Latest News
Vigo Thieves video reaches 28,000 views in 4 days!
"Soulful and clearly heartfelt lyrics combined with flowing verses and a sublime chorus leave you wanting more..." - Artrocker
Vigo Thieves only uploaded their video for their free single Heartbeats 4 days ago and it's reached almost 28,000 views (27,952 views to be exact) - a terrific reaction to the track, which is taken from their forthcoming EP Heart & Soul (Part 1).
The video perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the single and is made even more impressive due appearances by the like of Brian Henderson (The Dykeenies), Leo Mayweather (White Vinyl Collective), Jamie Keenan (The LaFontaines) and Clare Kelly (Suspire).
The EP is part of an ambitious two-part EP Heart & Soul. The first part, Heart & Soul (Part 1), is due for release on March 5th 2012.
On Heart & Soul (Part 1), the band use classic influences from the 80s such as New Order, U2 and Simple Minds to produce a fresh, anthemic sound akin to bands like M83. This brilliant release is full of driven beats, explosive synthesizers and soaring, emotionally charged vocals fit for any festival the world over.
Heartbeats is available to download free from the band's official website.
On the EP, band ease the listener in with the instrumental intro, "Wide Awake", before breaking into "Steal Your Heart" - a tune that would not be out of place on the soundtrack of a John Hughes coming-of-age movie - with guitarist Stevie exclaiming, "It takes the heart straight out of me, darling when we were young.". The heartfelt romanticism is delivered with style and tracks like Heartbeats display the bands melodic progression - a tune that would be at home on any indie dance floor in the country.
Formed in Wishaw, Scotland, in 2008, Stevie Jukes (vox/guitar), Barry Cowan (guitar/vox), Gordon Phipps (bass) and Al Jukes (drums) have been writing furiously since the release of their Love Is Dead EP last year. Now, with new material ready to go, Vigo Thieves are setting up for an assault on the year ahead. Having already sold out the King Tut's Wah Wah Hut New Year's Revolution show in January, and with backing from the likes of BBC Radio 1 Scotland's Vic Galloway and Ally McCrae as well as the voice of new music in Scotland, Jim Gellatly, the band are determined to make 2012 their breakthrough year.
Heart & Soul (Part 1) is due for release on 5th March 2012, via Hijacked Records.
If you would like more information about Vigo Thieves or our PR services please contact info@abadgeoffriendship.com.
A Badge of Friendship in Music Week
Music Week have included us in their special feature in the magazine, with industry folk giving their top Unsigned Tips..jpg)
Also featured in the article are Bella Union founder Simon Raymonde, the Director of A&R at Polydor, A&R Manager at Columbia Records, New Music Editor at NME and the UK Label Manager at Matador (plus many more music industry bods).
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Many thanks to Music Week for asking us to take part. If you can't see the image above, you can read our tips HERE and view the full page HERE.
For more information about our PR services, please email info@abadgeoffriendship.com
Vigo Thieves return!
“Soulful and clearly heartfelt lyrics combined with flowing verses and a sublime chorus leave you wanting more...” – Artrocker
Vigo Thieves make a welcome return in 2012 with their ambitious two-part EP Heart & Soul. The first part, Heart & Soul (Part 1) is due for release on March 5th 2012.On Heart & Soul (Part 1), the band use classic influences from the 80s such as New Order, U2 and Simple Minds to produce a fresh, anthemic sound akin to bands like M83. This brilliant release is full of driven beats, explosive synthesizers and soaring, emotionally charged vocals fit for any festival the world over.
The band have released the free single Heartbeats this week, taken from Heart & Soul (Part 1). The track is available to download free from their official website. The video perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the single and is made even more impressive due appearances by the like of Brian Henderson (The Dykeenies), Leo Mayweather (White Vinyl Collective), Jamie Keenan (The LaFontaines) and Clare Kelly (Suspire).
On the EP, band ease the listener in with the instrumental intro, “Wide Awake”, before breaking into “Steal Your Heart” – a tune that would not be out of place on the soundtrack of a John Hughes coming-of-age movie - with guitarist Stevie exclaiming, “It takes the heart straight out of me, darling when we were young.” The heartfelt romanticism is delivered with style and tracks like Heartbeats display the bands melodic progression - a tune that would be at home on any indie dance floor in the country.
Formed in Wishaw, Scotland, in 2008, Stevie Jukes (vox/guitar), Barry Cowan (guitar/vox), Gordon Phipps (bass) and Al Jukes (drums) have been writing furiously since the release of their Love Is Dead EP last year. Now, with new material ready to go, Vigo Thieves are setting up for an assault on the year ahead. Having already sold out the King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut New Year’s Revolution show in January, and with backing from the likes of BBC Radio 1 Scotland’s Vic Galloway and Ally McCrae as well as the voice of new music in Scotland, Jim Gellatly, the band are determined to make 2012 their breakthrough year.
Heart & Soul (Part 1) is due for release on 5th March 2012, via Hijacked Records.
If you would like more information about Vigo Thieves or our PR services please contact info@abadgeoffriendship.com.
Hello February!
After a very hard working January, scurrying behind the scenes and setting up lots of lovely new bands, we’re happy to say hello to February. We had a fantastic 2011 with ABoF being featured in several magazines (NME and Live UK), plus our bands did terrifically well, hitting all major magazines and websites last year.
So here’s a little rundown of what’s been going down here at ABoF towers since the start of the year and what’s coming up in the next month or two! If you make it to the end, there are lots of free tracks to download and stream in this newsletter, if you've any questions about anything you read here, please email info@abadgeoffriendship.com and remember to keep checking our official website for all the latest news!
