To celebrate 25 years since the release of SWERVEDRIVER’s classic second album ‘Mezcal Head’, the band will be performing the record live for the first time throughout Europe and the UK in May 2018. But more than that, the band – comprising Adam Franklin, Jimmy Hartridge, Mikey Jones and Ben Ellis from Iggy Pop’s band (standing in for the on-sabbatical Mick Quinn) – will also be performing the band’s first album, the seminal ‘Raise’. Their show will comprise of two sets with psychedelia interlude.

Swervedriver’s six album, ‘Remembering Forward’, is set to be released later in 2018

14th May – Hebden Bridge – The Trades Club
15th May Newcastle – 02
16th May Glasgow – ABC2
17th May Manchester – Band On The Wall
18th May London – Islington Academy
19th May Leicester – Dryden Street Social

In 1990 London’s indie-rock guitar scene was developing a distinctive new psychedelic sound: swirling, dreamy, mysterious and very much of the British Isles. One band stood out by hot-wiring that sound with the subversive energy of some American bands of the era and that band was Swervedriver. They had the liquid distortion of shoegaze combined with the cool swagger of Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr – giving them a unique sound and attitude.

Relocating from Oxford to London, guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge, bassist Adi Vines and drummer Graham Bonnar debuted with a series of landmark Creation Records EPs, Son of Mustang Ford, Rave Down, and Sandblasted. Their full-length debut, 1991’s Raise, to this day is hailed by Pitchfork as an album full of “muscular, scorching guitars” that “still bring the noise like nobody’s business” with Mojo stating that Son of Mustang Ford “remains one of the most glorious tunes to emerge in the wake of the so-called grunge explosion of ’89, matching Adam Franklin and Jim Hartridge’s motorised guitar-weaving with a beguiling, below-the-line vocal melody and lyrics that celebrated the joy of wide-open American freeways.”

The band toured the album extensively, including a lengthy US tour with Soundgarden that brought their wall of sound to thousands. However with both Bonnar and Vines leaving the band not long after, the 1992 EP Never Lose That Feeling looked like it might be Swervedriver’s (albeit scorching) swan song. Then in late 1992, Franklin and Hartridge demoed a new tune Duress, recruited drummer Jez Hindmarsh and set about recording a second full-length album Mezcal Head with Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine/Led Zeppelin), which included their biggest singles Duel and Last Train To Satansville. Touring extensively again, this time with Smashing Pumpkins and Medicine and with new bass player Steve George onboard, their sound was further imprinted on people’s minds.

More roadblocks came to be in their way though: highly revered third album Ejector Seat Reservation came out in 1995 but was never released or toured in the US and although the band returned strongly with their fourth full-length 1998’s 99th Dream, the energy was dissipating and they imploded at the end of an Australian tour resolving to go on hiatus.

Going their separate ways – Franklin moved to the US and released solo albums with his band Bolts of Melody – no-one really knew if the band actually was on hiatus or had split entirely. Then came an announcement in late 2007 that they would be performing at the following year’s Coachella and heading back out on the road. Originally reforming with Hindmarsh on drums followed briefly by the return of Bonnar, they finally settled on Mikey Jones of Heaven and Bolts of Melody and have continued touring and appearing at festivals internationally.

In 2013 everything was ratcheted up several notches when Swervedriver released its first single in 15 years, Deep Wound. Spin Magazine called it a “warm, confidently roiling return” with Mojo adding “those same distorted pop sensibilities remain reassuringly intact” and the band debuted the song on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in the States.

Their fifth album I Wasn’t Born To Lose You, recorded at legendary studios Birdland in Melbourne, and Konk in London was released worldwide in March of 2015.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

http://www.swervedriver.com

Fickle Friends are currently in the middle of a massive 18-date UK Tour as they gear up to release their debut album ‘You Are Someone Else’. The band have now shared the album opener ‘Wake Me Up’ . A song “about wanting a relationship to work so bad but knowing deep down, it’s not going anywhere. It was the last song we wrote for the album”.

Check out ‘Wake Me Up’ here.

On March 16th, Fickle Friends will release ‘You Are Someone Else’ – their hotly anticipated debut album – to the world. Today, they share the album opener ‘Wake Me Up’ just as they prepare to head out on their massive UK tour next week.

Fickle Friends have just embarked on their biggest UK tour to date. Despite having played now together over 350 times across the country, this time the band will extend their reach to play to some of the few cities in the country that they have yet to grace. From there, they will head b straight to Europe to do a run of dates in all the major cities and in May, they look to the USA. See full dates below.

The band are also due to appearing at instores

Remaining dates

06/03 Fibbers, York
07/03 Welly, Hull
08/03 Met Lounge, Peterborough
10/03 Chinnery’s, Southend
11/03 Epic Studios, Norwich
12/03 Academy 2, Oxford
14/03 Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
16/03 Platform, Lincoln
18/03 Komedia, Bath
19/03 Concorde 2, Brighton
21/03 Academy 2, Liverpool
22/03 Belle, Edinburgh

Black Foxxes have released an impossibly cute new video clip – featuring Tarka, Holley’s dog and best friend – for album track, ‘Joy’. The song is the third to be released from forthcoming studio album ‘Reiði’. ‘Reiði’ will be released on March 16th 2018 via Search & Destroy Records.

