Latest News
HAWK announce new single ‘Mirror Maze’!
“…a sharply defined melodic affair…"- Clash
"...emotional..." - Stereogum
“…stunning…” - Noisey
“…simply sublime…” - The Line of Best Fit
Hawk are back with the annoucement of their new single Mirror Maze ahead of their 2017 EP release She Knows out on 17th March 2017 via Veta Records.
The single premiered on The Line of Best Fit and is available to stream now via Hawk's Soundcloud page.
She Knows covers a range of themes including inequality, exclusion and preconceptions and generalisations faced by different social groups every day. Hawk’s acute social awareness is a trait that the band hold dear but instead of unravelling these ideas into brash political punk songs, they convey their message with beauty and grace. Hawk are not a ‘political band’ but instead a group of friends using their creative talents to mirror the inequalities they witness in everyday life.
‘Take It Away’ was written as a reaction to singer Julie Hawk’s friend being followed home after a night out. Her friend was told that she “shouldn’t have been out on her own at that time” but Julie says that comments like that “miss the point and are the main cause of the problem” in that it’s not the fault of the person being followed but the man who takes away her freedom to walk back home on her own. Mirror Maze is about what society expects from us from a female perspective, which is touched upon again on a global sense in ‘Ghosts’ - we should break free from society’s standards and be comfortable in our own skin. Meanwhile, ‘Static’ shines a light on those in power who pay lip service but fail to insight real change.
Amongst the band’s supporters are Noisey, Stereogum, Clash, The Line of Best Fit and Amazing Radio, who have all commented on Hawk’s edgy emotionality. Now, with She Knows, the band are ready to defy expectations once again, soaring to new heights on this latest release.
Hawk's EP She Knows is out on 17th March 2016 via Veta Records.
Introducing… Stars and Rabbit!
Indonesian folk-pop duo Stars and Rabbit are ready to introduce the UK to their beguiling sound and intelligent songwriting with the release of single Man Upon The Hill, out on November 11th 2016 via Green Island Music.
As an introduction to the band, Stars and Rabbit have released free track 'The House', which you can stream and download via their Soundcloud page now.
You can also watch the mesmerizing video for 'The House' via the band's YouTube channel.
Man Upon The Hill is a whimsical folk tale about a man on top of a hill who is accepting reality, letting go of his past and moving on. Lead singer Elda Suryani’s incredibly unique vocal carries the song effortlessly and conjures memories of gifted female vocalists such as Björk, Lamb and CoCoRosie. Combining her enchanting vocals
with guitarist Adi Widodo’s stunning musical arrangement, Man Upon The Hill is a wonderfully quirky track, filled with dream-like qualities that fans of Emiliana Torrini and First Aid Kit will identify with.
The duo formed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2011 when Elda enlisted the skills of Adi to help her with her songwriting. As their songwriting thrived and compositions began to take shape, the pair decided to come up with a band name, settling on Stars and Rabbit, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since the release of previous singles Worth It and The House, the band have continued to create a name for themselves in their home country, where they have a huge reputation, gaining support from the likes of Indonesia’s Rolling Stone Magazine and The Beat Magazine amongst many others.
Now, with an English tour set to commence on October 12th and Man Upon The Hill set for release in November, Stars and Rabbit are excited to finally share their gorgeous sound with a UK audience. Catch them live at the following dates:
October 14th - The Good Ship - London
October 17th - Green Door Store - Brighton
October 20th - The Dublin Castle - London
Man Upon The Hill is out on November 11th 2016 via Green Island Music.
Maria Kelly’s single ‘Stitches’ is out now!
"...stunning..." - The 405
"...a glorious concoction full of ear-pleasing tones and immense emotion...."
- The Line Of Best Fit
"...silky smooth vocals that spin widely relatable tales." - Consequence of Sound
Irish singer-songwriter Maria Kelly has released her stunningly emotive single Stitches, out now via Veta Records and is available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
The video for Stitches premiered on The 405 and is also available to watch via Maria's Youtube channel now.
The single originally premiered on The Line Of Best Fit and you can also stream Stitches via Maria's Soundcloud page.
Stitches displays Maria’s fragile vocal ability, as well as her capacity for bittersweet storytelling, as she effortlessly creates a sound the likes of Lucy Rose and Lisa Hannigan would be proud of. The single is an honest, plaintive track exploring themes of self-preservation and coming to terms with the inability to open up to your partner as a result of self- doubt and past experiences. Maria has always managed to absorb her listeners into her music due to her beautiful lyricism, evident once again on Stitches, which she has delightfully paired with an affective string arrangement throughout the track.
