyone together.

Whilst the members of Drink The Sea have described the band as a “culmination of their minds” and the kind of group they “wanted to be in as they get older,” all core members had previously worked with the late, great, Mark Lanegan. His musical influence and “ghost” were truly felt in the Jazz Cafe are unsurprisingly are frequently cited as the common thread that helped bind the members’ various styles, ranging from alternative rock to world music textures, into a cohesive sound. I’m sure more than a few glasses have been raised to Mark during this tour.