For a track written in hell-on-earth (i.e. a traffic jam going over Henley Bridge as the band made their way to the studio one day), “Heavenly” defies all expectations with its saintly vocals, shimmering guitars and sunkissed melodies.
A bittersweet love song that will play a serenade on your heart strings, “Heavenly” is all “about the perils of falling for someone head-over-heels and how that plays out” says Jody.
Written and recorded on the same day in October of last year, the song is a beam of warmly fuzzy guitar pop laced with all the promises of new romance and new beginnings around the corner, yet spun with the reclusive cautiousness familiar to any indie kid finding their way.
Earning a dedicated fan in the late broadcaster Janice Long, the new single was aired for the very first time when Jody & The Jerms were invited into what would be the DJ’s last ever live session on 20th December 2021, shortly before her passing.
NEW ALBUM ‘FLICKER’ OUT 4 MARCH 2022, VIA JATJ RECORDS
“Heavenly” is the lead single and opening track of Jody & The Jerms’ upcoming second album, ‘Flicker’ which they also announce today. Confirmed for release on 4th March 2022 via their own JATJ imprint, ‘Flicker’ arrives less than 18 months after the surprise hit of their lockdown-released debut ‘Deeper’ (released Autumn 2020).
Like resurfacing a lost reel of Super-8 from days long forgotten, ‘Flicker’ is as warmly nostalgic as it is endearingly pure. Nestling neatly somewhere between the pristine catalogues of Blondie, The Bangles and The Darling Buds, the Jerms deliver 13 fuzz-driven, love-lorn jangle-pop gems of the most classic kind.
Songs of lost-loves and first-loves, escapism and outsiderdom are spun with a sanguine innocence and vivid relatability; Jody’s sweet-natured vocal perfectly paired with the dynamic musical arrangements of the Jerms.
From the dizzying rush of “Spinning” and its surreptitious key changes, to the tick/tock tensity of the heart-palpitating “Sensation”, the ambitious ‘Out of Time’-era R.E.M. anthemia of Jody/Niall duet “Forever Running”, through to the tender Kirsty MacColl-tinted piano balladry of the closer “High Times”; on ‘Flicker’ the Jerms flit through styles and influences with a nimble elegance and agile ability. Recorded at Safehouse Studios in St Clements Oxford, ‘Flicker’ was mastered at Swift Mastering, with additional mixing by the band’s Peter James Millson.
The result is a suite of jangle-pop songs to rival the best. As endlessly repeatable as they are evocatively relatable, Jody & The Jerms will release ‘Flicker’ on 4th March 2022, via JATJ Records. Available digitally, plus on CD and vinyl, the physical editions will also feature bonus tracks: “Since Yesterday” and “Shiver” (Janice Long Session Version).
In support of the release, Jody & The Jerms will also be heading-out on a tour of the UK and Spain in the Spring and Summer of 2022. Full dates and details are as follows, with more dates to be added soon:
JODY AND THE JERMS – FLICKER TOUR, 2022
April 16 – The Gate, Cardiff. Wales Goes Pop!
May 16-22 IPO Festival Cavern Club, Liverpool. Dates tbc
June 14 – York Vaults
June 15 – O’Reilly’s Hull
June 16 – Bullingdon, Oxford
June 17 – Beacon Festival Festival | The Beacon Festival | Watlington
July 2 – WeirFest, Somerset
Tickets on sale now here:
https://jodyandthejerms.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodyandthejerms/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodyandthejerms/
Website: https://jodyandthejerms.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-727099785
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OpdHr4yd6dWoUbrdHCbaV
During her evening permitted exercise, walking around her local neighbourhood, she noticed people looking out of their windows onto a newly desolate world. This was sufficient for her to formulate how she would visually portray the disturbing effect of the Covid-19 lockdown had on people’s everyday lives, not only of those in her West London neighbourhood but of millions around the world. Little did she know that she would still be shooting her project over a year later.
Her idea was to photograph her neighbours imprisoned in their homes as they gazed forlornly out of their window onto the surreal, silent and stark world outside. She chose to photograph them during twilight to further enhance the poignancy of their situation and isolation. Julia advertised her idea on social media and in a local newspaper. The response was so large that she was reluctantly forced to be selective in her choice of subjects. She contacted them by phone and email to arrange details of setting, clothing, face mask and agree a date and time. Her subjects were invited to dress up and use props to share their narratives. She also asked them to answer a few informal questions about their lockdown experience, in order to add to the poignancy of their situation and provide a heightened emotional content to their stories.
