Divided Compass is a 5-piece indie band hailing from London, and their latest single, "How You're Meant to Love Me" (HYMTLM), is already primed as their most personal and ambitious release yet.
"HYMTLM" erupts with banger jangles, reminiscent of The Wombats, but it retains Bastille's storytelling depth. The result is a dancefloor-ready anthem, one that doesn't just make you move, it makes you feel. Penned in 2024 by frontman Joshua Ulysses as he taught himself guitar as his second instrument, the track rapidly developed into a band-shaping, thoughtful, and strikingly plain-spoken number. "HYMTLM" is fundamentally about the expectations of love and the escapism we crave when they don't materialize. Only to realize, of course, that person's been standing right beside you all along. Divided Draft words and music by Eris Slack. With carolling vocals playing the starring role, yearning for understanding against a backdrop of groove-driven guitars with vitality. Divided Compass sketches out an all-too-familiar scenario. You're on the hunt for someone who gets you as profoundly as your best mate, aiding in a night crawl. It's wide open but euphoric, and part indie banger, part emotional.
For the band, it is also the beginning of a new era, where this lineup, featuring Joshua Ulysses on Vocals, Roo Thomas and Jude Warham on Guitars, David Whitmore on bass, and Wilfred Pease on Drums, is showcased in its full glory. They manage to conjure a fresh chemistry in a sound that seems timeless and contemporary.
On "How You're Meant to Love Me", Divided Compass demonstrates that they are no ordinary indie act, they are writing anthems for the ages, a heady mix of memories and unstoppable energy. This one should fit on late-night dance floors and quiet spaces of contemplation.