NME – ‘Sabbath having a screaming row with Nirvana’
God Damn will play on Wednesday 26th February 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are on sale here.
God Damn are: Ash Weaver (Drums & Percussion), James Brown (Guitar, Synths & Vocals) and Thomas Edward (Guitar, Keys & Vocals).
Hailing from Wolverhampton in the heart of the Black Country, God Damn will unleash their third album on One Little Indian records early in 2020. Recorded primarily live in just a few days at Edge Studios in rural Cheshire and produced by Sylvia Massy (Tool, RHCP, Johnny Cash, System of a Down).
‘There was a physicality to the recording process- whether it be the crash of the cymbals bleeding into the guitar takes or tracking the vocals in the control room with playback blaring at 110db. It felt like we were all playing off one another’s strengths and Sylvia was the guiding force that channelled this record into becoming the idiosyncratic, defining statement of ‘God Damn’ that it is.’
The band plan to play selective shows in December 2019 and Feb/Mar 2020 and festivals throughout 2020.
“MAYBE WE DON’T LIFE THE POP DREAM BUT WE ARE LIVING THE DREAM POP”
Some Sprouts will play on Thursday 2nd April 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are on sale here.
The German quintet Some Sprouts combines breezy indie-indie-jams with dreamy pop sounds. With the release of the two hit-singles “SHE LONGS FOR YOU” and “SOMEONE YOU LOVE”, the band toured all over europe including club shows in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands and the UK.
After playing The Great Escape Festival in brighton and STANDON CALLING FESTIVAL, the band returns next year for their first ever UK CLUB TOUR. Don’t miss it!
Smoke Fairies have announced the release their first album for four years. “Darkness Brings The Wonders Home” will be released on January 31st coupled with new tour dates for the band. The first single to be taken from the album “Disconnect” is released today on all streaming platforms.
Smoke Fairies will play on Friday 7th February 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets available here.
Jessica and Katherine travelled to Seattle to record Darkness Brings The Wonders Home with producer Phil Ek (The Black Angels, Fleet Foxes, The Shins) and over the course of a rigorous month-long session in Seattle, adopted a purposely intimate approach to achieving a singular sonic tone.
In the making of Darkness Brings The Wonders Home, Smoke Fairies drew inspiration from mysteries both real and imagined: sea monsters, flocks of crows taking flight in extravagant formation, strange creatures dwelling in the mud near their new South London abode.
“Times of darkness are when people are often the most imaginative,” says Jessica Davies in reflecting on the album’s title. “It helps you to see all the wonders of the world you hadn’t noticed before – the things you’ve been blind to because you’ve been on autopilot for so long.”
To celebrate the album’s release Smoke Fairies have announced a tour starting in Manchester on February 1st 2019. The band dropped new track “Out Of The Woods” in August and follow it with first single “Disconnect” which is released on streaming and download platforms today.
The new album Darkness Brings The Wonders Home is available to pre-order now Link and tickets for the band’s tour dates go on general sale Friday 27th September from all usual outlets.
“Blamire and Davies don’t trade vocal duties so much as appear to sing from the same body, their voices nearly indistinguishable, shifting between smoky moans and toe-curling trills”– Pitchfork
“Smoke Fairies rely on intertwining…their two voices move in close harmonies, with timbres blending almost like sisters.”– New York Times
Nova Twins return with yet another punch-in-your-face-anthem, “Vortex”. The track bobs and weaves with effortlessly cool swagger, vocal nods to the Queen of Hip-Hop (Missy Elliott), and headbanging basslines and siren guitar riffs (all of which were created with the use of their vast pedal boards – no synths here!). Take a joyride with Nova Twins in their video for “Vortex” HERE.
Nova Twins will play on Sunday 2nd February 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets available here.
“Vortex” follows on from the huge success of their previous single “Devil’s Face” which received spins from Annie Mac (declared as her “New Name”) and Sophie K at BBC Radio 1 and was chosen as Single Of The Week by John Kennedy at Radio X. The band turned heads when they performed to packed tents during this summer’s busy festival season (Boomtown, Download, Hellfest and Nova Rock festivals and a blistering set at this years Heavy Music Awards to name but a few) and smashed it every night on tour with Prophets Of Rage across Europe and the UK. Nova Twins are also the featured artists in the current Dr Martens A/W campaign – you may have already spotted them on posters and in stores around the world! Further to this, the duo have just embarked on a short UK tour supporting legends Skunk Anansie, ahead of their headline UK tour later this September (with London and Brighton dates already sold out).
When you’ve never seen yourself in music, there’s an opportunity to build something from nothing. To make tracks that don’t sound directly like anyone else’s. “We had to work out our identities within music because we never had a reflection,” says Georgia South, Nova Twins bassist. “This is a 21st-century take on rock. It’s so many things.” Singer and guitarist Amy Love adds with a smile, “It’s the NOVA sound.”
