LISTEN: Christof van der Ven - 'For The Ages'

If I haven't made it clear over the years: I've got an overwhelming amount of love for Christof van der Ven's music. (He's a great human too.) It feels that each new track he releases finds a route straight to my heart and soul... there's always such a deep connection, so much emotion. And they're just reaaaaaally great. Every. Single. Time!

His next album (I'm manifesting) is one of my most anticipated... and the release of new track For The Ages gives me hope that news of that might not be far off... but for now, I'll take this. It's a stunner, and you're all going to love this as much as I do.

Whether you're a firm fan of Christof, or he's a new artist for you, you'll want to see him live, and you're in luck - he's doing a short run of dates in the UK in November, taking in Bristol's Exchange (26th), London's Sebright Arms (27th) and Leeds' Cardigan Arms (28th) - tickets on sale here.

Follow Christof van der Ven - Facebook | Instagram.

WATCH: Mumble Tide - 'Good 4 Me'

Another day, another example of me using my 'bedtime' before a day at work to write a post for the next day... you can't fault my dedication to the cause (of sharing brilliant music with you all, of course.) Aforementioned brilliant music is the latest offering from duo (& couple) Gina Leonard and Ryan Rogers, AKA Mumble Tide. Good 4 Me arrives with news of their mini-album Everything Ugly, due 3rd December, around which time they're heading on a small run of shows in Manchester, Bristol and London. The track's self-directed video (below) is just the tip of the iceberg for the fiercely creative duo, who also produce their own music and create the artwork. 

On the new track, Gina shares "'Good 4 Me' is one of our favourite songs that we've written so far. It fell together late at night during lockdown in our dressing gowns. The vocal is more or less the first take we did where I just let it all out. I guess it's about how the years don't always bring you the answers you thought they would. It's kinda sad but there's also this nostalgia and excitement underneath." 

Launching just in time for Bandcamp Friday - you can pre-order a limited orange vinyl pressing of the mini-album here.

Follow Mumble Tide - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: Novo Amor - 'If We're Being Honest'

I was reminded yesterday (by the trusty Instagram archive) that it was two years since I first posted about Novo Amor, with a slightly gushy love letter to the tunes Utican and Birthplace, and a bit of marvelling at Ali's sustainable practices as an artist. With his debut album on the way, I was pretty sure that I was on the way to falling for his music. You could say that was an accurate prediction. 

I'm over the moon about the upcoming release of his second record Cannot Be, Whatsoever on 5th November (pre-order it here.) Recent single If We're Being Honest is the fourth track to be lifted from the album and as ever, it's stunning. My words from that first post continue to ring true about this latest offering - "his falsetto vocals are striking, accompanied by music that is vast, atmospheric and often cinematic in its nature, making use of some really exciting instrumentation." 

As an aside: two years on, and the vast majority of artists are yet to catch up with Ali and his team when it comes to sustainability. Excited to receive the new Cosmo Sheldrake LP some time this week - made from recycled materials as Ali's are. There's still so much that the music industry - particularly in touring, when that happens again, can do. Ditching single use plastic bottles, leaving behind excessive riders, sustainable merch, recycled packaging for CDs and vinyl - the opportunities are somewhat endless!

Grab tickets for the upcoming Novo Amor tour here.

Follow Novo Amor - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Lucy Leave - 'Everyone Is Doing So Well'

As 2019 draws to a close I'm feeling quite reflective about the albums I've loved this year - an albums of the year post is incoming, once I find the time to write it, but for now... here's an upcoming release to get excited about. The start of 2020 was already looking to be pretty special musically with new Bombay Bicycle Club and Gengahr albums on the way, and Oxford locals Lucy Leave join the party with their brand new album Everyone Is Doing So Well due for release on the Divine Schism label on 24th January.

