The former black midi bassist delivers an exciting taste of a project still in its experimental development.

Against the glitter-walled backdrop of The Windmill, Cameron Picton has chosen a gloomy Tuesday to launch his new project, My New Band Believe. There’s a buzz in the crowd, buoyed by the vague (and tantalising) marketing for the event, which describes this set of gigs as “workshop shows to see what a band can be”.

It’s a homecoming for the former black midi bassist: the band was intertwined with The Windmill in its early days, so much so that there’s a Wikipedia page dedicated to the scene that they became associated with. It’s no real surprise that he’s chosen this venue to test out something new.  

Picton has released a steady stream of music in the last year, but most of it has kept low-key via Bandcamp-only releases that give the finger to music streaming pressures. These mixtapes (albums? extended singles?), titled after their lengths – ‘24m56s’, ‘36m33s’, ‘44m50s’ – combine indie rock hallmarks with ambient beats and spoken word, and offer an insight into what Picton might want to create now that his black midi days are behind him. 

‘Lecture 25’, the only single currently available from My New Band Believe, is a little less experimental than these other album-length releases. For one, it’s actually quite easy to find it, it’s on Spotify. It also has a more clearly discernible indie rock sound, although one that still toys with experimental and at times nonsensical language. 

As the band – formed of Picton, bassist Caius Williams, and King David Ike-Elechi on the drums – take to the stage, it’s clear that first and foremost, this is a guitar-led rock-ready band. Williams and Picton’s chemistry on stage is palpable: exchanging glances, they riff perfectly from one another, building sounds underpinned by Ike-Elechi’s precise sense of rhythm. 

There’s a fun, low-pressure atmosphere to a gig by a band that only has one single to its name. It’s a rough and ready set: at one point it seems like Picton has forgotten the opener to a song, and at times it’s hard to make out his voice over the dual-guitar setup – there’s a single during which I can’t tell whether he’s repeating “ask” or “arse” – but it’s all part of the charm.

Picton is a little shyer than former bandmate Geordie Greep, who’s become known for his distinctive showmanship in the touring he’s done since black midi. There’s pretty much no between-song chat, and as such even though the band played a smattering of distinct new singles, I couldn’t tell you what any of them are called. Still, there’s a quiet conviction to Picton’s playing, perhaps buoyed by a confidence that comes from being in familiar stomping grounds. 

It is unclear whether these three will form a new, core lineup for the band, or whether the project will continue to remain open-ended, a Gorillaz-esque mash-up of collaborators as opposed to an indie rock unit. In a week’s time, My New Band Believe will follow up with a trio of further workshop shows at North London’s Horse Hospital, with slight variations to the band’s lineup each night.   

But tonight, they’re closing out a tight half-hour gig with a rendition of ‘Lecture 25’ that takes a distinctly more guitar-heavy direction than the released single, possibly a result of the lack of keyboardist for this gig. It’s divisive– not everybody in the crowd feels positively about the variation as we head out – but it’s a strong finisher, and one that spells a lot of promise for where My New Band Believe might head next.