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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cavalryliverpool
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cavalryliverpool
Bird To Beast have rightly built themselves a reputation as a must-see live act, as their whistle-stop tour around the UK this summer has proven.
They’ve been asked to alight on the 31st July at Salford’s Media City – home of the BBC – by BBC 6 Music DJ and long-term supporter, Chris Hawkins.
And, armed with a raft of wildly addictive, quirky folk-pop tunes and a captivating stage presence, they’re sure to win over the crowd of media professionals and music-loving public alike!
Praise for Bird To Beast:
IMPACT DATE: 14th September 2014
LABEL: Sideways Saloon
“The sounds they generate took me back to my musical roots… Marvellous music to savour and enjoy”
– Michael Eavis, Glastonbury Festival
The Travelling Band are the kind of group people long to be part of – the kind that stirs deep-set emotions in fans who would dance over hot coals to see this most remarkable of live bands.
Their new single, Passing Ships, is everything The Travelling Band are, and everything their fans adore: bittersweet stories planting little flags in the mind and claiming attention for days, woven in and out of melodies you’ll think you grew up with.
Recorded with a panache to thrill existing fans and tease new ones into exploring much further, Passing Ships is typically-euphoric, carefully-crafted, always-rousing: a hallmark of all the band’s music.
Passing Ships has already been met with breathless praise:
“The track blows by in the best possible way, leaving you a little breathless and wanting even more” – Indieshuffle
“A unique sound… expansive and poppy” – Earmilk
As usual, the band’s huge and loyal following demanded a UK-wide tour, and were of course rewarded with one – with yet more dates to be announced. The song is taken from their new LP, The Big Defreeze, which is released on the 25th August.
Passing Ships is a free download, and is for fans of beautiful, storytelling music like Calexico, Iron & Wine, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Frightened Rabbit and Elbow.
“They produce an inventive brand of guitar-laden cosmic aesthetic and sprinkles of trademark Manchester’s musical lineage” – Clash Magazine
“If you consider the term ‘Mancunian Americana’ to be an oxymoron… try listening to The Travelling Band. Brilliant” – Marc Riley, BBC 6Music
“Their harmonies are tight, guitar picking deft and tunes melodic” – Q Magazine
“It all here, passionate yet delicate vocals, deep forceful drumming, jangly guitar, fluctuating stings, everything you could ask for from a song that oozes summer” – The 405
The Travelling Band live:
July
12th – Triumph Live Festival
August
8th – Cropredy Festival, Nr. Banbury
16th – Undressed Festival, Halle St. Peters, Manchester
23rd – Green Belt Festival, Northamptonshire
30th – Off The Tracks Festival, Derbyshire
September
7th – Sc4m Festival, The Railway, Winchester
12th – The Institute, Kelvedon, Essex
14th – Shrewsbury Fields Festival
October
2nd – Kendal, The Brewery
3rd – Leeds, Brudenell
8th – Liverpool, The Kazimier
9th – Edinburgh, Voodoo Room
10th – Glasgow, Broadcast
11th – Letham, Letham Hall
22nd – London, The Lexington
24th – Oxford, Arts Bar (Bullindon Arms)
25th – Bristol, The Louisiana
November
28th – Hurst Green, Village Hall
The Travelling Band online:
thetravellingband.co.uk
facebook.com/thetravellingband
twitter.com/travellingband
youtube.com/thetravellingband
IMPACT DATE– 15th September 2014
LABEL– Queen Street Records
Real rebel rockers! – Johnny Marr, The Smiths
The best new band in Manchester! – John Robb, Louder Than War
“Why so serious?” Guitar music doesn’t have to be po-faced; and The Minx’s happy-go-lucky sense of fun makes them spiritual successors to carefree power-poppers Supergrass – and, as pointed out by Steve Lamacq – Buzzcocks and The Undertones.
No Friends is a direct descendant of The Undertones’ My Perfect Cousin – with a youthful spirit and the bounciest Hammond hook you’ll have heard in years.
The crowd favourite has been given a fresh lick of paint by award-winning producer Cenzo Townshend (Florence + The Machine, The Vaccines, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand) for this release.
Stars of a forthcoming documentary on underground music scenes by The Street‘s Mike Skinner (who enthused about them being “modern Skindom!”), and having appeared in Dr Marten’s TV ad campaign, The Minx’s music, look and exuberance go pleasingly against the grain.