This is really exciting news for various reasons - one huge one being that it's the first physical release from Divine Schism. They're an Oxford based DIY promoter, who have been putting on shows across Oxford and London for nearly a decade, giving a platform to artists they love. Having enjoyed the debut Lucy Leave album so much, they've extended this work to starting up a label to release their new album. Pre-order is live here now on the Divine Schism Bandcamp - go go go! Check out the gorgeous album artwork too, I love it.

(c) Chris Monger

The band have already released the triple-A single Thumbs / Snow / Hey, Male Saviour! and will be releasing a video for each over a few weeks in the run up to the album's release - the first video for Hey, Male Saviour! is below. Can't say that I've seen a webcam music video in a while! It's almost nostalgic...

On this track in particular Lucy Leave cite Soccer Mommy, Petsematary and Joni Mitchell (and particularly their use of open tunings) as influential, with the title being loosely inspired by The Fall's Hey Student. Lyrically they say that the track could be about any number of high-profile men within the music industry, whilst also operating as a call for self-awareness. It's clear that the band are incredibly socially aware themselves, fighting against injustice on a number of levels - notably calling out inequality in gig line-ups. It's refreshing to see a band who, as well as being all sorts of exciting in the musical side of things, really care about positive change within the industry (and the wider world.) They're good eggs, that's for sure.

If you'd like to see Lucy Leave live on album release weekend (frankly - why wouldn't you?) then you're in enormous luck because they happen to be playing shows in Oxford, Bristol and London.

24th Jan: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre, Oxford (w/ Duck, The Cooling Pearls and Basic Dicks) (event)
25th: White Rabbit, Bristol (w/ Megazine, Pega, Salvation Bill (solo)) (event)
26th: New River Studios, London (w/ Pega, Salvation Bill (solo)) (event)

Be sure to pre-order the new album Everyone Is Doing So Well on Bandcamp here.

Follow Lucy Leave - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: White Tail Falls (March 2020)

Bit quiet on the blog front at the moment... working in retail over Christmas is taking its toll a little. A few posts still to come this month and I'll soon be trying to figure out my albums of the year list too! Exciting news to share today however - White Tail Falls has announced his first UK tour for next March and April. Following the release of debut single Give It Up, Son and the video (watch below) the tour will see him take in eight dates with a show at the gorgeous St Pancras Old Church in London on 26th March.

Full dates for the tour are as follows...

19th March: Head Of Steam, Newcastle
20th: The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds
26th: St Pancras Old Church, London
27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
1st April: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
2nd: Night People, Manchester
3rd: The Bodega, Nottingham

Follow White Tail Falls - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: MarthaGunn (March 2020)

Last week I shared the new (but also kind of old) MarthaGunn track to the blog. As I'd scheduled the post a few days before I was already slightly behind as they shared the music video just before my post went live. As well as that, having just wrapped up some touring across Europe supporting Palace, they've announced a tour of their own for next Spring. Check out the video for Heaven below...

The tour dates are below and tickets are available here.

22nd March: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
24th: Broadcast, Glasgow
25th: Think Tank, Newcastle
27th: The Castle, Manchester
28th: Dead Wax, Birmingham
30th: Heartbreakers, Southampton
31st: Louisiana, Bristol
1st April: Hope & Ruin, Brighton
2nd: Courtyard Theatre, London

Follow MarthaGunn - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: Fickle Friends (December 2019)

It feels as if time has completely flown by since Fickle Friends released their debut album You Are Someone Else. It was somehow all the way back in March 2018 and after a period of touring they've been hidden away making new music and... they're back! Amateurs is their first release of the year and the first taste of music from their second album and it was worth the wait! In short it is a bit of a bop.

They're heading out on the road this December for a run of intimate shows which finishes up in one of my favourite venues, London's Omeara. Dates and tickets here.

