The Travelling Band – Hands Up EP and new video

Impact Date: 6th May 2013 

Label: Sideways Saloon

 

The Travelling Band return with a new EP, ‘Hands Up’ and it serves up a taste of what’s to come. Original ingredients are maintained, intricate guitar lines and infectious rhythms interact with expansive chord structures and subtle tempo changes.

The EP is available on a ‘pay what you want’ basis here: http://thetravellingband.bandcamp.com

Having spent the first half of 2012 writing followed by a summer of UK and European festival dates, the group successfully crowd-funded their new album  ‘The Big Defreeze’ via Pledge Music, and quickly hit their target thanks to their enthusiastic fan-base. The new album, was produced by multi platinum selling producer Iestyn Polson (David Gray, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Simple Kid), recorded at the turn of the year at The Church Studios in Crouch End, London.

The video is directed by Rudy Riveron Sanchez from AlmostFilm Productions. He said “The character is interacting with the natural elements each, fire, air, water and responding to the song…visually poetic and atmospheric”

The guys are in the middle of a successful 24-date UK tour, which was preceded by a live session on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show on Monday February 25th.

 

The Travelling Band are:
Jo Dudderidge (Vocals, Guitars, Keys)
Adam Gorman (Vocals, Guitars, Keys)
Steve Mullen (Lead Guitar, Vocals)
Chris Spencer (Bass)
Nick Vaal (Drums)

TOUR DATES – MARCH 2013

Wed 20: Oxford, Jericho Tavern
Thurs 21: Southampton, Cellar
Fri 22: Brighton, Green Door Store
Sat 23: Guildford, Boileroom
Sun 24: Tunbridge Wells, Forum
Tue 26: London, Lexington
Wed 27: Norwich, Arts Centre
Thurs 28: Cambridge, Portland Arms
Fri 29: Crewe, Box*
Sat 30: Hull, Adelphi

Support from Ellen & The Escapades except where indicated.
*THE TRAVELLING BAND ONLY

thetravellingband.co.uk
facebook.com/thetravellingband
twitter.com/travellingband

The Travelling Band Play BBC 6 Music Marc Riley Session

The Travelling Band marked their return by performing three new tracks from their forthcoming new album on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show last night, showcasing their evolved sound.

Marc, inevitably, shouted “Judas!”, in reference to the infamous response to Bob Dylan‘s switch from acoustic to electric guitars.

The Travelling Band are about to embark on a huge UK tour.

Their new EP, also titled Hands Up, is available now: http://thetravellingband.bandcamp.com

Alex Hulme – There Was a Boy EP

 Release date: 29/8/11 (Cityscape Records)

myspace.com/alexhulmeacoustic

cityscaperecords.co.uk/music/alex-hulme

20 year old Alex Hulme has been been turning heads all across his native North West. He is a student at Paul McCartney’s LIPA in Liverpool and is already poised to release his second EP There Was A Boy, co-produced by Tom Knott (KT Tunstall, I Am Kloot) on  Cityscape Records. Mixing his use of unusual tunings- inspired by the likes of Nick Drake, Fionn Regan and Foy Vance – with realtime multilayered looping of guitars and vocals (which have to be seen to be believed), Alex creates immediate pop songs with catchy melodies and rich folk guitar. His prolific gigging over the past year has seen him support artists such as Avi Buffalo, Emmy The Great and The Travelling Band, as well as being championed by BBC Lancashire’s Introducing show with Sean McGinty.

Alex’s second EP introduces darker subject matter to his acoustic pop song writing. Title track There Was A Boy follows the aftermath of one of his closest friends losing his mother.

Listen to There Was a Boy:

Bones looks into the deep rooted and often uncontrollable desires we can feel for people .

Listen to Bones:

Forests transports the listener to a forest at day break where you can feel the world wake up around you.

Listen to Forests:

Closing track Dare ends the EP with a moving acoustic lament to daring to be more in life.

Listen to Dare:

Blind Atlas – Iron Wall

Release date: 29/8/2011(Fallen Swine)

myspace.com/BlindAtlas           blindatlas.co.uk

youtube.com/blindatlas

     Hailing from Denver [Colorado USA] and disparate points around the UK, Blind Atlas came together in the bohemian suburbs of south Manchester; Led by singer/guitarist Ross Thompson, the band concoct a new take on American alternative country and classic British Rock ‘n’ Roll. Blind Atlas have notched up headline slots at some of the most iconic venues in the city, as well as supporting the likes of  Blitzen Trapper, The Bees, Buffalo Tom, Liam Frost, Lucy Wainwright Roche, The Deadstring Brothers, The Features, The Acorn and The Travelling Band.