The result is her series titled Looking out from Within. Fullerton-Batten explains that she has found the most important part of these images to be how they provide a magnifying glass to reflect upon what the pandemic and lockdown meant to us all. The loved ones we lost, the extended isolation from our families and the huge sacrifices that many have made. She was sad to lose one of her sitters shortly after she had photographed him.
These images have won global attention and acclaim, winning numerous awards and have been hung in galleries and at photography exhibitions worldwide. She now brings the project together in a beautifully designed limited-edition artist book, which features full-page images and includes the sitters’ personal stories. The volume will provide an insight into the lives of people not only in Julia’s part of London, but also the lives of others throughout the world. It provides a record for posterity, holding onto the memories of what we have all been through. Above all, the book is a beautiful yet tangible object, important not only for its historical importance but also for the mesmerising fine-art photography that it contains.
Foreword by Marion Tande, MOMA, NY
Designed by Sarah Boris
Book size: 238×335 mm, 80 pages, hardback
Edition of 1000
ISBN 978-1-3999-0872-6
ORDER signed book
Signed edition – signed copy of the book – £45
Special edition – signed copy of the book with a signed 12×8 inch print – £190 (limited edition 25)
UK – £8
Europe – £12
US/World – £23
Fair Do’s spent their formative years hammering their distinctive fast-punk style home, however, they’ve also invested considerable time honing their metal chops, evident in their heavier rhythms, riffs and plentiful beat-downs.
Formed in 2008, Fair Do’s have established a following of dedicated fans around Europe, playing with legends like Lagwagon, A Wilhelm Scream, Frenzal Rhomb and H20. Having grown up in small working-class towns around Manchester, they have an underdog mentality that resonates in their lyrics, which are both politically focussed and firmly tongue-in-cheek.
Although they are driven by a strong DIY punk ethos, Fair Do’s are best known for their technical talent. Every song is heart-racingly uptempo and overlaid with jaw-droppingly intricate guitars.
They released their debut album Leopards on Lockjaw Records in 2018 – an adrenaline-soaked collision of hardcore punk and metal, that captures the energy and technical prowess of their explosive live show. Their earliest release Trying Times was released on Pumpkin Records in 2014 and remains a firm favourite of skate-punk fans.
Fair Do’s latest output demonstrates the development of their sound into a heavier, richer mix. These tracks are the introduction to a more mature Fair Do’s sound, but they are every bit as technical as their fans would expect.
Video by Lee Byatt & Rob Smith
Shot in the engine room @ Leigh Heritage Centre, Spinners Mill, Leigh.
Mixed by Dave Boothroyd @ 6dB Studios.
Mastered By Alan Douches @ West Westside Music.
After a long period of forced isolation, distanced from a pandemic weary society, starved of any interaction with their fellow earthlings the new EP reflects on where we are now as a species.
There’s something for everyone on the new EP. The opening song and somewhat controversial first single You Will Comply (released 01/10/21) saw the band comment on the pandemic generation and the current reality the world finds itself in.
“It certainly wasn’t anti-vac as some seemed to think, instead it asked that we remember to question authority instead of being silenced for fear of being coined ‘tin foil hat wearers’ or being shut down by a public that’s quick to jump on those who speak up in today's cancel culture. The lyrics are ambiguous to open dialogue, and not just accept being under the rule of corrupt Governments, the powerful and global pharmaceutical companies”.
Fake Star reflects on an ever-changing night sky overpopulated with Elon Musk’s man-made machines circling above our heads, questioning mankind’s interference with the solar system given our track record here on Earth.
The lyrically dark and pure electro sounding current single Dead Eyes Black (released 07/12/21) brings the tempo back to the clubs and the dance floor, where jolting and pulsating beats guide the listener down a solitary road of self-destruction, revisiting a familiar subject matter for the band.
With an equally dark and nightmarish vision directed by video visual artist Javier Gallego Escutia.
“We’re known for producing tracks you can dance to and Dead Eyes Black proves this with its kick drum beat that anyone would find hard not to move to. My favourite kind of track to play live and watching the audience react is everything”.
Whilst the gothic undertones and subject matter of The Vampires Wife with its clean synth-pop driven sound is sure to strike a chord with the dark scene.
The four on the floor future club hit Not Without Consequence could almost be the big sister to the popular live Massive Ego track ‘Haters Gonna Hate’, complete with acidic vocal delivery and banging hard beats, this rounds off The New Normal EP.