Growing up in Mayo, Ireland, Maria spent many years crafting and developing her sound into a stunning combination of delicate indie-folk. She has been writing music since the age of 10 and has already played numerous shows in both the UK and Ireland supporting the likes of Orla Gartland and Wyvern Lingo.
Maria has received praise from various online publications including Consequence of Sound, The Irish Times, Nialler9 and Radio X to name a few, and is currently working on new tracks for her next EP as well as developing her live sound in preparation for a hectic 2017.
Stitches by Maria Kelly is out now via Veta Records and is available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
We Came From Wolves announce new single ‘Places Unfamiliar’!
“…bold, emotive rock…” - Clash
“Feels, hooks and more feels...”- Rock Sound
We Came From Wolves boldly return with their forthcoming single Places Unfamiliar, due for release on 4th November 2016 via Vadana Records.
The single premiered on Clash and you can also stream it now on the band's Soundcloud page.
The single marks a year since the band’s line-up change and now We Came From Wolves are stronger, more cohesive and vibrant than ever before. Places Unfamiliar is a high octane kick in the teeth. The frenetic energy heard on the single feels like the ultimate release as the track explores front man Kyle Burgess’ struggle with depression and juggling the mundane realities of daily life with the band, where his heart and soul lies. For We Came From Wolves, the music is wild, fun and free but the lyrics hide a deeper meaning as Burgess is a songwriter that wears his heart on his sleeve.
The single is an answer to those around him who consider music a hobby but for Kyle and the rest of the band it’s much more than that. “Places Unfamiliar is a frank account and admission that this is who I am, I'm not going to grow out of it and for the sake of my mental and physical health,” Burgess says. “I have to be honest with those around me and confess that I have no desire to bring about an end to this lifestyle.This isn’t a choice, it’s almost an addiction, but the other side of the coin is a dark place for me, with nothing to focus my energy and creativity towards I spiral into a deep sadness and it took me a long time to realise just how much this means to me…this song was the realisation. This song saved me.”
Listing their influences from Reuben to the Smiths, We Came From Wolves write music that is honest, powerful and emotional. They’re known for their dynamic live performances, having toured relentlessly up and down the country and around Europe, amassing a dedicated following. In Scotland, The Skinny, The List, The Daily Record and The Herald are amongst the band’s supporters, whilst elsewhere Rock Sound, Kerrang!, Team Rock and Amazing Radio have previously covered the band.
The band will hit the road from late October to support the release of the single, with a second album due in 2017. We Came From Wolves continue to go from strength to strength with a burning fiery passion that refuses to be quenched.
Places Unfamiliar is out on 4th November 2016 via Vadana Records.
Animal House announce new single ‘Domino’!
“... Snappy, punchy songwriting...”
- Clash
“... snarling, hedonistic Garage rock...”
- Gigwise
Australian indie-rockers Animal House have announced their latest single, taken from the energy-fuelled upcoming EP Sorry, is the undeniably catchy Domino - both out on 18th November 2016.
The single premiered on Gigslutz and you can also stream it now via the band's Soundcloud page.
You can also watch the video for previous single Heavy, which premiered on Clash, via the band's YouTube channel.
Having already received critical acclaim for their single English Girls, Animal House’s new EP is filled with witty lyrical storytelling, racing riffs and infectious choruses. With its undeniably catchy, high-energy garage-infused sound, reminiscent of the likes of The Strokes and The Raconteurs, Sorry oozes a welcome tongue-in-cheek attitude.
Animal House explains that Sorry is an “apology to our parents, friends, past employers who put their faith in us to lead a sweet and comfortable life in Aus and instead we’ve blown all that on a shot at making music”. Remembering the hedonistic adventures they’ve had whilst making music, the band admit they’re actually ‘not sorry’, and revel in the fun they’ve been having in the UK on each vibrant and uptempo track.
Finally settled in the UK, Animal House have already supported the likes of Courtney Barnett, Surfer Blood and Drenge to name a few. They have also received praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Sean Keaveny, NME, DIY and Clash. They now hope to continue charming listeners with their “stupid garage pop songs” on Sorry.
Catch Animal House live at the following dates:
2nd November - Rubi - Barcelona
3rd November - Paberse Matao - Valencia
4th November - Sala Rockstar - Benidorm
5th November - TNT Blues Bar - Cox
6th November - Fun House - Madrid
12th November - Bukowski - San Sebastian
14th November - Pop In - Paris
29th November - Birthdays - London
Single Domino and EP Sorry are both out on 18th November 2016.