Sons of Martha Samurai Smile: Raw Rhythm And Ghostly Grit

A Samurai’s Grin, Straight Outta North London

Digging through the daily findings is a gamble – sometimes you strike gold. What did I find today? Full jackpot. Fresh sound, twisted tales, and the kind of creative spark that makes your coffee taste better. Turns out the jackpot came with five aces. Josh Beach, Tim Buckland, Stephen Morgan, King Otto, and Steven Spencer – aka the full force behind Sons of Martha.

There’s nothing quiet about the way this band arrive. They bring the noise with a stomp, a bassline that slaps your soul into shape, and a story that feels like Tokyo ghost folklore got married to Brit-rock swagger. The band, fresh from the cobbled edges of North London and formed in 2023, is slicing their way through the indie haze with Samurai Smile, their new single released on 28 March 2025.

Now, if you were expecting just another catchy riff to sip your pint to, you’re in for a rude awakening. This track’s got backbone. Literally. The bassline holds everything together like duct tape in a broken pub stool. Firm, groovy, and borderline heroic. Josh Beach, who penned the track, brings out a rhythm that kicks the door off the hinges. But let’s talk ghost stories.

Kuchisake-onna Gets a Soundtrack

Because why not write a song about a vengeful Japanese ghost woman who was butchered by her husband and now wanders the earth asking, “Am I pretty?” Yeah, Samurai Smile digs into the eerie tale of Kuchisake-onna. It embraces the creep and straps it to a track that’s more Stone Roses in theory than in sound.

There’s melodic tension in the vocals, a guitar that refuses to be polite, and that relentless groove that just keeps shoving you forward. It’s dynamic, alive, a bit twisted. Kind of like the urban legend that inspired it. Sons of Martha are playing the kind of music they live every day, sweat in it, and laugh in its haunted corners. You can feel it in the record: the fun, the madness, the grin of a samurai ghost girl haunting the tube line.

Studios, Sweat, and Stubborn Grit

Recorded at the renowned Crouch End Studios – home to names like Arlo Parks, Wolf Alice, and Metronomy – Samurai Smile took shape far beyond the usual rehearsal room grind. It came together in layers. Pushed, stretched, and sweated over through a process that blurred the line between recording and rewriting. Sons of Martha used every inch of that space to mould something sharp, dynamic, and just the right side of chaotic. They tore through Camden Assembly on 29 March, and more North London gigs are already simmering for the sunnier months ahead.

Explore another side of Sons of Martha in this article

So if Samurai Smile left a mark – or you just like your music with a ghost story chaser – go snoop around where the Sons of Martha hang out. Instagram? They’re there. YouTube? Probably plotting something noisy. Spotify? Obviously. And if you’re the kind who still types “official website” into Google like it’s 2006, they’ve got that too.

Go ahead. Follow them. Stalk them digitally. Just don’t summon any spirits without headphones on.