Room 2 Presents...
From D.I.Y. Sessions to Taking Over The Hare
Room 2 Recordings held their first gig at the Hare and Hounds on 3rd of December, bringing their recording/house-gig-focused project into a live event setting for the first time.
Led by founding fathers George Dillon and Harry Houlton, Room 2 Recordings is Birmingham’s answer to NPR Tiny Desk. Recorded in their living-room-turned-studio, they've been giving exposure to emerging and established local artists for the past 14 months.
Room 2’s appeal lies in its unpretentious confidence. It is an ambitious grassroots endeavour helmed by young faces who are deeply invested in building a stronger sense of community within Birmingham’s music scene. Having attended one of their house shows in summer, at which I was struck by their professionalism and the sound quality they achieved on the garden stage, I was keen to see how Dillon and Houlton would pull off a gig at one of Birmingham’s most cherished venues.
Vivid promotional art and posters by local artist Trashiok helped set the tone in the weeks leading up to the gig, signalling Room 2’s D-I-Y ethos to anyone not yet familiar with their work. The venue filled quickly, buzzing with the energy that marks a much-anticipated show. The crowd, mostly musicians and friends-of, was unmistakably Birmingham: everyone felt connected by only a degree or two, with this night bringing many of those loose threads into one room.
Milophone
In the interest of impartiality, the opening set by Milophone (my fiancé) will be covered by Concrete CEO Charlotte Edgington, whose ears are untainted by love and adoration.
“While not engaged to Milophone, per se, I am certainly bias in my love for Milophone’s music. Filling in for a sudden cancellation along with some unforeseen technical issues left Milophone seemingly a little nervous at the start of their set. He needn’t have been. Seated alone on stage, a single overhead light bearing down, surrounded by a crowd simultaneously holding their breath. As Milophone began to sing a sort of spell fell upon the audience, the most respectful venue one audience I have ever heard (or rather not heard).
Milophone opened the set with an older track, Broken Bell, a winding, creeping lullaby carried by his gentle shaking voice. A real deep cut gem for any Milophone fans. This was followed by Everything’s Ending and Eleanor, two lilting highlights from his latest EP release.
The frailty in Milophone’s voice holds a deeply sincere quality that is mesmerising to watch. With the crowd hooked on his every words, it’s hard not to see the haunting nature of Milophone’s music. Cemented through his uniquely captivating voice, you get the sense of watching someone perform a show and tell of delicate sentimental objects
For fans of: Elliott Smith, Greg Mendez, and Shelf Life"
- Charlotte Edgington
Poster by Trashiok
Second on were George Dillon and band (featuring Houlton on lead guitar). Their set felt diverse yet cohesive, with older songs sitting comfortably alongside newer material (Mom and Dad - a ridiculously catchy number that was a particular highlight of the set). Their stage presence often felt unconcerned with the audience - something that could read as disengaged, but instead came off as laid-back, familiar, and self-assured.
Loud, fuzzy, and purposefully informal, the set favoured character over polish, frequently leaning into distinctly American garage-band territory; ride-heavy and Casio-embellished, with a mean lead guitar that wandered through almost every track. Dillon’s melodies, vocals and writing echoed several of my long-time favourites, with an earnestness that was almost adolescent cut with a wry sense of humour. Some of those melodies are still stuck in my head.
For fans of: MJ Lendermann, Alex G, Songs: Ohia, Ween, Harlem
The Speakers
Following were five-piece band The Speakers, whose Room 2 session was released back in March. Drawing from influences like Ezra Collective and ROSALÍA, their sound was dark, measured, and brooding, well-suited to the room’s low light and close quarters. Some songs sat in restraint and stillness - others crashed into something heavier and more hypnotic.
The speakers described their debut single, Headache, as “born from a poem” - an apt description for a lyrical style that often felt like an incantation, spanning themes of intra- and interpersonal conflict, told through hazy vignettes and fragmented characters.
For fans of: King Krule, Kokoroko, Malo, Alabaster DePlume, Crumb
In the interest of impartiality, the opening set by Milophone (my fiancé) will be covered by Concrete CEO Charlotte Edgington, whose ears are untainted by love and adoration.
“While not engaged to Milophone, per se, I am certainly bias in my love for Milophone’s music. Filling in for a sudden cancellation along with some unforeseen technical issues left Milophone seemingly a little nervous at the start of their set. He needn’t have been. Seated alone on stage, a single overhead light bearing down, surrounded by a crowd simultaneously holding their breath. As Milophone began to sing a sort of spell fell upon the audience, the most respectful venue one audience I have ever heard (or rather not heard).
Milophone opened the set with an older track, Broken Bell, a winding, creeping lullaby carried by his gentle shaking voice. A real deep cut gem for any Milophone fans. This was followed by Everything’s Ending and Eleanor, two lilting highlights from his latest EP release.