The band continue to sell out every increasingly big show they headline, and are heading further afield to play more packed venues around the UK – including a show at the Brixton Windmill on 22nd August – confirmation of their rapid ascent.
The band‘s biggest headline gig yet, at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, is on Saturday 23rd August.
The most exciting new band I’ve heard in years! – Pete Jobson, I Am Kloot
I listened to The Minx … decided I liked it and bought it! – Mike Davies, BBC Radio 1
Who are The Minx? Andy Evans (Drums), Chris Haddon (Vox/Guitar), Paul Robinson (Guitar), Steven Stuttard (Bass) & Kieran McIntyre (Keys)
THE MINX live:
27th July – Tramlines Festival, Sheffield
22nd August – Brixton Windmill, London (Headline Show)
23rd August – The Ruby Lounge, Manchester (Headline Show)
30th August – The Rocking Chair, Sheffield (Headline Show)
19th September – Ramsbottom Festival (Headlining second stage)
20th September – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge (Headline Show)
theminx.co.uk
facebook.com/theminxband
twitter.com/TheMinxBand
Photo: Dean Chalkley
Yet more confirmation that the waves being made by Manchester’s MUK Records are having a bigger impact and wider reach; as four of their incredibly diverse signings were played on BBC Introducing Manchester by BBC 6 Music’s Elizabeth Alker.
Berlin Berlin, MUK’s purveyors of euphoric, stadium-sized pop were also in the studio – talking extensively before playing a fabulously glossy live cover version of Furniture’s cult classic Brilliant Mind, which Elizabeth described as sounding “absolutely wonderful – spectacular!”
She was no less impressed by the other MUK artists on the playlist: identifying Red Sky Noise‘s eclectic and powerful sound as “dance-y, jazzy, soulful… an absolute joy… ones to keep an eye on!” – and favourably compared singer Mica’s vocals to Emili Sandé.
Meanwhile, MDNGHT‘s ability to deftly recreate the feel of a sultry summer night’s party in their music was spotted – “perfect for a Saturday night,” whilst Bird To Beast‘s growing musical renown was just as clear: “lovely and pastoral – they know how to do harmonies!”
Photo: Matt Visser
Hannah and Sam Hird‘s story – they began making music after they got married – has always been woven inextricably with the music they make as Bird to Beast.
And their touching, life-affirming new video for their brilliant new single, Catacombs, makes explicit the journey we all take through life to love, hope and happiness.
The video is comprised of recently discovered video clips from Sam and Hannah’s childhood, cut to the music. They grew up in the same small town, but didn’t know each other until adulthood; the video takes on extra poignancy as it intertwines their separate childhoods.
It’s a touching reminder of the paths our lives take, and how one turn down the catacombs of life can change our world forever.
With video clips of their young selves in their hometown of Colne, as well as on holiday in Portmerion, it’s a perfect, emotionally off-kilter reminder of all that is so wonderful about Bird To Beast.
Bird to Beast are touring extensively this summer:
18th May Great North Run, Manchester
23rd May Chorlton Arts Festival, Manchester
29th May Supporting Ren Harvieu, The Trades, Hebden Bridge
1st June Smoked & Uncut Festival, Hampshire
12th June Isle Of Wight Festival
17th June Topolski, Southbank, London
21st June Camden Crawl, London
22nd June Barnaby Festival, Cheshire
3rd July Ruth Barnes Presents @ The Finsbury, London
7th July Mad Ferret Festival, Preston
2nd Aug Kendal Calling Festival, Cumbria
3rd Aug Cloudspotting Festival, Slaidburn
8th Aug Strawberry Fields Festival, Leicestershire
30th Aug Bingley Festival, Bradford
19th Sept Ramsbottom Festival, Lancashire
Tom Robinson has long been regarded as a key identifier of new musical talent in the UK, and featuring on his BBC Introducing mixtape is a feather in any new band’s cap – which is why The Minx are so pleased to be featured on his latest mixtape!
The band, who’ve sold out a series of ever-bigger shows in Manchester, are hard at work on their next official single… but until then, Tom found plenty to enjoy in a new song they recorded for fun recently, Your Ego, and popped it at the start of his newest BBC Introducing mixtape, available here.
SINGLE – Catacombs
IMPACT DATE – June 2014
LABEL – MUK Records
Q: What links The Hollies’ Bobby Elliot and Bird to Beast’s Sam and Hannah Hird?
