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Introducing… The LaFontaines!
With 2015’s debut album Class charting in the UK Top 100 and Scottish Top 10, reaching number one in the UK Indie Breakers chart, and receiving over three million plays on Spotify, The LaFontaines are ready to top that success with the seething power of their second album Common Problem, out on 27th October 2017 via A Wolf At Your Door Records.
Watch the brand new video for single Asleep on YouTube now.
The album provides an intense and relatable social commentary. A brutally honest outpouring of angst, Common Problem is a raging reflection on the state of the world today.
"Common Problem is a much darker record than our debut release,” says front-man Kerr Okan. "We’re not as young and naive as we were in our early twenties. We’ve been around the world as a band, seen a lot of things and discovered our one big Common Problem… There is a lot of angst, truth and reality held within this album.”
With the help of producer Joe Cross (The Courteeners), the album’s sound is as sharp as the lyrical content, packed with explosive riffs and electronic hooks that race alongside Okan's gritty, pointed Scottish drawl. Common Problem combines an eclectic mix of influences, but at their core The LaFontaines are a real rock band, and a genuine force to be reckoned with.
Having built a reputation as one of Scotland’s most exciting live bands, The LaFontaines have sold out headline shows at Glasgow’s Barrowlands and ABC, played London’s Koko and the main stage at T In The Park. This year alone, they have impressed the crowds at The Great Escape, TRNSMT and Download Festival with the relentless energy of their live set.
Catch The LaFontaines live at the following dates across the UK:
25th August 2017 - Leeds Festival, Radio 1Xtra Stage
27th August 2017 - Reading Festival, Radio 1Xtra Stage
14th November 2017 - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - Tickets
15th November 2017 - Sound Control, Manchester - Tickets
16th November 2017 - MK11, Milton Keynes - Tickets
18th November 2017 - Barrowlands, Glasgow - Tickets
19th November 2017 - Northumbria Institute 2, Newcastle - Tickets
20th November 2017 - O2 Academy 3, Birmingham - Tickets
21st November 2017 - Boston Music Room, London - Tickets
22nd November 2017 - Leadmill, Sheffield - Tickets
23rd November 2017 - Rock City, Nottingham - Tickets
Common Problem, the forthcoming album from The LaFontaines, is out 27th October via A Wolf At Your Door Records.
Pre-order signed albums and exclusive bundles HERE.
Introducing… North Atlas!
"...moody electro rock with both
menacing industrial riffs and
pop-laden hooks..." - Team Rock
Glasgow's alt-rock quartet North Atlas present their dynamic new single Another Ocean, out on 8th September 2017 via King Of The Woöds Recordings.
Another Ocean premiered on Team Rock and is now available to stream on the North Atlas Soundcloud page.
Another Ocean is a song about moving on and starting again. Written as the result of the end of a relationship, the lyrics reflect the feelings of self doubt, isolation and misery, accented by anthemic pop-rock melodies and soaring choral harmonies. Vocalist Leon D Hunter goes on to say; “the uncertainty of the future is an endless ocean in-front of you. This makes you feel like you're an imperfect person among a sea of people who from the outside seem to be doing well. You become a cast away, who arrives at a separate island to that of your former life.”
Brothers and founding members Leon (vocals) and Cam Hunter (drums / samples), had previously played together in a variety of bands within the Glasgow circuit, but decided to incorporate new members Drew Lesslie (guitar) and Kai Cairney (bass) when they wanted to develop a more prominent electronic sound. The band have now been together since 2016 and feel ready to embark on bigger and better things to come. Another Ocean was produced by Dan Wellar (Enter Shikari), helping North Atlas continue to create the authentic electronic-rock sound they’ve been honing and now feel ready to embark on bigger and better things to come.
Another Ocean by North Atlas is due for release on 8th September 2017 via King Of The Woöds Recordings.
Introducing… Run Rivers!
"...a faultless fusion of subtle folk
and electronic grandeur..."
- The Line of Best Fit
New electro-folk project Run Rivers are due to release their stunning, cinematic debut, Lost Love, out on 15th September 2017 via AWAL.
The single premiered on The Line of Best Fit and is now available to stream on the Run Rivers Soundcloud page.
Fronted by Chris James, solo artist and former lead singer and key songwriter of electro-rock pioneers Stateless, the new single soars with atmospheric folk and subtle electronics. James explains, “it's about being thankful for the journey without getting too hung up on the destination, that's why I wrote: "do not swim straight to the shore, feel first the sensation of water”. Chris’ soft, warm vocal blends effortlessly within stunning harmonies and Matthew Kelly’s stirring string arrangement throughout. Musically, James combines influences from his Stateless days, fusing electronica with his deep love of folk. Inspired by songwriters such as Nick Drake, his compelling vocals take centre stage with epic atmospheres reminiscent of Bon Iver.
After living in east London for the past eight years, Chris met Lorna Rose (vocals) on the live circuit. Through Lorna, Chris was introduced to the east London folk scene where he met singer-songwriter Adam Beattie who lent his double bass skills to this track. While touring with DJ Shadow, Chris met up with producer Suneil Pusari (Michael Kiwanuka) who now produces and mixes for Run Rivers.
