Bristol-based trio Masca are made up of long-time partners Christina Maynard (guitar/vocals) and Jack Hamilton (drums/vocals), and Ben Holyoake (bass). Born during the pandemic, Maynard and Hamilton started the project in lockdown before developing Masca into a full band, and have just released their debut album Love Letters, an 11-track collection of fuzzy and hooky alt-pop that constantly refuses to be predictable.

With a unique balance of straightforward pop-rock and bewildering melodic complexity, Masca’s music somehow manages to be both immediate and completely unpredictable, with accessible alt-rock earworms and instantly memorable choruses, but also carrying loads of unexpected structural disruptions that twist your head.

Christina’s lyrics across the album touch on social pressure, political polarisation, and pregnancy and Love Letters exudes warmth from start to finish with extremely catchy songs that are odd and surprising enough to stand completely apart from most alt-rock. The hooks are massive and clear, but the song structures are smart and weird. Masca have bolted straight out of the gate with a clear identity as a band who are trying to do something more with the well-worn sound of alternative rock, and have found themselves well deserving of the Sherwood spotlight.

We caught up with the band to find out more:

Can you tell us about your previous musical excursions, and how they influenced what would become Masca?

At what point did you decide to move from a lockdown jam into forming a proper band? How did you find Ben?

Can you tell us what’s behind both the name Masca and the album title Love Letters?

Do you think being a couple affects the way you write and perform?

Do you intentionally try and disrupt songs when they feel too straightforward, or do the odd twists and turns just come naturally?

What are the themes running through the album?

Do you feel like you’re influenced by all the other quality bands around you in Bristol?

Can you tell us about the recording process for the album?

What are some of your musical influences that people might not expect?

What do you hope people feel after a Masca show?