Latest News
GILLBANKS releases colourful new video ‘Nerve’!
"a rough-around-the-edges fusion of DIY indie and classic songwriting" - Gigwise
"a hypnotic blend of dreamy, bombastic Britpop and downcast grunge" - Pop Matters
GILLBANKS has just released his brand new video for the grunge-infused single Nerve. The track is taken from his forthcoming EP Lend Me Your Skin which is out on November 27th 2015 via Tusk Records. You can pre-order a copy of the EP now via GILLBANKS’ Bandcamp page.
Nerve premiered on Pop Matters and you can also watch it on GILLBANKS' YouTube page or via the link below:
Talking about the video, GILLBANKS explains “the power of seeing ‘Nerve’ go through its peaks and troughs inspires the artist in me, [Director] Charlie Hawley can only do wonders. Sorry if you’re colour blind.”
Having already released the trackTiffany, which you can stream exclusively via the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page, GILLBANKS has received praise from the likes of XFM, Pop Matters, Gigwise and various other music sites.
Forthcoming EP Lend Me Your Skin is a coming of age record about identity and self-acceptance. With lyrics like 'over-tired and underworked, it's always on my mind, I'm just trying to be a man' it's not difficult to see where in his life Sam started writing music. He quickly found a release for his creative ideas and frustration to form Lend Me Your Skin as an EP that is both ferocious and beautiful, whilst also maintaining lyrical depth.
Originally from Falmouth, GILLBANKS now resides in London where he continues to play the London circuit on a regular basis with live band members Hugo Heaverman (drums), Henry Nicholson (guitar, vocals) and Joe Morris (bass). You'll be able to catch the band over the coming weeks at the dates below:
27th Nov - Four Quarters - Peckham Rye - EP Release Party
11th Dec - The Sebright Arms, Bethnal Green
Lend me Your Skin is out on November 27th 2015 via Tusk Records and is available to pre-order via GILLBANKS’ Bandcamp page.
Introducing… She Makes War!
"...why just sing songs, when you can build worlds. - The Quietus
She Makes War aka Laura Kidd returns with her EP Disarm:15 due for release on December 4th 2015 via My Big Sister Recordings.
Disarm:15 sees Laura reworking some of her favourite tracks from debut album Disarm on the fifth anniversary of its release. Laura explains: “I’ve played about 400 gigs since I recorded my first album, so I wanted to approach the songs I’ve been touring for the last five years with a fresh perspective - I selected the ones that feel the most resonant to me now and the ones I knew would benefit most from a bit of wisdom and hindsight.”
A reworked version of Slow Puncture, the first to be released from the collection, premiered on The Line of Best Fit but can be streamed now via She Makes War's Soundcloud page.
The tracks on the EP are still in keeping with her core influences, artists like Elliott Smith and Cat Power, however, this reimagining shows how she’s evolved as an artist. Disarm:15 is a fantastic way for Laura to look back at her debut, but also to demonstrate how her music has developed with a hint as to where it will take her next.
Luckily, fans won’t have to wait long with She Makes War’s next album Direction of Travel slated for release in early 2016. The album was produced by Laura herself and mixed by Dan Austin (Doves, Pixies) and features guest appearances from Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses) Mark Chadwick (The Levellers), Clive Deamer (Portishead) and Nicole Robson (Bat For Lashes) amongst others.
Receiving past support from BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne and Tom Robinson, The Quietus and Uncut Magazine as well as touring with the likes of tUnE-yArDs, Gruff Rhys, The Levellers, Nadine Shah and Suede, Laura already has an impressive musical resume - something she is sure to build on in 2016.
She Makes War will also be heading out on a short tour in December with support from Eliza Rickman (Welcome To Night Vale podcast) - you can buy tickets now via SMW's website.
Tuesday 1st December - Birmingham - Sunflower Lounge
Wednesday 2nd December - Manchester - The Castle Hotel
Thursday 3rd December - London - Sebright Arms
Friday 4th December - Bristol - The Louisiana
Disarm:15 is out December 4th 2015 via My Big Sister Recordings.
The Van T’s EP Laguna Babe out now!
“… the musical equivalent of a John Hughes movie.” - Clash
“… guaranteed to make waves…” - Backseat Mafia
Grunge-inspired surf-rock four piece, The Van T's, are delighted to announce the official release of their EP Laguna Babe available to buy on Bandcamp and iTunes via Bloc+Music.