     The Earlies were at the production helm again for their 3 track EP “Iron Wall”. The title track is an epic sounding beast, throbbing with a native American rhythm and building to a soaring crescendo. This is usually the high-impact finale to their live performances:

Listen to Iron Wall by Blind Atlas:

Swapping their electric guitars for acoustic instruments, the laid-back country vibe of “Mary Anne” evokes the likes of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. A live favourite, this is another perfect example of the trademark Blind Atlas sound.

Listen to Mary-Anne by Blind Atlas:

“My Proud Mountains”, a cover of the Townes Van Zandt recording of 1969, is a long time favourite of the band. Blind Atlas have beautifully reworked the song, demonstrating their skillfully plaintive vocals and sparse arrangements. Nostalgic, melancholic and impossible to listen to just once.

Listen to My Proud Mountains by Blind Atlas:

Ten – Various Various (inc Elbow, Doves, Liam Frost, Cherry Ghost

Release Date: 4th April 2011

makonline.org

Twitter: @McrAidKosovo

Facebook: Manchester Aid to Kosovo

Website: http://www.makoneline.org

Album launch gigs: Manchester – 4 April 2011 at Deaf Institute, London – 7th April 2011 at Union Chapel

“We have always been proud to be associated with MAK (Music Aid to Kosovo). Aside from the great work they do in Kosovo, they have brought together Manchester’s music community on many occasions. MAK events are always a document of the times”. – Guy Garvey, Elbow

Early in 2001, the release of Manchester Aid to Kosovo‘s compilation, ‘Cohesion’, gave many music fans outside of this rainy Northern city the first chance to hear the then little known group Elbow. The band donated the sublime ‘Scattered Black and Whites’, whilst other emerging Manchester legends, Doves gave the track ‘Valley’. In the intervening years both bands plus a host of other notable names included on that first album at the start of their careers (such as I Am Kloot, Badly Drawn Boy, Mr Scruff) have supported MAK in helping recovery from ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. Check out makonline.org for more information about the work of the charity.

10 years on and follow up compilation ‘ten‘ sees the now familiar voices of Guy Garvey and Jimi Goodwin surrounded by a new group of emerging Manchester artists. This 18 track album, curated by The Travelling Band‘s Jo Dudderidge, demonstrates how the poetic grandeur from the likes of Garvey, Goodwin, Frost et al has influenced a u-turn in the city’s musical output. Where the grey, overcoat of ‘dance–miserabilism’ h as been cast aside, not to reveal a post-Oasis hangover, but in fact a deep, warmly humorous and slyly experimental slew of artists intent on reclaiming the Manchester music scene for themselves.From the skittering, heart stopping afro-folk of Josephine Oniyama’s ‘Fun In The Dark’ through to the gorgeous slow-core balladry of The Travelling Band’s ‘Hindsight’, ‘ten’ is littered with countless gems, each a gateway to understanding how Manchester found a new voice for itself in the late 00’s.

Manchester Music has funded much of the work of MAK (approximately a third of its total income) enabling MAK to create the 22-acre Manchester Peace Park in N.E Kosovo at the request of children medically evacuated to Manchester. One of these children, Jehona Bogujevci, who survived the massacre of her family, went on to study graphics in Manchester and the artwork for ‘ten’ is Jehona’s first commission since her graduation.
MAK is involved in art, education, ecology, sport and human rights, as well as the Peace Park and music projects. The new republic of Kosovo remains the poorest country in Europe, and its young people lack the freedom to travel. So in 2009 ‘The Travelling Band’ became one of the first British bands to perform in Kosovo, playing at the Peace Park, in theatres, cafes, on the streets and even on horse drawn wagons, with the aim to inspire. Kosovo musicians around them to get out, go public and make it happen.

It’s hoped the album will both facilitate more projects and encourage creativity.  MAK has proved that linking recovery and creativity creates strength, opportunity and of course, great music.

Check out Elbow‘s Some Riot (Live at Abbey Road), which appears on ‘ten‘ here:

To mark the release of ‘ten’, there are launch events in Manchester and London featuring, MAK Patron Badly Drawn Boy, Liam Frost and many other artists featured on the album:

Mon 4th April – Deaf Institute, Manchester –

tickets and line-up http://bit.ly/dSxCo6

Thurs 7th April – Union Chapel, London –

tickets and line-up http://bit.ly/en8fRq

CD and ticket bundles are available from http://www.makonline.org/ten