As eclectic as usual, the new songs on the EP play to the bands’ strengths of what made the first album ‘Beautiful Suicide’ such a fan favourite. The EP marks a return to form perhaps, characterised by catchy synth-pop melodies, but with a sprinkle of darker 80’s sounds.
No surprise then that Marc Massive made a cameo appearance in the latest video for legendary 80’s band Duran Duran for their single Anniversary.
Massive Ego has already began working on a new album for 2022 with a new line-up and a returning familiar face in the form of Lloyd Price who was a major contributor to the sound and production of their first album on Out of Line and biggest club hit ‘I Idolize You’.
A fourth new member in the shape of Porl Young comes with a healthy goth-pop history behind him as an ex member of the 90’s UK goth band Rosetta Stone, and guest appearances on tracks by The Mission, bringing a guitar element to the Massive Ego sound ahead of a string of festival appearances in 2022 including…
Plage Noire – Germany 6-7th May
Out of Line Weekender – Germany 12-14th May
Castle Party – Poland 8-10th July
Alongside other European festivals to be announced and a European tour later in the year. Massive Ego might just have teased an exciting new future, not afraid of change, with an eye on the past but with a most definitely forward-thinking mind.
Aenimus comments,
“It is with great excitement that we bring you our newest single ‘The Climb’. It is the start of Aenimus’ next chapter as a band with bassist Seth Stone stepping into a new role as lead vocalist. It is also our first song featuring the extreme talents of guitarist Greg Paulson. We’d also like to take this moment to introduce you all to Brian Gosling of Grimzee and As The Structure Fails, who played a large role in the writing and production for ‘The Climb’ and moving forward will be playing guitar with Aenimus.
“As you are likely aware at this point Alex Green, Cody Pulliam, and Jordan Rush are no longer members of Aenimus. Without getting into too many details, the last two years have been extremely difficult for all of us. When the pandemic put a swift stop to live music, life kept going and it led to a lot of tough decisions to be made for everyone as individuals and for Aenimus as a whole. These decisions, though not easy, led us to part ways with the three members. We will cherish the time spent writing and performing Dreamcatcher with them all over the world and we are so proud to have shared these moments with such fine musicians. Even though Alex and Cody are no longer a part of Aenimus, Dreamcatcher is not the last you will hear of them. Alex and Cody helped tremendously with the lyrics, vocal patterns, and drums for ‘The Climb’ and the music for our upcoming releases. We are thankful to have their blessing to release these songs we wrote with them.
We have a lot in store for you all this year including more new music and an awesome tour announcement. Thank you all for sticking with us and supporting us for the last 10 years as a band. We are so excited for this new beginning for Aenimus and are ready to start the climb.”
Order your copy of Dreamcatcher HERE
Head to www.aenimusofficial.com to check out the entire list of products available for the Dreamcatcher release.
Dreamcatcher is a concept album that draws inspiration from horror novels and movies, such as It, The Shining, Hannibal Lecter, and The Dead Zone. The album was recorded by the band while mixing and mastering were handled by Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist). The album features guest appearances from Mike Semesky (Intervals, The Haarp Machine), Jamie Hanks (I Declare War), Brian James (ex- Fallujah) Sims Cashion and Leonardo Guzman.
“The Fiends are an alternative / indie rock band with a punk edge from the pretty shitty city of Swansea, Wales. Formed during the global pandemic and writing music through lockdown, the band released their debut single “Glitz & Glamour” on 5th February 2021 – receiving 1000+ streams in the first 24 hours, the song really hit the mark and got the band off the ground.
The follow up, second studio single “Teen Aspirations” was released on 28th May 2021 and received a great reception across social media – given that the band were still unable to play live due to the ongoing pandemic, they utilised their time wisely and optimised their online promotion.
As restrictions lifted n Wales, the band finally made their live debut on 7th August 2021 to a SOLD OUT crowd at The Bunkhouse, Swansea.
Since this, the band have gone from strength to strength – dominating their local music scene and playing multiple sold out shows, including a recent main support slot to a 500 person crowd with THE SNUTS at Swansea’s prestigious venue – Sin City.