The frailty in Milophone’s voice holds a deeply sincere quality that is mesmerising to watch. With the crowd hooked on his every words, it’s hard not to see the haunting nature of Milophone’s music. Cemented through his uniquely captivating voice, you get the sense of watching someone perform a show and tell of delicate sentimental objects
For fans of: Elliott Smith, Greg Mendez, and Shelf Life"
- Charlotte Edgington
Second on were George Dillon and band (featuring Houlton on lead guitar). Their set felt diverse yet cohesive, with older songs sitting comfortably alongside newer material (Mom and Dad - a ridiculously catchy number that was a particular highlight of the set). Their stage presence often felt unconcerned with the audience - something that could read as disengaged, but instead came off as laid-back, familiar, and self-assured.
Loud, fuzzy, and purposefully informal, the set favoured character over polish, frequently leaning into distinctly American garage-band territory; ride-heavy and Casio-embellished, with a mean lead guitar that wandered through almost every track. Dillon’s melodies, vocals and writing echoed several of my long-time favourites, with an earnestness that was almost adolescent cut with a wry sense of humour. Some of those melodies are still stuck in my head.
For fans of: MJ Lendermann, Alex G, Songs: Ohia, Ween, Harlem
The Speakers
Following were five-piece band The Speakers, whose Room 2 session was released back in March. Drawing from influences like Ezra Collective and ROSALÍA, their sound was dark, measured, and brooding, well-suited to the room’s low light and close quarters. Some songs sat in restraint and stillness - others crashed into something heavier and more hypnotic.
The speakers described their debut single, Headache, as “born from a poem” - an apt description for a lyrical style that often felt like an incantation, spanning themes of intra- and interpersonal conflict, told through hazy vignettes and fragmented characters.
For fans of: King Krule, Kokoroko, Malo, Alabaster DePlume, Crumb
Jazzcat
Next up were Jazzcat, with a set that leaned fully into intensity. Heavy, immersive, and metallic, with little softness beyond the delicate layers of chorused guitars, Jazzcat have a knack for pushing shoegaze textures into something more aggressive, more tangible and robust. Held tight by a strict rhythm section and a near-urgent vocal delivery, it landed with force, collapsing the distance between band and audience.
There’s a physicality to the band that keeps you rooted to the room as the music draws inward - this push and pull defined the set.
For fans of: Slint, Interpol, Her’s, Pixies, Electrelane
Bluewalk
Bluewalk rounded off the night with a rosy, romantic sound that recalled the warmth of summer - a welcome reprieve from the bitter December night. Simultaneously languid and intricate, the five-piece laid down a melange of gorgeous lounge-pop, characterised by clean guitar, gently psychedelic flute and Wurlitzer, and lilting vocals.
A line from their last song, “having a good time, all of the time”, perfectly captures the skilled simplicity that lies at the heart of their music, part of what makes it so appealing to listen to. It’s pretty, unguarded, charming. They lifted the room, closing the night and sending us home (or rather, off for more drinks) feeling warm and easy.
For fans of: The Cardigans, The Lemon Twigs, Fishmans, Mac DeMarco, Paul McCartney
Next up were Jazzcat, with a set that leaned fully into intensity. Heavy, immersive, and metallic, with little softness beyond the delicate layers of chorused guitars, Jazzcat have a knack for pushing shoegaze textures into something more aggressive, more tangible and robust. Held tight by a strict rhythm section and a near-urgent vocal delivery, it landed with force, collapsing the distance between band and audience.
There’s a physicality to the band that keeps you rooted to the room as the music draws inward - this push and pull defined the set.
For fans of: Slint, Interpol, Her’s, Pixies, Electrelane
Bluewalk
Bluewalk rounded off the night with a rosy, romantic sound that recalled the warmth of summer - a welcome reprieve from the bitter December night. Simultaneously languid and intricate, the five-piece laid down a melange of gorgeous lounge-pop, characterised by clean guitar, gently psychedelic flute and Wurlitzer, and lilting vocals.
A line from their last song, “having a good time, all of the time”, perfectly captures the skilled simplicity that lies at the heart of their music, part of what makes it so appealing to listen to. It’s pretty, unguarded, charming. They lifted the room, closing the night and sending us home (or rather, off for more drinks) feeling warm and easy.
For fans of: The Cardigans, The Lemon Twigs, Fishmans, Mac DeMarco, Paul McCartney
Photos provied by Trashiok
If you liked the sound of any of the musicians in this review or want to learn more about Room 2 Recordings, then check them out at the links below:
Room 2 Recordings
Instagram: room2recordings
Bandcamp: room2recordings.bandcamp.com
Trashiok
Instagram: @trashiok
Milophone
Instagram: @opticaltremolo
Bandcamp: milophone.bandcamp.com
Concrete: Milophone - Five Songs EP Review
George Dillon
Instagram: @georgedillonmusic
Bandcamp: georgedillon.bandcamp.com
On all streaming platforms
The Speakers
Instagram: @thespeakersband
Streaming on Spotify
Jazzcat
Instagram: @jazzcatband
Streaming on Spotify
Bluewalk
Instagram: @bluewalkband
Streaming on Spotify