The strong and unique bass guitar of Georgia South and the incisive vocals of Amy Love, are the driving force of Nova Twins. “Devil’s Face” and “Vortex” showcasing their unique future-rave-rock sound. The duo refuse to conform to any template, fusing bass-heavy grimey punk and taking inspiration from all corners of audio, from bands like N.E.R.D., Betty Davis, Jack White but also Missy Elliott, Princess Nokia and Rihanna, capturing fans of all demographics with their riotous energy. The best friends have turned rock on its head, injecting their songs with boundless energy, barely controlled rage and heavy riffs. The pair, always dressed head-to-toe in designs they’ve made themselves, are uniquely genre-bending.
This year has seen Nova Twins awarded The International Showcase Fund in Jan 2019 generating European gigs and Festivals Summer 2019 and the PRS Momentum Music fund (which has helped artists such as Little Simz, Boston Manor, Years & Years and many more), as well as being featured as a Flying Vinyl Spotlight Artist, and scoring features in both NME and The Guardian.
Nova Twins use their platform to champion inclusivity and diversity with their high-octane, genre-warping approach. Effortlessly cool in not only their musical output, but in every element of what they do creatively as artists. From designing and making their own outfits for all videos, photoshoots and stage wear to the art direction on their videos. Nova Twins are above all, strong, independent and inspiring women. Their modus operandi is to take socio-political experiences from their day-to-day and turn it into something their fans can lose themselves in.
Nova Twins are currently wrapping up their debut album with legendary producer Jim Abbiss (Adele, Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys), more news on that soon…
“…Very much rate this, and certainly don’t think that Wire, Alternative TV,Sauna Youth and Institute’s Catharsis LP are excessively flattering reference points…” The Quietus
Italia 90 will play on Thursday 30th January 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets available here.
“…catnip for fans of Protomartyr or The Fall…” The Ransom Note
“…sounds as though it was recorded in a working sawmill…” Hard of Hearing Music
“…The sound this four piece create, recalls those early Wire recordings, Joy Division cassettes and Gang of Four bootlegs at least one mate would own having sneaked a cassette recorder into the venue to record and listen to a few weeks later….” Louder Than War
Déjà Vega are vocalist and guitarist Jack Fearon, drummer Tom Webster and bassist Mike Newton.
Déjà Vega will play on Friday 28th February 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets available here.
After forming in Cheshire, they made the short journey to Manchester, a fitting backdrop to their gritty, guitar led psychedelia. Rhythmic and rage-fuelled and boasting surging riffs, Fearon’s hypnotic slurring lyrics lurch in and out of poetic chants, battling over chaotic drums and the razor-sharp bass lines underneath.
Live, Déjà Vega demonstrate that they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Feelgood pop outfit Deco have spent the past two years building their reputation as one of the country’s most exciting bop-makers.
DECO will play on Tuesday 19th November 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.
Having played to packed out crowds up and down the country with a sold out UK tour in Autumn 2018 and support slots with the likes of Declan Mckenna & Fickle Friends, their ascent shows no sign of slowing down. Their hook filled brand new single, Don’t Waste Your Time, paints the self motivating picture of the band’s leap into pursuing music full time and departing part time jobs in 2018. The track showcases their signature ear worm melodies and captivating synths. Don’t Waste Your Time takes inspiration from Eighties hitmakers including Duran Duran and George Michael, resulting in a substantial progression for Deco, a move on from Radio 1 favourites Chances and Turn Around.
Mansfield troubadour Georgie makes a welcome return with her new single ‘Too Much TV’ on February 16th. Taken from the EP of the same title which will be released a month later on March 16th, that will feature three brand new songs, highlighting her rich, powerful vocals and deft songwriting.
Georgie will play on Monday 27th January 2020 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets will be available on Friday 19th July 2019 here.
‘Too Much TV’ will be released alongside ‘Be The Fire’ and Mathew E white produced live favourite ‘Wildcat’. Georgie will supportJake Bugg across all of his upcoming UK and European dates. Speaking about ‘Too Much TV’ Georgie explains; “I’m excited to get this song out as it means a lot to me. I was inspired by my personal life and also by society and how it feels that we should all conform and belong to something, when actually doing that can make us feel very lost so we just gotta be ourselves. ”
Not always destined for a life in music, Georgie had a promising career in professional football looming ahead of her, but the sudden discovery of a guitar and her uncle’s record collection whisked her off the pitch and into her bedroom to hone her musical craft. She quickly mastered the art of blagging her way into pubs underage in order to play open mic nights, and it wasn’t long before her rich soulful voice and honest, reflective songwriting had earned her local notoriety – after one pub crowd demanded a fourth set from her in a single evening, she failed the next day’s history GCSE exam due to the exhaustion.
It wasn’t too long before her relentless graft paid off when her music caught the attention of local hero Jake Bugg, who took her with him on an intimate UK support tour. Since then she has fulfilled support duties for stars ranging from Blossoms to JackSavoretti, and was flown out to Virginia, USA to record her debut single ‘Company Of Thieves’ with the legendary Matthew E White and his Spacebomb house band.
