Some artists arrive fully formed. Mitch Sanders didn’t. His journey started with bricks and mortar – four years on building sites, chasing studio sessions in London between shifts.
“It was always to help my music,” he explains. “I would save up money to go back and forth to London to work in studios. My dad was/is a legend for that. He would hate me saying this, but he has been a massive part of my journey!”
Now signed to Island Records and armed with a voice that stops you in your tracks, the Bristol-born singer-songwriter has been quietly building something more lasting: a sound. Gritty. Cinematic. Emotionally raw. And with ‘Saloon’, his new six-track EP, he’s reached a new chapter that feels like a natural evolution from last year’s ‘These Things We Carry’.
“If the first EP was about family and where I grew up, ‘Saloon’ is a lot more about how I see myself,” Mitch says. “I had to do a lot of soul searching for this EP.”
“My songs are based on everyday life”
He’s speaking from a train heading back to Bristol after a London recording session. “Meeting up with a photographer mate based in Bristol to get some images for my EP cover,” he adds. “So will be all over Bristol today, and some pints with mates later!”
That warmth and sense of grounding runs through everything Mitch does. Not in a laddish way, but with the emotional weight of a late-night pub chat. “My songs are based on everyday life,” he says. “Drawing the beauty out of hard situations.”
That’s the backbone of ‘Saloon’. It’s a love record, but not in the hearts-and-flowers sense. “It’s a space of escapism. I’m really not trying to be too clever with this EP,” he says. “I guess it will hopefully urge you to notice the people around you are what matters in life the most.”
You can hear it in ‘Ellen’, the opening track, all delay-soaked vocals and slide guitars. And in ‘Moth’, the brooding follow-up. “It’s a song about feeling out of control and wanting what you shouldn’t want anymore,” Mitch explains. “An obsession, a longing, an addiction.”
“It’s just all about being honest and brave”
His music often explores themes of masculinity, vulnerability and emotional uncertainty. But none of it feels deliberate or performative. “It’s a stream of consciousness,” he says. “Coming from quite a masculine background, I’ve always found it hard listening back to certain things I’ve written, but it makes total sense to me now. It’s just all about being honest and brave.”
That honesty runs deep. “Whatever line, phrase or word comes out is what I tend to go with,” he adds. “I’ll leave the thinking for afterwards.”
There’s one lyric in particular that still sticks with him. “‘And we watch this century die. The end is getting closer now,’” Mitch quotes. “This lyric is about noticing the world sometimes being ugly and how someone you’re with sees the same, but you feel safe with them. It’s an acknowledgement and knowing some things are out of your hands.”
His sound is shaped by years of listening. “So many! When I was a kid, I’d be listening to early Brian Eno, early U2, David Bowie, Jack White, Joni Mitchell, Ben Howard, The Stooges…” he trails off. “I’ve always loved combining cinematic sounds with really washy instrumentation. It’s a classic move I tend to always lean towards.”
Producer Catherine Marks helped focus that instinct. “Catharine really helped give me a sound – she’s amazing. Before working with her, I was struggling to find my identity and sound. I knew from the first phone call our tastes aligned,” he says. “We just take the mick out of each other and became mates very quickly. She’s like a sister to me.”
He also credits Declan McKenna and Flyte as key collaborators. “Outstanding writers and as pure as they come. I’m just very lucky to be a part of it and most importantly, to call them mates.”
That same ease comes through in his vocals, which critics have already highlighted as a defining feature. “I think the songs have become more emotive, so the voice has gone that way,” he says. “I was first drawn to soul singers like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Etta James… but as I got older, I got more into singer/songwriters and storytelling. I feel like the soul side of me hasn’t really been shown yet; it’s something I really want to get back.”
Ask him what success looks like, and it’s not about numbers. “Success to me is being able to play everywhere around the world at whatever capacity, and to be lucky enough to still be able to write and record music,” he says. “I just feel so lucky and grateful I get to put out music, so I guess that’s success to me.”
Outside of music, it’s a pretty classic set-up. “I love playing football, boxing, playing pool, seeing my mates… I come from quite a pub culture. I also just love meeting new people, having a laugh and learning about different people.”
And then, of course, there’s the pepper. “I’ve just discovered pepper this year,” he says, deadpan. “Game changer.”
‘Saloon’ might be his most personal work yet, but it still feels like a universal listen – built on love, doubt and that all-important need to connect. For Mitch Sanders, this is just another step forward. He’s not sprinting. He’s building.
Mitch Sanders’ EP ‘Saloon’ is out now.
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