A Wiltshire based dream pop duo featuring husband and wife team Carl and Kat Mann, Shapes Like People were formed as a side project to Carl’s indie band The Shop Window. Kat had already provided backing vocals on their ‘Daydream’ LP, but, if stories are to be believed, Carl hadn’t actually considered Kat for his then new project. It’s been jokingly claimed that Shapes Like People came together by accident, but like many happy accidents, the results were impressive. Their debut album ‘Ticking Haze’ played like the ultimate love letter to the 4AD label circa 1991, and although the whole record was enjoyable, between the waltzing time signatures of ‘A New Crown’, the harmony driven ‘Fireworks’ and the Johnny Marr tinged ‘Head Spun’, it offered a trilogy of tracks strong enough to place Shapes Like People among the frontrunners of retro sounding dream pop bands.
Tag Archives: dream pop
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #149
Welcome back to the Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time around, there’s an amazing ballad from a veteran singer-songwriter, some really cool retro vibes from a brand new rock act, a slab of almost perfect shoegaze, and a metal oriented number that flaunts a massive 90s riff with an industrial edge. You’ll also find a piece of Americana tinged pop-rock that shows massive promise, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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Listen: Shapes Like People share ‘Lately’, a great new single ahead of an album release
Those paying attention to the UK’s indie, shoegaze and dream pop scenes early in 2026 might have already discovered ‘Find Me There’, a fantastic track from Wiltshire based Shapes Like People. A fantastic single that sounded like the perfect dream pop throwback to 1993/1994 with its Cocteau Twins inspired shimmering guitar lines and clean vocals, it suggested that the upcoming Shapes Like People album would potentially be great.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #143
This week’s visit to the Singles Bar is big on variety. We’ve got retro rock, some very 90s inspired dream pop gold, a great track from an up and coming Irish singer songwriter, a superb acoustic track and more besides. With very little fitting a “household name” at the time of release, this is testament to how much great new music there is being released at the beginning of 2026. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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MERCURY’S ANTENNAE – The Veil Opaque EP
Mercury’s Antennae are one of those bands who have a natural affinity with a very 80s inspired goth sound. Their ‘Among The Black Trees’ album (released in March 2025) presented nine tracks with a cold yet inviting sound, often heavily dipped in the waters of nostalgia. However, with goth sounds so well played, the release was impossible to resist. The Sisters of Mercy-esque ‘The Reflecting Skin’, Cocteau Twins tinged ‘As I Lay Hidden (Deer Island)’ and the stripped back, haunting tones of ‘Language of The Stars’, in particular, stood out, forming a trio of tracks that were among the band’s very best.