Blending her British Grit with such an accomplished American Soul band resulted in a truly spellbinding single that earned Georgie spots on a whole host of watch lists for 2017. ‘Company of Thieves’ attracted the attention of several songwriters who requested to work with her. Eg White, Amy Wadge, Iain Archer, Jonny Wright and Fred Cox have been frequent collaborators in 2017 resulting in over twenty new songs that are earmarked for release. Following the release of ‘Hard Times’ and ‘This Ain’t Heaven’ in the autumn of 2017 and a successful UK tour, Georgie is definitely one to watch in 2018.
“We want our songs to have more punch than a prom night”
Sick Love will play on Saturday 23rd November 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.
SICK LOVE deliver a high-energy, no holds barred rock show all wrapped up in the most anthemic songs. Described by Hot Press magazine as “defiantly pushing against the grain of indie and folk bands in Ireland”, they broke through with sold out shows as well as festival slots at Electric Picnic and Indiependence. The band were quickly marked by many as ones to watch, with the Irish Times preaching they are “set to join the Super League of Irish rock bands”.
SICK LOVE are no strangers to the gritty, do-it yourself Irish music scene. Having risen from the ashes of former band Sub Motion that relentlessly worked through changing line-ups and sounds that crafted a name for themselves following a number of successful self-released tracks and a series of support slots (Crazy Town, The Strypes, Fangclub, Otherkin).
The band are set to release their debut single “Are You Ready”. The track was recorded live in Herbert Place Studios, Dublin with James Darkin at helm (Kanye, Will.i.am, Rihanna, Hozier).
“We know that SICK LOVE are not the type of band to pull punches. They’re not shy about saying how they feel…” – Hot Press Magazine
“SICK LOVE are set to join the Super League of Irish rock bands”. – The Irish Times
“They arguably have the most impressive decibel busting credentials.” – GoldenPlec
Two years on from her blistering debut ‘A Suitable Girl’, Ali Barter has announced her triumphant return with ‘Hello, I’m Doing My Best’ – a revealing collection of songs that track her most formative relationships: to her body, her instincts, sobriety and the old vices it counteracts, and the people she loves most.
Ali Barter will play on Tuesday 1st October 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.
‘Hello, I’m Doing My Best’ is set for release on October 18, via Inertia Music / [PIAS], today Ali also revealed her first ever love song with, ‘Backseat’ which premiered with triple j and her first ever global tour. You can pre-order the album and lock in your tickets via alibartermusic.com.
Directed by Anna Phillips (‘Ur A Piece of Shit’), the video for ‘Backseat’ also premiered today via Consequence Of Sound, and sees Ali weave through a comedy of errors with long time collaborator and husband Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy). Ali describes the treatment as being about “two awkward people that get together one night at a bar. A girl admires a boy from afar but when she meets him they are so clumsy and over eager that they end up injuring each other during a late night jam session. It’s just like love really: a mess.”
‘Hello, I’m Doing My Best’ follows Barter’s 2017 debut LP ‘A Suitable Girl’. A record that, by all accounts was critically and popularly acclaimed. Tone Deaf touted it as “an album that struck a nerve with Australia”, while Sydney Morning Herald backed her as a “star on the rise”. Ali Barter, however, wasn’t so sure. “The first record came out and for some reason I rejected it,” she says, listing the complaints she found with her own work: “it’s too polished and my voice is too high” being at the top of the list. Overcome with self-doubt, Barter pushed herself away from music, determined to never write another song.
But in the winter, a few months after the record’s release, she went out of town to clear her head, with her guitar for company. “Stuff started coming up and I couldn’t push it down,” she says, and despite feeling like she “wasn’t ready” for what these songs were saying, her and Dawson went about recording and testing the limits of her surprising new songs. She heard something in them she’d realised she didn’t need to fight anymore. “When we demoed them up, I was like, Oh, there I am. The thing I was pushing against was me”
‘Hello I’m Doing My Best’ is a sentiment most can relate to, and therein lies the undeniable pull of Ali Barter’s output. From her breakout single ‘Girlie Bits’ to recent cut ‘Ur A Piece Of Shit’ Barter spins sobering honesty through sugary pop songs, like a one-two punch of staunch self assurance and touching vulnerability, in a way that is so uniquely her own. On her method, Barter explains “I really connect to the idea that you can say something really controversial, but if you say it in a nice way people are more likely to listen to it.”
Since winning the triple j Unearthed competition and releasing her debut album A Suitable Girl in 2017, the former choir girl has enjoyed support at home in Australia from triple j, FBi Radio, The Australian, Rolling Stone and Tone Deaf, while further afield, Beats 1, Clash and The 405 have all thrown support behind the unconventional pop star.
Barter has toured relentlessly, completing two sold out headline tours, countless festival slots and supported The Rubens, The War On Drugs, The Jezabels, Stevie Nicks, The Preatures, Chrissie Hynde and personal hero, Liz Phair.