2nd December: Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
3rd: Leadmill, Sheffield
4th: Mash House, Edinburgh
5th: Phase One, Liverpool
7th: Moles Club, Bath
8th: Joiners, Southampton
9th: Omeara, London

Follow Fickle Friends - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

LISTEN: Franc Moody - 'Terra Firma'

Since seeing them opening up for Friendly Fires last year I've had a big soft spot for Franc Moody. In the vein of experimental Cosmo Sheldrake, a read of their bio tells you "listen to their songs and you'll hear salt shakers and mugs, dripping radiators, the sound of someone zipping their flies, and their own family playing strings." This collection of sounds comes together with an array of instruments to make something really unique, with a whole lot of funk at the heart of it. Latest track Terra Firma arrives alongside their biggest tour dates yet, as they'll be heading around the UK and Europe across February and March, with a show at London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 5th March. Dates are here.

Follow Franc Moody - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Gengahr - 'Sanctuary'

Utter joy to have Gengahr back with a new track, album announcement and tour news. The triple whammy. Everything & More is their first track since Atlas Please last year - a track produced by none other than Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman. The track is taken from their upcoming third album Sanctuary, due for release on 31st Jan. The track sounds fresh yet familiar, focusing around the charming falsetto of frontman Felix Bushe. I adored their last album Where Wildness Grows and can't wait to see what they've got in store for us! 

You can catch Gengahr across the UK and further afield next year across February and March - UK dates below and tickets/album pre-order here.

13th Feb: Band on the Wall, Manchester
14th: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
16th: King Tuts, Glasgow
17th: The Sound House, Dublin
19th: Fleece, Bristol
20th: Patterns, Brighton
21st: EartH, London

Follow Gengahr online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: Willie J Healey and BE GOOD (Nov 2019)

This post is being shared while I'm on my way to Oxford for the first time in just over two years (for those who haven't read me rambling about this in the past, I studied there from 2014-2017 and miss it terribly) and what a perfect topic to discuss... Oxford indie hero Willie J Healey has shared news of his Hello Good Morning tour this November. Exciting enough news but made a billion times better with the fact that fellow Oxford chaps BE GOOD are joining him on tour. I've loved them for a long time but still haven't managed to catch them live so I am thrilled by this news!! Especially the fact that the London show is in the gorgeous setting of Omeara. Listen to WJ's new track Songs For Joanna below...

Grab tour tickets here, dates below!

6th Nov: King Tut's, Glasgow
7th: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
8th: Leadmill, Sheffield
9th: Yes, Manchester
13th: Bodega, Nottingham
14th: Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
15th: Patterns, Brighton
16th: Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
20th: Joiners, Southampton
21st: Omeara, London

Follow Willie J Healey - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. 

Follow BE GOOD - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM & TOUR NEWS: Bombay Bicycle Club - 'Everything Else Has Gone Wrong'

A triple whammy of brilliant news today from Bombay Bicycle Club. First up, after some live shows and their recent single Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) they've shared a brilliant new tongue in cheek video for the track, directed by long-time friend and touring member of the band Louis Bhose. It's one of the best videos I've seen in a while, setting the scene with the lines "In 2016, the UK was rocked by a seismic event... Bombay Bicycle Club went on indefinite hiatus. Without their music, British society crumbled. Three years later, the band's whereabouts are unknown..." 

Secondly (and nobody panic...) they've announced a new album, Everything Else Has Gone Wrong is due for release on 17th January 2020. I may or may not have cried many happy tears reading this news - the statement they've put out (below) speaks volumes to me personally, I adore this band and their music brings me so much joy so it's a delight to know that there is a whole new album on the way. 

"This is an album for anyone who’s ever turned to music in a time of crisis, whether personal or political. It’s about the solace one can get from listening to music or playing music when everything else in your life or the world has gone wrong. It’s about finding kernels of hope and renewal in dire situations."

Finally, they're taking the album out on the road in January, kicking off with a show in Cambridge and heading around the country, taking in London's famous Alexandra Palace along the way. In the statement they shared that "playing together again is such an unexpected surprise for the four of us and yet from the first moment we started rehearsing it felt as natural as if we’d played a show the night before. We feel a freshness playing live that can only come from having taken a step back and now we just want to play these new songs to as many people in as many countries as we can." 