Watch the video for ‘Joy’ here: http://vevo.ly/fdSk4C

Pre-orders for ‘Reiði’ are now live with art print, special edition vinyl, cassette and other merch items available here: https://lnk.to/reidi

Black Foxxes will be performing a short acoustic set, then meeting fans and signing copies of their new album, ‘Reiði’, at the following HMV stores:-

HMV Exeter – Fri 16 March @ 5:30pm
HMV Bristol – Mon 19 March @ 5:30pm
HMV Reading – Tues 20 March @ 5:30pm
HMV Birmingham – Weds 21 March @ 5:30pm
HMV Nottingham – Thu 22 March @ 5:30pm

Access will be on a first come first served basis with a purchase of the new album from HMV on the day of the event.

Please note that due to the tight schedule and the desire to meet as many fans as possible, the band will only be able to sign copies of their new album.

Black Foxxes UK and Euro headline tour takes place throughout March and April 2018. A full list of tour dates as follows; –

MARCH

Wed 28 England, Manchester, Deaf Institute
Thu 29 England, Leeds, Key Club
Fri 30 Scotland, Glasgow, Cathouse
Sat 31 England, Newcastle, Think Tank

APRIL

Mon 02 England, Nottingham, Bodega
Tue 03 England, Birmingham, Mama Roux
Thu 05 England Southampton, Joiners
Fri 06 England, London, Heaven
Sat 07 England, Bristol, Thekla

Tickets are available now from all the usual outlets.

http://www.blackfoxxes.com
https://www.facebook.com/blackfoxxesuk
https://www.twitter.com/blackfoxxes
https://www.instagram.com/blackfoxxes

“I’ll redefine your notion of the best a man can be” is the mission statement of rising Yorkshire band Avalanche Party, who have released new single ‘Porcelain’ on Clue Records.

“Porcelain is what The Coasters would have sounded like if they had taken slightly more crack. 1950’s benzo-psychosis of the worst kind. If it seems a good idea at the time then it probably is, hence this song of degradation, food, notions and gardens”

‘Porcelain is released digitally’, and also on 12” limited edition blood red vinyl alongside three other tracks.

Buy here: https://www.musicglue.com/cluerecords/

Avalanche Party were formed by brothers Jordan and Joe, who spent summers in their youth in the Yorkshire dales, camping by firelight, and their winters snowed into their isolated hill top home with nothing but the sounds of Bo Diddley, Link Wray, Wilko Johnson and Jimi Hendrix to keep them company. The boys played their first gig at the age of twelve, and music is ingrained in their being.

The band are now gearing up to headline the This Feeling tour throughout the UK this March/April, and will also play Electric Fields Festival. Further live dates will be announced soon.

Catch AVALANCHE PARTY live:

(**This Feeling tour)

11th Mar – Brighton Hope & Ruin
16th Mar – Birmingham Sunflower Lounge
17th Mar – Leicester The Scholar**
31st Mar – Nottingham Bodega
5th Apr – Cardiff The Moon**
6th Apr – Bristol Mother’s Ruin**
7th Apr – London, Water Rats**
14th Apr – Leeds Lending Room**
20th Apr – Manchester Jimmy’s**
21st Apr – Sheffield Cafe Totem**
27th Apr – Glasgow Broadcast**
28th Apr – Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s**
23rd Jun – Stockton Georgian Theatre
30th Aug – Electric Fields Festival, Scotland

Handmade Festival 5th/6th May 2018 at the O2 Academy – Leicester
Weekend tickets available from £45. Final line-up additions include: The Wytches, Genghar, Black Peaks, Low Island, Geowulf, Art School Girlfriend, Kamikazee Girls, Fling, Superego, Traps, JSP and Timmas

Handmade Festival will be returning to Leicester’s O2 Academy in 2018 for two days of the finest music, comedy, art, film, performance and photography, hand-picked and carefully curated.

Last month, Handmade Festival announced the second wave of bands for the 2018 music programme, and now they are thrilled to announce the final line-up additions. The full line-up is as follows:

CIRCA WAVES / DRENGE / THE BIG MOON / IDLES / LITTLE COMETS / DINOSAUR PILE UP / PROTOMARTYR / FUTURE OF THE LEFT / SPECTOR / TURBOWOLF / GIRL RAY / FINDLAY / GET CAPE, EAR CAPE FLY / SPOOK SCHOOL / GRACE PETRIE / THE ORIELLES / THOUGHT FORMS / ANTEROS / WEIRDS / INDOOR PETS / EASY LIFE / SHE MAKES WAR / RASCALTON / HER’S / STRANGE BONES / DELTA SLEEP / DREAM NAILS / PEANESS / NELSON CAN / PHOBOPHONES / RATTLE / GENDER ROLES / BLACK FUTURES / MELLOW GANG / MAGIQUE / NATALIE EVANS / CROSA ROSA / BABE PUNCH / EYRE LLEW / SPORTS TEAM / SOFT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB / THE WYTCHES / GENGHAR / BLACK PEAKS / LOW ISLAND / GEOWULF / ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND / KAMIKAZEE GIRLS / FLING / SUPEREGO / TRAPS / JSP / TIMMAS

For the first time Handmade will also be introducing The Handmade Conference. Taking place on the Friday before the festival itself, Handmade will be working with some of the festivals partners, including music licensing organisation PPL, to put together a programme of talks and discussions about the music industry and more. The day will be a valuable experience to young people, new bands and artists, those already pursuing a career in the industry and anyone with an interest in taking a look behind the scenes.

