Good Day Father – Sonic Amadea EP

So, I’m really excited about this one. Some collaborations land with extra weight because of where they meet you in your own listening life. Good Day Father is exactly that for me. Tanya Donelly’s writing with Throwing Muses and Belly has followed me for years, not just as music I admire, but as songs that have soundtracked my life. Pairing that with Brian Futter, whose work with Catherine Wheel provided a similar kind of anchor through atmosphere, scale, and guitar tone ……. this feels pretty damn special.

The spark for Good Day Father (a phrase that Futters son says when he wants to get rid of his Dad on the phone) came during work on the Catherine Wheel track ‘Judy Staring at the Sun’, but this project immediately steps away from legacy thinking. Sonic Amadea EP does not ask you to measure it against past bands or scenes. Instead, it presents itself as something current and deliberate, shaped by experience rather than defined by it. Absolutely, the alternative and shoegaze heritage is present in the textures and choices, but the emotional focus feels sharper and more introspective

Let’s hit play and see where it takes us.

The EP opens with the title track ‘Sonic Amadea’, and it establishes the mood with a sense of poignant melancholy. The fuzzed-out guitars move in slow, circling patterns, never overwhelming the song, while the rhythm keeps everything grounded and steady. Donelly’s vocal sits calmly within the mix, carrying that unique authority she possesses that draws you closer in. This is something totally different for both Futter and Donelly and still it feels familiar, that’s a cool trick that they pull off with ease.

Up next ‘Hymn’ deepens that brooding atmosphere, leaning into a tick tock style rhythm and poised pacing to create something almost meditative. The structure feels patient, giving each element room to breathe. Donelly’s delivery feels especially affecting here, measured and assured, while Brian Futter’s guitar work adds atmosphere and texture. Even when he solo’s its minimal and sympathetic to the mood of the track.  The song unfolds slowly, trusting you to stay with it.

Closing track ‘Carving Bones’ picks the pace up considerably immediately setting it apart from the previous two numbers. Its heads down and we are off. A trembling synth line twinning with Donelly’s assured and passioned delivery. Futters melodic choices here are sublime, in parts leaning into the art rock sound of early 90’s 4AD and in others something wholly new and devastatingly good.

Taken together, these three songs feel like a carefully chosen statement. The Sonic Amadea EP moves with confidence, shifting from hushed melancholy through measured tension and into something sharper and more driven, without ever losing its emotional focus. What stands out most is how naturally this collaboration works. Tanya Donelly sounds completely at home, offering performances that feel intimate and assured, while Brian Futter shapes the surrounding space with sympathetic intent. Whilst there is a sense of familiarity threaded through the EP (c’mon, it is Tanya Donelly singing), but it never slips into comfort or repetition. Instead, Good Day Father land in a place that feels earned, reflective, and bold, hinting that this partnership has far more to say beyond these opening chapters.

Sonic Amadea EP will be released track by track starting with the title track on February 10^th. You can check it out over on the Good Day Father Bandcamp page.

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