To kick off 2022, The Fiends show no signs of slowing down with multiple live shows planned including Bristol, Cardiff, Bridgwater & more. The band will release their new single “Small Talk (Doesn’t stand a chance)” on 14th February and follow this up with a promotional tour across the UK in March – with shows in Swansea, London, Swindon, Leicester & Southampton”
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thefiends.uk/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thefiends0fficial
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-_5xfqJW_qu3R36m8pHOA
UK / EU 2022 Tour
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
APRIL
08 Gibraltar
MAY
02 Hamburg, DE
03 Berlin, DE
04 Warsaw, PL
05 Prague, CZ
06 Munich, DE
08 Utrecht, NL
09 Cologne, DE
11 Amsterdam, NL
12 Paris, FR
17 Leicester, UK
18 Southampton, UK
19 Manchester, UK
20 Sheffield, UK
21 Leeds, UK
22 Birmingham, UK
24 Glasgow, UK
25 Aberdeen, UK
27 Juvigny, FR
28 London, UK
JUNE
03 Newcastle, UK
04 Bristol, UK
“Panic Attack” is a stripped-back serenade that highlights the intimacy of Caroline’s songwriting. Unwinding over gentle acoustic guitar, her vocals are strikingly raw and untempered as she recalls the paralyzing sensation of a panic attack.
Caroline elaborates on the new single: “I wrote “Panic Attack' in a parked car after one of the worst panic attacks I’ve ever experienced. I had just gotten off the phone with my mom, frantic because I didn’t know what to do or how to help myself. The only thing I knew to do was to write it all down. It’s still not something I can fully put into words, but writing this song helped pull me out of my own head. I’m an incredibly anxious person and I’ve struggled with my mental health for as long as I can remember, which is why it felt so important to spotlight ‘Panic Attack’ as a single. The last line of the song is, ‘I think I’m gonna be okay,’ because I truly believe that— I believe it for myself and for anyone listening. We’re going to be more than okay.”
Listen to “Panic Attack” on all streaming platforms: https://onerpm.link/panicattack
“Panic Attack” will be included on Caroline’s upcoming album alongside singles like “The Hypothetical,” “Ireland In 2009,” “Oddities and Prodigies” and “Lonely Interlude.” From misty-eyed ballads to fiery pop-punk anthems, Oddities and Prodigies cements Caroline as one of the next great pop acts.
At just 20-years-old, the self-proclaimed “loudest sort of introvert” has already written and performed into the hearts and ears of an anxious generation. She’s accrued millions of streams across her repertoire and has caught the attention of key tastemakers like Hollywood Life, Just Jared, and American Songwriter. Her songwriting abilities showcase her witty, introspective and hopeful take on modernity, romanticism and the highs and lows of being young in today’s world. A paradox on many levels, her music is both brave and optimistic during times that she admits are all too often frightening and lovely at once.
A unique and passionate force in the music world, Caroline Romano is well on her way to stardom.
Around the release, the Manchester collective will be hitting the road for a UK headline tour in which they’ll be previewing the single live, plus further new material confirmed for release in 2022.
Catch Heavy Salad at these fixtures as follows:
HEAVY SALAD – LIVE DATES
Thursday 27th January – YES, Manchester
Saturday 5th February – Amp Studios London
Friday 11th February – The Eagle Inn Salford
Thursday 24th March – The Salty Dog Northwich*
Friday 25th March – Night and Day Cafe Manchester*
Saturday 26th March – The Adelphi Hull*
Friday 8th April – Bootleg Social Blackpool*
Saturday 9th April – The Kanteena Lancaster*
Saturday 23rd April – The Pipers Hastings
Saturday 3rd September – Pysch Fest, Manchester
*w/support from Silent K
Tickets on sale now.
A joyous cut of sci-fi gilded silliness, upcoming single “Psilocyberman” is produced and mixed by the legendary Stephen Street (The Smiths / Blur) and also arrives as the band prepare to make an impact in Austin Texas as one of the official showcasing artists at SXSW 2022 on 14 March – their debut US performance.
Like an asteroid of repurposed space-junk oddities hurtling towards Earth with a haywire trajectory, “Psilocyberman” crashlands through your speakers in a radiantly psychedelic, new-wave pop blast.
A song about mindless cyborgs and mind-altering psychotropic substances, Heavy Salad frontman Lee Mann explains of “Psilocyberman”: “It’s the tale of an everyday cyborg who is awakened from his electronic trance using the magical powers of psilocybin (aka “magic mushrooms”). He is aware! He feels the rhythms of the universe reverberate inside his mind!”