Futher details of the programme will be released very soon. Entry is completely free but places will be on a first come first serve basis.

Handmade Festival also recently announced that they will be partnering with PPL and PRS for Music once again to host the second stage at the festival.

Tickets are being released in price tiers starting start at £45, going up a tier as each one sells out. The remaining tiers are as follows: £45, £50. Both the early-bird tickets which were being sold at £25 per ticket, the 2nd tier which were been sold at £35 and the 3rd tier which were being sold at £40 per ticket have all already sold out.

ABOUT HANDMADE FESTIVAL:

Handmade is a multi-venue music and arts festival in the city of Leicester. The festival, which is totally independent, is curated by some of the city’s best loved independent venues and promoters, all of whom have been involved in putting on events for decades, working tirelessly to bring great things to Leicester.

Since its inception in 2013, Handmade Festival has gone from strength-to-strength, and has consistently challenged people’s expectations of what a local independent DIY festival can be, and what it can offer in the city. In its first year Handmade took over reclaimed spaces – including an ex-library, the city’s historic guildhall, a church and some of the oldest buildings in the city.

For its sophomore year, the event grew to include the huge Hansom Hall theatre, before growing again in 2015, necessitating a move to the city’s O2 Academy venue filling the spectacular Queens Hall, Scholar and multiple re-purposed spaces around the building. The event saw festival organisers vindicated – creating the perfect “DIY” festival within what would normally be considered a particularly “un DIY” venue. It was a different beast, but it was the perfect festival for the city.

2016 saw the festival strike up partnerships with tastemakers such as Upset, Dork, Last.fm, Witchita Records as well as both PPL and PRS to help curate their estimable line-up, Last year’s line-up also saw the festival utilise iconic venues around the city, which included two stages that featured guest line-up curation from Drowned in Sound and ‘Leicester folk hero’ Grace Petrie.

In 2018 Handmade will be filling all of O2 Academy Leicester’s venues as well as spaces within University of Leicester Students Union and Attenborough Arts Centre making it the festival’s biggest event to date.

Speaking about this year’s festival, co-organiser John Helps, says “This year’s line-up is a big step up for Handmade and an important one for us to take. We want this year’s festival to challenge people’s expectations of what Handmade can be and what we can do with a “DIY” city festival. We hope people are just as excited about it as we are.”

Over the past 5 years, the festival has seen sets from artists such as: Frightened Rabbit, Twin Atlantic, British Sea Power, IDLES, Pulled Apart By Horses, Deaf Havana, We Are Scientists, 65daysofstatic, Swim Deep, Los Campesinos, Dry the River, Dutch Uncles, Slaves, Bo Ningen, And So I Watch You From Afar, Shonen Knife, Eagulls, Honeyblood, Iliketrains, Rolo Tomassi, Nine Black Alps, Three Trapped Tigers, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Sam Duckworth, Johnny Foreigner, Tangled Hair, Tellison Sky Larkin, Sulk, Maybeshewill, Kagoule, Jaws, Shame, Goat Girl, HMLTD, Happyness, Haus and Her Name Is Calla, with comedy performances from Robin Ince, Rob Deering, James Acaster and many more.

The festivals incredibly diverse line-up and has earned them plaudits from the likes of Kerrang!, NME, Drowned in Sound, DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, Louder Than War, Q, GQ, Clash and many more.

About PPL

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for tens of thousands of performers and record companies. They license recorded music in the UK when it is played in public (shops, bars, nightclubs, offices etc.) or broadcast (BBC, commercial radio, commercial TV etc.) and ensure that revenue flows back to their members. These include both independent and major record companies, together with performers ranging from emerging grassroots artists through to established session musicians and influential festival headliners.

PPL has a market-leading international collections business, with 86 agreements in place across 41 countries, helping members to maximise their revenue when their repertoire is played overseas. They’ve collected £212.1 million in the UK and internationally in 2016 and paid over 92,000 performers and record companies.

www.ppluk.com / @PPLUK

About PRS for Music

PRS for Music represents the rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK and around the world. As a membership organisation the company ensures creators are paid whenever their music and songs are played, performed, broadcast or reproduced in public and provides business and community groups with access to 22.2 million songs through its music licences. With over 100 representation agreements in place globally, PRS for Music’s network represents over two million music creators.

In 2016, the organisation collected over half a billion pounds (£621.5m) on behalf of its members, making it one of the world’s leading music collective management organisations.

www.prsformusic.com / @PRSforMusic