20th Jan: Corn Exchange, Cambridge

21st: Academy, Bournemouth

23rd: De Montfort Hall, Leicester

24th: University Great Hall, Cardiff

25th: Academy, Leeds

27th: Academy, Newcastle

28th: Barrowland, Glasgow

31st: Academy, Birmingham

1st Feb: Centre, Brighton

3rd: Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

7th: Alexandra Palace, London

10th: Vicar Street, Dublin

12th: Ulster Hall, Belfast

Pre-order the album here for access to the ticket presale next week! 

Follow Bombay Bicycle Club - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. 

TOUR NEWS: Low Island (Autumn 2019)

Some excellent news for your Wednesday... Low Island are heading out on their biggest tour yet this Autumn. The Shut Out The Sun tour sees the band starting off in Leeds on 31st October (spooky!) and finishing up with a hometown headline show at The Bullingdon on 6th December. With seven more shows lined up, they're headlining Electrowerkz in London as a Low Island And Friends show on 6th November - tickets for that one are already on sale and not to be missed! Here's recent (ish) single In Person to whet your appetites...

Pre-sale tickets for the Shut Out The Sun tour went on sale to the band's mailing list this morning and will be on general sale on Friday here - check out the full dates below!

31st Oct: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
1st Nov: District, Liverpool
2nd: Yes, Manchester
6th: Electrowerkz, London
12th: Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
13th: Rough Trade, Bristol
14th: Think Tank, Newcastle
21st: The Haunt, Brighton
6th Dec: The Bullingdon, Oxford

Follow Low Island - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: Dawes (Oct/Nov 2019)

Alongside news of a new Friendly Fires album, Monday was made pretty sweet with news of a run of European dates from my favourite guys Dawes. They'll be passing through Spain, Switzerland and Germany before shows in London (4th Nov), Manchester (5th) and Glasgow (6th) delivering a range of their 'Greatest Hits' (all of them, I hope!) Their last London shows will be almost exactly three years previous so it's a very exciting announcement! Tickets go on sale tomorrow (28th) morning at 10AM here.

Follow Dawes online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: Ferris & Sylvester (Autumn 2019)

With a sold out headline tour across the country already under their belts earlier in the year, the magical Ferris & Sylvester have just announced a 20-date UK and Ireland headline tour through September and October. They'll follow up a string of festival slots at the likes of Bushstock, Glastonbury and Boardmasters from June to August with shows in Oxford, Brighton, London, Manchester and many (many) more. 2019 is looking to be a pretty sweet year for the duo who have also taken their gorgeous blend of blues, folk and Americana to SXSW, The Great Escape, on a support tour with Billy Lockett and recently on the Under The Apple Tree tour with Wildwood Kin. Check out this stunning Maida Vale session performance of recent single Sickness to see for yourself just how superbly talented the pair are (also - that harmonica!)

UK tour dates below - check out their website for tickets (on sale today!) and a list of their upcoming festival appearances.

September

3rd: Boiler Room, Guildford

4th: The Horn, St Albans

5th: Omeara, London

16th: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

17th: The Bullingdon, Oxford

18th: Metronome, Nottingham

19th: Green Door Store, Brighton

20th: Think Tank?, Newcastle

22nd: Stereo, Glasgow

23rd: Mash House, Edinburgh

25th: Lost Lane, Dublin  

27th: Phase One, Liverpool

29th: The Wardrobe, Leeds

30th: The Portland Arms, Cambridge

October

1st: Deaf Institute, Manchester

3rd: Forum, Tunbridge Wells

4th: Frog & Fiddle, Cheltenham

6th: Sin City, Swansea (Fringe Fest)

8th: Old Bakery, Truro

9th: Phoenix, Exeter

Follow Ferris & Sylvester - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: MarthaGunn (April/May 2019)

Really excited about this news! One of my favourite new bands of the last few years, MarthaGunn, have just announced their first headline tour. I've seen them live a couple of times and can tell you that this definitely isn't to be missed! They've been hiding away in the studio and I absolutely can not wait to hear new music, which they'll hopefully be debuting in troves at these shows. Formed in 2015 in Brighton, the five-piece draw from modern influences such as Tame Impala and Mystery Jets, and the 70s song-writing of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles. Check out the tour dates below after listening to this beautiful track!