A: Bird to Beast‘s new single, Catacombs – and the Lancashire mill-town of Colne…
After a breakthrough start to 2014, Bird To Beast deliver another wonderfully infectious song, Catacombs. And it marks them as songwriters of real note, showcasing an ear for the enticingly odd and attractively dreamy.
Catacombs is not only Bird To Beast’s most lovely and touching single yet, but it also features shuffling percussion from Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott.
The song got its first radio play on Radcliffe and Maconie‘s BBC 6 Music show – with Mark enthusing about the song – and was particularly impressed that Bobby was playing on the track.
Bobby lives in the same Lancashire town of Colne as Sam and Hannah, and after meeting the band – and being wooed by their inventive sound – got involved.
Catacombs is a fabulous single, drawing listeners in with sweetly cooing vocals on love and life, and a coiling, surprising melody, mixing a gorgeous lullaby with rumbustious excitement.
The single is backed with live favourite Posture and Pantomime as a B-side.
Its release follows a whirlwind few months for Bird To Beast, seeing them gaining wonderful UK radio support – including Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, Chris Hawkins, Radcliffe & Maconie, Alex Lester, Tom Robinson, Michelle Hussey, Ruth Barnes, Sean McGinty, Emma Mac and Shell Zenner’s shows – as well as playing a bunch of well-received gigs, and will be gracing a whole array of festival stages in the coming months.
Bird to Beast live:
APRIL
10th – Sofar sessions – Winchester
11th – Sofar sessions, Cardif
12th – View 2 Gallery, Liverpool
13th – BT Square, Etihad Stadium
MAY
18th May Great North Run, Manchester
23rd May Chorlton Arts Festival, Manchester
29th May Supporting Ren Harvieu, The Trades, Hebden Bridge
JUNE
1st June Smoked & Uncut Festival, Hampshire
12th June Isle Of Wight Festival
17th June Topolski, Southbank, London
21st June Camden Crawl, London St Michaels Church @ 3.30pm
22nd June Barnaby Festival, Cheshire
JULY
3rd July Ruth Barnes Presents @ The Finsbury, London
7th July Mad Ferret Festival, Preston
AUGUST
2nd Aug Kendal Calling Festival, Cumbria
3rd Aug Cloudspotting Festival, Slaidburn
8th Aug Strawberry Fields Festival, Leicestershire
30th Aug Bingley Festival, Bradford
SINGLE: Snow In Tokyo
IMPACT DATE: 12th May
After gaining airplay from key tastemakers like Mary-Anne Hobbs, Eddy Temple-Morris, Jen Long and Ally McCrea and Simon Raymonde; and being featured in music magazine The Wire, DEADBEAR is set to release his third single, Snow In Tokyo.
It’s another beautifully balanced, nuanced and subtly catchy song from the Manchester producer; awash with warm and unusual sounds that conjure a late-night, half-awake dreaminess.
The song was debuted on The Wire’s prestigious Wiretapper compilation, with the accompanying video was debuted on Virgin’s website.
Snow in Tokyo is taken from the Wabi Sabi EP, available from Art Is Hard records.
IMPACT DATE: 19th May 2014
LABEL: MUK Records
They’re seemingly fully-formed; emerging suddenly with a pristine, spine-tingling song and a breathtaking video.
Where on earth have YOU come from?
And, with In Halves, the band is armed with a video to dazzle eyes, and a pristine, shiver-inducing song, pricked by singer Anna Waldmann’s pin-sharp voice.
So where on earth have YOU come from? Well, north London – but by the way of The Cocteau Twins, London Grammar, The XX and Daughter.
It’s a dazzling and confident first step for the North London band, whose early demos caught the keen ears of tastemakers Simon Raymonde and 6 Music’s Tom Robinson last year, before signing to Manchester’s MUK Records.
“One of the best debut singles I’ve heard in my time!” – Gary Crowley on In Halves
A beautiful, unique voice; a coiling, half-dream of a single; a video hinting at end times. What’s not to love?
Keep your eyes and ears open for YOU…
Who are YOU?
Anna Waldmann
Sam Campbell
Harrison Ball
Massimo Zeppetelli
itisyouhere.com
facebook.com/hereyouare
twitter.com/itisyouhere
MUK Records
YOU live:
16th May – John Kennedy’s X-Posure @ Tooting Tram and Social
May 7th – The Bedroom Bar, Rivington Street, London
1-3 August – Kendal Calling Festival