The release has attracted a great response thus far as the twin sister led band have enthralled many of the music industry's movers and shakers with their vintage American guitar sound and quirky lyrics. The recently released title track premiered on A Music Blog, Yea? and is a no nonsense garage rock number, with a heavy reverb sound giving it an other worldly feel, as grunge-inspired guitar licks and Karen O style vocal delivery captivates the listener. You can now watch the video for the single on the band's YouTube page.
Laguna Babe is also available to stream and buy via the band’s Bandcamp page or by clicking the embed below:
The Van T’s also previously released free download track ‘Growler', which premiered on Clash. The track is yet another superb example of the band's cloudy, noise pop sensibilities, and can be downloaded for free via the ABoF Soundcloud page.
Laguna Babe is a collection of vignettes covering the highs and lows of twin sisters Hannah and Chloe Van Thompson’s life. The two front women create songs that are both personal and quirky as they document the positive and negative experiences of dealing with their late teens, no subject too risqué, as they approach their twenties. The tone of the EP pulls on the the surf rock sounds of Hinds and Dum Dum Girls, and provides a platform for bassist Joanne Forbes and drummer Shaun Hood to compete with the twisted synchronicity of dual-leads Hannah and Chloe.
The Van T’s have already graced the stage of T In The Park and Electric Fields as well as recently supporting the brilliant Honeyblood. They plan to spend the rest of the year touring Scotland and beyond as the band begin to break out from their hometown in the west of Scotland, ready to take on the rest of the world. The official launch of the EP will take place tomorrow, Saturday 14th, at Hug and Pint in Glasgow where the band will share the stage with the sublime United Fruit.
The Van T's EP Laguna Babe is out now via Bloc+ Music and can be purchased on Bandcamp and iTunes.
Asbjørn’s album ‘Pseudo Visions’ out now!
"...where Nordic sensitivity and pop vibes fuse.” - IDOL Magazine
"...beguiling...” - The 405
Growing up in the early ‘90s in a small village outside of Aarhus, Denmark, Danish-pop kid Asbjørn (aka Asbjørn Toftdahl), was unable to mirror himself in the masculine ideal. He looked to strong women like Madonna and Beyoncé for inspiration. Now based in Berlin, and with new album Pseudo Visions, out now via Sinnbus, he is breaking with gender conventions, and expressing his identity on his own terms.
Pseudo Visions is streaming now via Spotify.
The video for album track Scandinavian Love is available now via Asbjørn's YouTube channel.
The album’s title Pseudo Visions refers to the moments in life that are so intense the line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred, creating a strange middle state of intense surrealism. It was recorded in three chapters, each chapter consisting of four songs that tell their own story shaped by the events of Asbjørn’s life. The songwriting process also involved audiences across Europe, helping to highlight and develop the tunes as they took shape based on the crowd’s reaction.
His sound follows in the footsteps of Scandinavian artists such as Lulu Rouge, Kate Boy and iamamiwhoami, but with his own twist that will appeal to the indie-disco crowds of the UK. ’The Love You Have In You” has already become a fan favourite, and tracks such as ‘Brotherhood’, ‘RYB’ and ‘Call Me By My Name’ showcase a dark and deeply heartfelt minimalist electronica that allows Asbjørn’s emotive voice to shine through.
Pseudo Visions is out now via Sinnbus and is available via iTunes and all good online retailers.
Ex Libras release new video for Leap of Faith!
"...beautiful..." - The Line Of Best Fit
"...refreshing..." - DIY
"...Exhilarating..." - The 405
Ex Libras have released their latest video for Leap of Faith, a track taken from their latest EP Woe, which is out now via Wirebird Records.
The video premiered on PopMatters but you can watch it on the band's YouTube channel now.
The band explained to PopMatters that "the song is very much about reaching that point in a relationship where it’s about to end but no one is fully out the door". With their individual blend of cutting guitars, powerful keyboards and crashing drums along with a mastery of building tension and release Leap of Faith is quintessential of Ex Libras sound. Amit’s vocals soar with the band as a while channelling the likes of Foals and Radiohead, but with a more delicate touch and a hint of the electro-classical tones of German band Grandbrothers.
Receiving past support from the likes of Clash, the Guardian, DIY, The Line of Best Fit and The 405, Amit Sharma (Guitar / Vocals), Kieran Nagi (Keyboards / Bass) and Ross Kenning (Drums) made their return this year having honed their sound, which is sharper, more focussed and stronger than before.
Woe is out now via Wirebird Records and is available to download via iTunes or stream via Spotify.