As part of Stateless, Chris has received praise from the likes of Uncut, MOJO, Clash and Q Magazine amongst others and their music has also been featured on an array of film and TV shows including Film 4, CSI, The Vampire Diaries and Suits. His various projects have gained him over 20 million Spotify plays. After months in the studio, Chris is excited to introduce his new project Run Rivers.
You can catch Run Rivers live at the following dates:
Lost Love is out on 15th September 2017 via AWAL.
HVMM reveal new video for ‘Beggars and Thieves’!
"...a ferocious blast of thundering blues rock with a spine of steel."
- Classic Rock
"... a distinct, inspired swagger..."
- Gigslutz
Worcester’s apoplectic rockers HVMM are about to unleash their debut EP Talk To Me like I’m Dead on 1st September 2017 via ILA and available to pre-order now.
The band's new video for 'Beggars and Thieves' premiered on Metal Insider and is now available to steam on HVMM's YouTube channel now.
The band previously shared their single Going Postal alongside 'Beggars and Thieves' as part of a double a-side single, which premiered on Classic Rock and is also available to stream via the HVMM Soundcloud page now.
Kicking-off with their ferocious first single Lacerate, HVMM combine blues rock influences with eerie bass lines and melodic riffs to create something truly powerful. Lead singer Andy Teece’s sharp, distinctive vocal steals the show, sounding akin to the likes of Jack White or Rage Against the Machine’s Zach De La Rocha. Upcoming double a-side single Beggars and Thieves / Going Postal continue the band’s anachronistic and subversive themes with Beggars and Thieves slamming head first into unapologetic, heavy-laced rock and Going Postal’s impressively slick vocals from lead guitarist Ebony Clay complimenting Andy’s charged sound perfectly.
“Try limiting any preconceived ideas when listening to the tracks and enjoy them for what they may or may not be to you,” Andy explains and goes on to say, “or choose to get suckered in by some standard marketing bullshit to help lead you down the road like a two-year-old, needing constant guidance when learning to use a knife and fork”.
Having met as a result of an unexplained scuffle in a county pub, Andy and Sam Jenkins (drums) formed the band in 2015. Andy and Ebony then went on to meet as a result of Ebony approaching him in his favourite coffee shop and after a caffeine- induced conversation followed by alcohol, Ebony found herself in the band. Ebony then called upon her old friend Jack Timmis (bass) and the line up was complete. Although the band are still new to the scene, their irrepressible and unforgettable presence on the live circuit, which is epitomised by their relentless energy, has seen them become the first British act signed to US label ILA.
With Talk To Me Like I’m Dead there are no fucks given and HVMM are ready to share their raucous, terrifying sound with the rest of the world.
You can catch HVMM live at the following dates:
2nd September - EP Launch - Marrs Bar - Worcester
22nd November - Sebright Arms - London - Tickets
Talk To Me Like I’m Dead is out on 1st September 2017 via ILA and it is available to pre-order now.
The Bara Bara Band unveil new video for ‘Plimsoll’!
Combining folk influences with contemporary subjects, The Bara Bara Band are ready to introduce their modern twist on tradition with their forthcoming album The Seeds Inside (The Grapes Upon The Vine), out on 15th September 2017 via Singaround Records and available to pre-order now.
The video for lead single Plimsoll premiered on Gigslutz and is available to stream via the band's YouTube channel now.
The single originally premiered on Folk Radio UK and is available to stream via the band's Soundcloud page now.
Beginning with the instantly catchy ‘Mists of Time’, the album takes you on a journey through a spectrum of folk, along the tributaries of the Thames, via the M25. Like all folk music, each track has an underlying story behind the band’s intricate musicianship and Ruth Jacob and Rupert Browne’s colloquial, warm lead vocals. From the politically charged lyrics of 'More and More' and 'All Look the Same' to their takes on traditional tales such as ‘Plimsoll', 'What Put The Blood' and 'The Barley & The Rye’, The Bara Bara Band effortlessly blend the new with the old to create a cocktail of feel-good folk. Ruth explains ”the album reflects traditions within music, how the old is contained inside the new and the new existed within the old.”
All the tracks on the album were either written by Ruth and Rupert or are reworks of traditional folk songs. Possibly the most striking song is an original arrangement of a broadside about the politician Plimsoll who, in the 1800s, canvassed for better safety on cargo ships where owners were sending sailors off to their deaths to cash in on insurance.
Over the past seven years, the band have gone from strength to strength. They have released two EPs as well as their debut album Escape From Clinch Mountain, receiving praise from the likes of Folk Radio UK, FATEA Magazine and Folk Words to name but a few. Rupert and Ruth also run their own folk club Tooting Folk, a firm favourite on the London live scene for the last five years.
Catch the band live at the at their album launch show, details below:
The Bara Bara Band are a collective who do not fear tradition, instead they embrace it with open arms, whimsical humour and touching melodies.
The Seeds Inside (The Grapes Upon The Vine) is out on 15th September 2017 via Singaround Records and available to pre-order now.