HP and Last.fm presents David Guetta
A few weeks ago, the culmination of many months of hard work and planning with Last.fm finally happened - David Guetta and 2ManyDJs DJ-ed exclusively for HP and Last.fm at The Rose Club - an event for HP and Last.fm’s media partners.
The club was packed, there were lots of happy faces and the music was terrific. This was the largest event we’ve had to organise and manage since we started and we’ve promted our fair share of events in the past (sold out shows with Hell Is For Heroes and Jeffrey Lewis to name but a few).
Super photographer Lee Allen was on the scene to capture the good vibes on the night, as you can see, we all had a great time!
The Crowd
Team ABoF and Last.fm
New Year, New Bands, New Music!
As you can see from our website, Facebook and Twitter activity, we’ve been announcing new bands and releases left right and centre. As always, you can stream and download free tracks from the artist pages on our website or our official Soundcloud page.
Access Royale, an alternative indie band from Washington DC, are brand new to our roster and with a sound akin to The Dismemberment Plan. We are very excited to see what happens with these guys in the next few months as they prepare to release their debut album City of Paradigm on 17th May. The track "Hide" is available to download now from our Soundcloud page.
If you prefer your music a little more on the filmic, post-rock edge of alternative then Atom Eye will be right up your street. This is Elsie Martins’ side project whilst she steps aside from Phantom for the moment to create gorgeous, experimental, cinematic soundscapes. The single Trilogy Part I is available to download from Atom Eye's official website from 6th February 2012.
Our very own electro rockers, The Unkindness of Ravens, return with the single Last Call For The River (out 5th March). The single is taken from their eagerly awaited debut album Virus out 7th May on Sonic Fire Records. Last Call For The River is available to stream no via the band's Soundcloud page.
Turnpike Glow released their first free download before Christmas and now start the year with their heads held high with the planned release of the single 1986, a track that’s been remixed by Broken Social Scene’s producer, Dave Newfeld. The track is available to stream now but will be available to download free from 5th March.
Finally, Saturday Night Gym Club, a band that site M83 and Ólafur Arnalds as a few of their influences, prepare to release their EP How To Build A Life Raft on 5th March. You can download the title track of the EP now and also watch the video for “I Know featuring Ellie Walker” on their YouTube channel.
Scotland Rocks!
When it comes to new music, Scotland prove more than ever before that they're pushing boundaries and stretching imaginations. We’ve got lots of new Scottish bands on our roster and each are as different and exciting as the next.
In case you missed them, The Birthday Suit (Rod Jones from Idlewild) released their debut album Sing It Alone in November. Now they’re ready to hit the road, about to embark upon a UK tour from February 10th, full dates are on our website.
French Wives are set to release their debut album Dream of the Inbetween, out 7th May. Having only just announced our involvement with the band last week, the free track from their album - "Younger" - has already had around a thousand listens and is getting folk buzzing with excitement online. If you're a fan of indie greats like Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub, these guys are for you.
Tango in the Attic return. The Glenthrothes four-piece are set to release their much anticipated second album on April 12th (so fresh from the studio, it’s yet to be named!). The album is the follow-up to their fantastic 2010 debut Bank Place Locomotive Society. The live session video for the track “Swimming Pool” is available to watch on their YouTube channel.
Vigo Thieves also make a comeback after a short break, writing and recording new songs. They’re about to release their EP Heart and Soul Part 1 on 5th March, the first EP of a two-part release. Their new sound harks back to those epic 80s greats like Simple Minds and U2, real sing a long stuff. "Heartbeats" is available to download from our Soundcloud page now.
Join us at Geek Out
After a short break, we’re back DJ-ing at Geek Out!
The night is run by Mark Beaumont (NME, Guardian) and Dan Martin (NME, Guardian) and we’ve been DJ-ing there for the last year. It runs the first Thursday of every month, the next Geek Out will feature Turnpike Glow’s single launch for 1986.
It’s free entry on Thursday March 1st 2012 at The Wheelbarrow, Camden. Hope to see you there!
If you'd like more information about anything you've read here or our PR services, please email info@abadgeoffriendship.com
Introducing… Access Royale
Access Royale are an alternative indie rock band hailing from Washington DC.
Formed from a mutual love of Muse, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend and MGMT, the band discovered each other via Craigslist in early 2011, and soon found themselves flying west to LA to shoot their first music video, for their single Hide.
The free track Hide is available to download on the ABoF Soundcloud page and is available to download now!
The band's debut album, City Of Paradigm, is slated for 17th May 2012 release in the UK, and is bursting with uplifting messages of self-discovery and freedom. The opening track transcends genre boundaries, exploding with an intense percussion and guitar attack, before setting the tone for the rest of the album with a masterful counterplay between Charles Maven (vocals and keyboards), Vee Styles (vocals and guitar) and Robzie Rhodes (drums) that's reminiscent of the best of Pavement and Foo Fighters.
You can watch the full video for hide on Access Royale's YouTube channel.
Charles's and Vee's vocals cut a razor sharp path through epic walls of sound, distorted low-end grooves, and sweeping melodies that allow the musicians to showcase their expertise at moulding gorgeously atmospheric soundscapes, while vocal harmonies soar high above the music.
Access Royale's debut marks the start of what is sure to be a very promising musical career, with an accessible sound that's as well suited to their native soil as it is to the UK.
City of Paradigm will be released on 17th May 2012, via ARU Records.
If you would like more information about Access Royale or our PR services please contact info@abadgeoffriendship.com