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Introducing… Flutes
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”
- Ally McCrae, BBC Radio 1
2012 was a busy year for Flutes with the release of their self-titled debut album. A flurry of online press ensued, which saw the band steadily build a loyal fanbase grabbing the attention of BBC Radio 1 Scotland, The Scottish Sun and, most recently, Clash Magazine, with Frightened Rabbit choosing their track ‘Auld Archie’ as a Track of the Day on the Clash website. With all this already under their collective belt, Flutes begin the year on a high and are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of their single Kilburn on the 8th April.
Kilburn is available to stream via Flutes' Soundcloud page.
The b-side, a cover of Haddaway's 1993 hit 'What Is Love' is available as a free download.
A track named after Camden town’s lesser known yet arguably more ferocious neighbour, Kilburn in the words of lead singer Godfrey McFall is “a song is about poets / artists / thespians always tending to gravitate to that horrid combination of womanisers and substance abusers, and with those come the associated highs and lows. As a band we’ve all lived in Kilburn and it was fun (and mildly traumatising) to play with the imagery of Byron and Burns in a Kilburn boozer trying to have it off with the local ladies, then hating themselves for it in the morning”.
Forming on the windswept coast of Fife, the eight year musical story of the four-piece features a church hall in Oxford, corporate espionage, recording in sheds and industrial estates, the M6, an old white minibus, far too many London gigs circa 2007/08, grizzly old men, a BBC sound technician with a fetish for vintage microphones, big belly laughs, and a Scottish football stadium.
Flutes' video for their first single 'Auld Archie' is available to watch now via their YouTube channel.
Last year the band spent two weeks in a static caravan on the outskirts of Glasgow travelling to and from Chem19 Studios where they recorded their debut record. With the album produced and mixed by Jamie Savage (of Olympic Swimmers) in Blantyre and mastering coming from Iain Cook of rising Chvrches fame, the album received praise from all corners of the press and radio with BBC Radio One’s Ally McCrae simply hailing it as “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” and BBC Radio 1 Scotland’s Vic Galloway featuring the band in his top Bands To Look Out For In 2013: “Their debut came late in 2012 but was a delightful surprise - one of my picks for 2013.” Amazing Radio’s Jim Gellatly placed Flutes alongside Chvrches as his Ones to Watch 2013 saying “it won't be long before everyone's calling them the next Frightened Rabbit”.
Not only did support come in from Radio One but Tom Robinson of BBC 6Music made himself known to be one of Flutes’ supporters: “What do you get if you mix jazz, post punk, gothic and rock? A strange cocktail. But then add deep choruses and a progressive hypnotic melody and the result is brilliant”. With comparisons ranging from The Twilight Sad, British Sea Power, The National and Echo & the Bunnymen, Kilburn and supporting b-side, a cover of Haddaway's “What Is Love”, will see Flutes return with their imposing yet spacious sound.
After Kilburn, Flutes plan to release a limited edition EP with the working title Lost in The Sand. The EP will include lost demos, live recordings, remixes and at least one as yet unheard recording. It will be supported by a video by Glow Films as well as other live dates.
12th April - 'What Is Love, Kilburn?' (Flutes curated night running from 9pm-4am) - The Good Ship, Kilburn, London
19th April - The Glad Cafe (supported by Brave Young Red), Glasgow, Scotland
20th April - Penicuik Library (acoustic show with Cello Mind), Penicuik, Scotland