Scattering a melange of bouncing robotic beats, raygun guitar splatters, and alien doo-wop choruses in its technicolour vapour trail, “Psilocyberman” leads a sonic invasion of the seriously addictive kind. Coupled with a jubilantly malfunctioning break-down, listen out for a cameo from South London music scene legend Patrick Lyons too.
“Psilocyberman” arrives as the first official glimpse of Heavy Salad’s upcoming second album ‘Long Wave’, which is confirmed for release later in 2022. The follow-up to the band’s warmly received debut ‘Cult Casual’, it was recorded at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 in West London and at their current base in Manchester. Striking up a creative partnership with esteemed producer Stephen Street, he is confirmed to have produced and mixed a number of tracks across their forthcoming record, alongside Christophe Bride (A Certain Ratio).
Speaking about working with Street, Lee Mann adds: “Working with Stephen Street was a dream come true for Heavy Salad, he instantly recognised the band’s knack for a killer hook and a guitar player who does things differently! Having worked with some of the most distinctive guitarists in British rock, Stephen can now add Rob Glennie to his illustrious list of collaborators. Stephen is well known for delivering experimental guitar pop and “Psilocyberman” is no exception.”
The “Psilocyberman” release also finds Heavy Salad collaborating with another of their favourite creatives, acclaimed illustrator: Stan Chow. Having drawn Northern icons from Andy Burnham to Maxine Peake, Chow now inducts Heavy Salad into his Mancunian hall of fame with the specially commissioned artwork for their current single “Psilocyberman”, and the promise of more to come.
“When it came to bringing “Psilocyberman” to life there was only one artist on the band’s wish list and the single features amazing, bespoke artwork” says Lee.
Formed in 2018, Heavy Salad comprise a core trio of Lee Mann (live bassist with The Moonlandingz), Rob Glennie and Allan Hutchison. Bonding over a joint interest in psychedelic horror films, with Panos Cosmatos’ cult classic ‘Mandy’ being a particular favourite, Heavy Salad loved the idea of being in a band like a psychedelic cult. Enlisting Ally McBoo, Esther Maylor, Lucy Hope AKA The Priestesses and Oscar Remers along the way, the gang released their debut album ‘Cult Casual’ in 2020.
A loose concept-album-of-sorts that explored the idea of finding your own reality in the modern world, ‘Cult Casual’ crystallised Heavy Salad’s natural flair for oddball melodies and psychedelic pop hooks. Drawing comparisons to The Flaming Lips, to The Beatles, to Super Furry Animals, the record aptly proved to be a cult-hit with fans and press alike.
Preparing their second album for release in 2022, standby for further updates and new music in the coming months.
Twitter: @HeavySaladSound //
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/heavysaladsounds/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavysaladsounds
Wright’s arresting voice embodies an ancient, unnamable heartache. Her lyrics–at times profane, often tongue-in-cheek, occasionally devastating–reveal a searing wit and a sensitive heart. Wright’s songs speak to the kind of heartache that can only be experienced during one’s teenage years and yet the truth of her lyrics is universal and undeniable.
In her new single “A Dream I’ll Forget” Wright finds herself adrift in a delirium of heartbreak as she untangles the unsettling realization that a relationship might not have been everything she thought. Constructed around the concept of waking from a dream with a hazy recollection, the track begins in a lull of lethargic whispers, before brightening into a constellation of starry synths and crackles of fireworks. In a vulnerable moment of introspection, Wright lets the tormenting reality wash over her as she considers that the love she felt was just a product of her imagination, singing, “Sometimes when I sleep, You’re slow dancing with me, but it’s only a dream I’ll forget.” At once confessional and confrontational, her other-wordly vocals hint at a subtle desperation as the reality she once believed to be a dream devolves into a nightmare.
Wright was born in the suburbs of Northern Virginia in 2002. She began writing songs and performing live alongside her singer/songwriter dad at the age of 11. By the time she was a teenager, she was working in the studio and on stage alongside some of her biggest musical influences. In 2019, she began co-producing her current EP with her dad Todd Wright and collaborator Ethan Mentzer (The Click 5), working to hone a sound that wears its influences on its sleeve while still maintaining an originality and authenticity that defines Wright as an artist. Her influences range from the classic (The Cars, Roy Orbison, The Smiths) to the current (The Killers, The 1975, Lana Del Ray) to the local musicians she grew up playing with and learning from. Her indie dream-pop has been compared to Lorde, Lennon Stella and The Japanese House.