MarthaGunn play: Louisiana, Bristol (29th April); The Waiting Room, London (30th); Soup Kitchen, Manchester (1st May) before heading back to Brighton for a set at The Great Escape. Grab tickets for the tour here.

Follow MarthaGunn - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Bear's Den - 'So that you might hear me'

What's better than a new Bear's Den track to kick off your Wednesday, I hear you ask... how about TWO new tracks from the lads?! They're back (finally!) with the album to follow up 2016's glorious Red Earth & Pouring Rain and I'm delighted. So that you might hear me is set for release on 26th April via Communion Records and they've shared two tracks from the record today, as well as a full track listing and some tour dates!

The album was recorded in Seattle with Phil Ek  (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty) and mixed by Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Metronomy) and is described as "both bold and exposed, intimate yet expansive". The two singles display this essence perfectly. Standing alone, the tracks feel as if they'd have a home in different genres, but in the context of the upcoming album I feel this shows us a band who are confident enough to explore their musicality - and they've earned that confidence.

Fuel On The Fire makes use of pulsing drum machine beats and electric guitars and is reminiscent of the band's last, more electronic, record, while Blankets Of Sorrow is a far more intimate track, drawing links more closely to the band's debut album Islands. In both tracks and the record more generally "a need for connection lies at the heart." I for one am very glad to have the guys back and can't wait to hear more from the record!

The Bear's Den live show is a joy to behold, and if you're digging the new tracks you should most definitely grab a ticket to the upcoming shows, UK dates as follows: Rock City, Nottingham (9th April); Academy, Dublin (10th); Limelight 1, Belfast (11th); Barrowlands, Glasgow (13th); Albert Hall, Manchester (14th); O2 Academy, Bristol (16th); O2 Guildhall, Southampton (17th); Shepherd's Bush Empire, London (23rd).  Check out ticket info & Europe/US/Canada dates on the site here.

Follow Bear's Den - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

LISTEN: Matthew And The Atlas - 'Pyres'

I often ramble about my love for the independent label Communion... they're brilliant and they always deserve the praise, constantly delivering music and shows from some of the most exciting new bands out there. Their first ever signing was the total legend Matthew And The Atlas, very quickly hailed by Q Magazine as a "British Bon Iver" and deservedly so. Last year, I caught Matt and the band performing in the beautiful surroundings of a Church in Shepherd's Bush for the label's Bushstock Festival, I was volunteering in the venue and it was a little overwhelming to be standing around in the 'backstage' area while members of the band came and went. The set was glorious.

I am delighted to hear that Matt is releasing his brand new album Morning Dancer on 10th May and absolutely can not get enough of the first single Pyres. Musically it's a far cry from his early acoustic offerings of 2010, and even the Cali and Palace EPs of 2017, but this is in no way a bad thing. Matt's unmistakable vocals shine through the track, with gorgeous harmonies and as Communion themselves describe it, "illustrious brass interjections" which need to be heard to believe. I've essentially had this track on repeat on my 2019: cool music and things playlist all weekend.

Matthew And The Atlas are heading out on a UK tour in May to celebrate the release of Morning Dancer, full dates are as follows: Patterns, Brighton (12th May); The Fleece, Bristol (13th); The Globe, Cardiff (14th); Omeara, London (16th); Bodega, Nottingham (17th); The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham (18th); Arts Centre, Norwich (20th); Deaf Institute, Manchester (21st); Leaf, Liverpool (22nd); The Wardrobe, Leeds (24th); Stereo, Glasgow (27th); Mash House, Edinburgh (28th); Voodoo, Belfast (29th); Grand Social, Dublin (30th). Grab tickets for all those shows here!

