Start Listening To: C Turtle

C Turtle on nostalgia, fuzzed-out covers, and finding joy in chaos.

C Turtle have been steadily carving out their place with fuzzed-out indie rock, sharp songwriting, and a deadpan sense of humour. What started as Cole’s solo project in Brighton has since grown into a full band, bringing new energy and ideas into the mix. With their latest single 2001, C Turtle dive into nostalgia, weaving in memories of childhood and a playfulness that fits naturally into their sound. Alongside it, they’ve put their own fuzzed-up spin on The Magnetic Fields’ When You're Old And Lonely, further proving their ability to reinterpret and reshape their influences. We caught up with Cole to talk about the new single, their place in London’s indie scene, and, of course, the eternal importance of Propeller by Guided By Voices.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

I’m Cole. I’m from Brighton and I play guitar and sing in C Turtle which is I suppose is an indie rock band.  

Your new single 2001 has a strong sense of nostalgia. Can you tell us more about the memories that shaped the song and how it came to fit C Turtle’s sound?

originally I wrote it for my first band ‘Honey Creeper’ before COVID. It never really developed much in that group but I thought it would fit the direction that C Turtle is going in. We tried it out and loved it - I can’t really remember what intentions I had with it when I first wrote it but if I had to think I guess it reminds me of being a kid; things like getting my first skateboard, Lord of the Rings coming out, watching Cartoon Network and playing out scenes from Dragon Ball Z with my older brother - so the playfulness of this song feels nostalgic to me.

The B-side is a cover of The Magnetic Fields’ When You're Old And Lonely. What drew you to that song, and how did you approach reinterpreting it?

I love the Magnetic Fields and always wanted to cover that song but fuzz it up because the original is quite minimal - not that it needed anyone to reinterpret it but I wanted to play it without ripping off how Stephin Merritt originally performed it. 

Expensive Thrills was met with a ton of praise. Did that reception change how you approached writing and recording new material?

Not massively - we have three different members in the band which naturally has changed and developed the way we work but in a good way. We’re all just really excited and in a nice period where everyone in the band are bringing new ideas. 

Cole, you originally started C Turtle as a solo project. How did the dynamic shift when Mimiko, and later Frank and Mack, joined the band?

There’s Jimmy too - he joined after our first drummer left. It became much more enjoyable - always more fun making music with friends than on your own.  

Your lyrics have been described as “blissfully flippant” and “deadpan.” How do you approach lyric writing, and do you and Mimiko have different styles when it comes to vocals?

I have a bottomless list of names or lines that I write down to save for later, sometimes draw from that. Other times it comes from something deeper - either way just trying to be more interesting with lyrics, it seems like with a lot of bands lyrics are an afterthought and that’s probably why a lot of people’s lyrics are bad. 

Your music blends fuzzy indie rock with a kind of chaotic energy. What’s the key to keeping that balance between looseness and control?

For me it probably comes from never learning guitar properly but gotta get a sound out of it somehow!

There’s a big visual element to C Turtle, from album artwork to music videos. How important is aesthetic in shaping the band’s identity?

I think it’s important. It helps build a universe around a band that you’re into - I like the full package. More recently though we’ve been working with other artists - my friend Shimpei Mikami designed our recent logo and CD cover and it’s my favourite so far. 

London’s indie scene is always evolving. How do you feel C Turtle fits into it right now?

We keep ourselves to ourselves a lot just sort of show up and do our thing - it felt like there was a separate scene growing amongst us and bands we’re friends with like Mitsubishi Suicide and others but you know how it is people get busy and times change but we always enjoy ourselves the most when we’re playing with our friends. 

You’re playing a lot of festivals this summer, including End Of The Road. What’s the ideal festival setting for a C Turtle gig?

Outdoor stage in the sun or something - not too windy. Pretty standard festival schematics. 

Your sound has drawn comparisons to 90s and early 2000s indie and alternative bands. Are there any unexpected influences that have shaped your music?

We’re all inspired by a bunch of stuff and all play in other groups with pretty different sounds to C Turtle, Jimmy plays in a hardcore band, me in a noise band - Mimiko does her own thing with Mack, so sure sometimes influences from our other projects might cut through - for me maybe a band like the Dead C wouldn’t be an immediate comparison but their record the White House is something I constantly find myself going back too. 

What do you love right now?

Jawharp.  

What do you hate right now?

Jimmy. 

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you? 

Propeller by Guided By Voices - when I heard that for the first time I realised I no longer needed the Smiths. 

What’s next for C Turtle? Is 2001 a standalone single, or does it hint at a larger project on the way?

This one’s just going to be a stand alone thing but we do have something bigger cooking.