Abashed: The UK's Pioneers of Atmospheric Post-Rock

Abashed is a British instrumental post-rock band known for crafting expansive, cinematic soundscapes. Hailing from Manchester, the group achieved a significant milestone when their 2018 album Monuments charted on the UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart.

Early career

Abashed formed in 2012, born from the collaboration of university friends and multi-instrumentalists Leo Vance and Mara Chen. Their initial self-recorded EPs, Fragments (2013) and The Silent Divide (2014), were released digitally and garnered a dedicated online following within the post-rock community.

Breakthrough

The band's breakthrough arrived in 2016 with their debut full-length album, A Thousand Winters. Released through the independent label Aurora Borealis Recordings, the album's lead single, "Glass Sky," received extensive play on specialist radio, propelling the album to sell over 10,000 copies.

Key tracks

Glass Sky — This track became the band's signature song and their first to receive regular national radio airplay.

Chiaroscuro — Featured in several documentary film soundtracks, expanding their audience beyond the core post-rock scene.

Ashen — A notable collaboration with cellist Peter Gregson that highlighted the band's evolving classical influences.

The Long Defeat — This epic, ten-minute album opener from Monuments is a staple of their live performances.

The success of A Thousand Winters led to touring across Europe and a support slot for Mogwai in 2017. Their sophomore album, Monuments (2018), saw them experiment with more electronic textures and complex song structures, earning critical praise for its ambition.

Abashed's most recent work includes their 2022 EP Resolve and a 2023 collaborative single with Swedish artist From The Branches. Their sound shares the textural guitar work and dynamic builds of Mogwai. Listeners who enjoy the melodic intensity of This Will Destroy You will find common ground. The band also cites the influence of fellow UK act 65daysofstatic, particularly in their use of electronic rhythms.

The music of Abashed is a regular feature on alternative rock radio stations and dedicated online rock radio streams that focus on instrumental and experimental genres. Their tracks are frequently included in curated playlists on independent music radio stations seeking dynamic, atmospheric content.

You can hear the immersive post-rock of Abashed on radio stations featured right here on onairium.com. Discover their evolving discography and listen to their music through the curated radio stations available on our platform.