Follow Matthew And The Atlas - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify.

TOUR NEWS: Ferris & Sylvester (Feb 2019)

They've just finished up a support tour with Jade Bird, and Ferris & Sylvester have signed off by doing what any artist who loves playing music live would do... they've announced their first ever headline tour! They'll be heading out on the road in February, taking in shows across the UK including Leeds, Glasgow, Brighton and Dublin, as well as a show at The Lexington in London. They're a formidably talented duo and a brilliant live act - their set at The Great Escape in Brighton kicked off the festival for me back in May and I loved it! Check out their recent video for London's Blues below...

Tickets for the tour are on sale here, with full dates as follows: Oporto, Leeds (4th Feb); Poetry Club, Glasgow (5th); Eagle Inn, Manchester (6th); Cuban Embassy, Birmingham (7th); Cavern, Exeter (9th); The Lexington, London (11th); The Prince Albert, Brighton (12th); Joiners, Southampton (13th); Sound House, Dublin (14th).

Follow Ferris & Sylvester - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

TOUR NEWS: Low Island 'In Person' tour (March 2019)

The ever talented chaps Low Island have announced what I am pretty sure is their biggest run of UK shows to date for March 2019! The shows come in support of a new single due early in the year, with the tour taking in the likes of Southampton, Liverpool, Brighton, Nottingham, Reading and lots more, as well as a Low Island & Friends show at the Hackney Show Rooms in London. Pre-sale for the shows starts today with tickets going on general sale on Friday, 30th November. To whet your appetites and show you just how brilliant a Low Island live show here, I'm sharing this video of the brilliant track Too Young once again. Adore this.

Full dates: Boileroom, Guildford (12th March); Joiners, Southampton (13th); Cookie, Leicester (14th); Phase One, Liverpool (15th); Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds (16th); Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham (20th); Green Door Store, Brighton (21st); Hackney Show Rooms, London (22nd); Thekla, Bristol (26th); Soup Kitchen, Manchester (27th); Bodega, Nottingham (28th); South Street Art Centre, Reading (29th); Broadcast, Glasgow (3rd April); Think Tank?, Newcastle (4th). Tickets here!

Follow Low Island online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

ALBUM NEWS: Jack Savoretti - 'Singing To Strangers'

Incredibly excited about this one! I've been a big fan of Jack Savoretti since hearing his third studio album Before The Storm back in 2012, and have loved watching his career blossom. In recent years, he's released two brilliant records, Written In Scars and Sleep No More, given several brilliant TV performances, supported the likes of James and John Legend on tour and played his own incredible live shows, touring the UK and further afield with his wonderful live band. His passion for music is infectious, and makes being a fan of his genuinely rewarding.

Exciting news - he's just announced that his sixth studio record Singing To Strangers is due for release on 22nd March. Talking about the title of the record, Jack explains "that's my job: I sing to strangers. That's what I've spent most of my life doing. Singing to friends and family and fans; they're already onside, so you can, to some extent sing anything. Strangers need convincing, touching, connection." 

Produced by Cam Blackwood (George Ezra, London Grammar) and recorded in Ennio Morricone's studio in Rome this Summer, the record features Jack's live band, who he is taking on tour in April across Europe before heading back to the UK for a few shows. The tour culminates in a HUGE show at SSE Wembley Arena, which I absolutely can not wait for. I couldn't be prouder of the trajectory he's taking. Earlier this year, Jack featured on a duet alongside none other than pop legend Kylie Minogue. Music's Too Sad Without You is the closing track of her latest record - a live version from Venice features on Jack's upcoming record, check that out below! Grab tour tickets and pre-order Singing To Strangers in various formats, as well as signed copies, through Jack's website here.

Follow Jack Savoretti - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.