Manchester 2023: Vocalist, Transylvanian native and adopted ‘Mancunian’ Tudor Todut, guitarist and songwriter Wayne Edwards, guitarist and keyboard supremo James Adams, bassist Shaun Taylor and drummer Ryan Ormerod collectively make up the visionary and genre-defying band The Cuza. They released their richly layered debut album "A Life Full Of Colour” on 6th July 2023.

Perhaps it was ‘Kismet’, fantastic luck or (more grandly) pre-ordained by the great gods of music: the intense and rigorous search for a singer and frontman came to a confirmed end when the band encountered Tudor Tudot from Transylvania! Something huge clicked in the Universe and The Cuza miraculously came into being. Amen! Cue a creative assimilation of the band members individual artistic influences to create a unique and heady alchemic brew of magical music.

The band revel in this originality (a rare thing) and pride themselves in being both prolific and innovative in the studio, drawing from Northern Soul to Death Metal, from Bowie to Slayer and beyond. You get the idea: No rules, no barriers. Just musical freedom and elevation of spirit. Think melodic journeys through the senses: from sad and reflective trips through our emotional inner-scape to vibrant, soaring, uplifting life-affirming anthems, to hook-laden bangers that invite you to dance ‘til you drop. Not only that, The Cuza pride themselves as a kickin’ live band, both as headliners and as support to the great and good. The band delight in and making each one of their gigs unique and exciting: you will never experience them playing the same set twice.

The band released their debut album "A Life Full Of Colour” on 6th July 2023, produced by the legend that is Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse and others…) and recorded at Abbey Road, Metropolis and Larkins Farm. The album consists of twelve musically diverse tracks, unconstrained by genre or themes. Wayne explains the rich layers in this body of work with each track setting a ‘particular scene’: “The debut album is a great representation of our early development as a band, there’s a variety of moods in there and every track has a story to tell..”

Opening track “Leeches” is a sordid and sorry tale of what Wayne calls “greed, gold diggers, and having the last laugh” whilst “Girl on the Radio” details a lonely man’s obsession with a female late night radio talk show host. “Fused” tragically relates a loved one’s self-destruction as an alcoholic, losing everything, whilst “Shadows” shouts out about those people that never get the breaks, that get stuck in the shadows and doubt themselves, but shouldn’t. “Caught in the Middle” is about a kid watching helplessly as his parents’ relationship disintegrates whilst “Technicolor People” pays a homage to the wonder of the movies and its’ escapism. “Bones” is about just ‘existing’, battered and beaten by life to the point that you’re no more than skin hanging on bones. “Connexions” is about hooking up vacuously without seeking an actual relationship whilst “Insensible” is a very relatable tale of pub life: ridiculous drunken nights and the characters therein! “Nothin” is a cryptic collection of stories about celebrities we’d all know if named (a.k.a. ‘never meet your heroes). “Stick Around” is a plea from a band who formed just as Covid hit (pretty much The Cuza’s early months of existence). Finally, the title track is the moving and poignant “A Life Full of Colour” a reflection on a close friend’s suicide reminding all of us to not lose sight of, and cherish, the fabulous colours in life.

The album "A Life Full Of Colour” is an impressive debut: a collection of glorious dioramas and vignettes on life and its wonderfully colourful characters, as well as musings, reflections and shout outs of pain and joy. It points out all the ‘colours’ in which we should immerse ourselves.