Set Things Right overcome difficulty for new single

BELGIUM-based metalcore troupe Set Things Right are back with a new single - but it has not been easy.

At the end of 2011, the group were in a bad place. Vocalist Tom Welslau was extremely ill having been diagnosed with a rare blood condition and both his and the band's future was in the balance.

Fortunately he made a recovery - after six stressful months - and the quintet got themselves back in the studio and knuckled down.

Don't Close Your Eyes is the result.

Guitarist Kristof Du Jardin said: "We worked on this song for weeks, laid it aside, only to pick it back up and work on it again.

"We wanted a perfect song - one where we had thought about every sound, word, and feeling we wanted to create. It has a lot of influences from different styles, without making the song difficult to listen to. 

"We think it's a natural progression into a more mature sound.”

Set Things Right came to England to record the track - Reading's Outhouse Studios to be exact, the birthplace of Architect's Hollow Crown , Enter Shikari's Take To The Skies and Your Demise's The Kids We Used To Be.

Kristof added: "A lot of records they have produced have definitely influenced us over the years, each with a great sound, that never sounds exactly the same. 

"We knew we could sit together with them and find the right sound for us. We definitely learned a lot there; it was a great experience to work together with people who knew more or less exactly what we wanted. 

"We were able to discuss our ideas - they understood what we meant."

Looking ahead, the band also have an album's worth of material.

"If we went back to the studio now, we would have to choose 10 out of 20 songs that we love," Kristof said. "But we want to wait and pick out the best of them to make this album as good as humanly possible."

Check out the video below or visit the band's Facebook page for more.

Mayor of Miyazaki to release second album

LONDON math-punk trio Mayors of Miyazaki are preparing to release their second album, Holy Cop. 

It follows their 2008 LP Buffalo!, which was well received by critics and continues to gain radio play.

Although still gigging semi-regularly throughout 2009/10, Mayors Of Miyazazki took a back seat to other commitments. 

Both Claire and Tom took time out for personal reasons, and Gareth joined hardcore trio Silent Front on drums, with whom he still plays. 

For around 12 months, Chris Hutchinson (Kill Murray) filled in on drums for Tom, to enable Mayors to continue playing live in his absence.

As things began to pick up again 2011/12, Tom returned and Mayors embarked on a 10-date tour across the UK and Ireland. 

And in November 2012, Bristol-based We-Be Records put out a split 7" single with fellow Londoners Death Pedals.

Next up for the Mayors is the CD release of Holy Cop - recorded at the legendary Southern Studios by Harvey Birrell (Fugazi, PJ Harvey, Shellac, Cat on Form, Johnny Foreigner, Chrome Hoof). 

Throughout the summer, Mayors will appear at numerous festivals and tour the UK and Ireland in support of Holy Cop, which will be released on We Be Records and distributed physically and digitally by Cargo in the UK and beyond.

Here's a taste of things to come...

Primer Q&A

Your name: 

Claire.

Where are you from? 

West Midlands.

  

Name of band:

PRIMER.

Who else is in your band? 

Mark, Sig and Andy.

How would you describe yourselves? 

Definitely different! We are a mix of everything and are quite distinctive. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

This differs throughout the group on a wide scale. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To go as far as we can and then take it further!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

There are a few! Getting our first radio play from Marc Lungley at the Bridge Radio was amazing. Since then we have received airplay in the UK and USA. Also, playing the Cavern Club in Liverpool in May last year and supporting Soley Mourning in July 2012. :) We are currently in the process of finalising our first album. It's due for release on 4th August. Launch party being organised as we speak! 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

None - any screw up makes us stronger!

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

We have changed so much over the years but there are a few songs that have remained with us; "I Surrender" and "Water". One of the new songs which is also on the album called "Story Teller" is also a good one to listen out for.

Where can we listen to it? 

www.insideprimer.co.uk or through our facebook @www.facebook.com/insideprimer. The old songs will be taken off soon to make way for the new recordings.

Sell Music online at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

We're on them all! Just add /insideprimer after the .com or .co.uk

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask? 

We are filming our first video at the album launch - drop by and get your face in the picture! The theme of the launch party can be found in the posters for the launch. We will be revealing more on the run up to the launch so watch the websites - lots of exciting updates to follow!

The Amplifires Q&A

Your name:

Sharon Clancy.

Where are you from?

Matlock, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.

Name of band:

The Amplifires.

Who is in your band?

Sharon Clancy - vocals,

Steve Rawlinson - guitar,

David Brunt - bass,

Alan Bentley - drums

How would you describe yourselves?

Edgy, pop, with a cerebral punky edge, mellowing as we get older and try new things!

Who are your main influences musically?

PJ Harvey, The Pretenders, The Doors, Velvet Underground, The Boys, Blondie, The Red Guitars, psychedelic 60s bands! Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed and Ummagumma by Pink Floyd.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

To leave some songs I am proud of when I shuffle off this mortal coil and that people are still listening to; to record to the best of my ability and to continue to create new sounds which are closer to what is in my head. Also to die playing or to die trying.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Potsdam, US - a sell out gig on our maiden journey to the USA where people were being turned away and having people sing our own lyrics back to us! It was amazing. Starting and finishing a song at the same time

And what's the moment you want to forget?

Signing a distribution deal with Dyskfunktional Records from North Carolina.

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Dear Stalker - feel of the song, atmospheric lyrics, brooding quality

Where can we listen to it?

http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/1072723

Learn how to get a song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook www.facebook.com/theamplifires

Twitter www.twitter.com/theamplifires

Reverbnation www.reverbnation.com/theamplifires

Myspace www.myspace.com/theamplifiresuk

Anything else you'd like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

We are a mature band but with a clear agenda to continue to innovate and create, making us pretty unusual in lots of ways and not stuck in a musical timewarp, trotting out timeworn old favourites.

Itchy Teeth Q&A

Band name:

Itchy Teeth.

Where are you from? 

London.

Who is in your band?

Xav Clarke, Charlie Hannah, Oli Booker and Big M.

How would you describe yourselves? 

It's hard to describe yourself, but we like to think we're a pop/rock band with a 'retro' vibe - we're not really fans of that word, but people tend to think we are. Hopefully because we write the kind of songs that remind them of great bands from the past!

Who are your main influences musically?

All the big ones!

What do you hope to achieve in music?

To make a difference in people's lives, to be hummed in the morning by someone you've yet to meet, to be the music that someone associates with a special moment. To keep on doing what's in our souls.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

The nights that we put on at our house called 'Live From Itchy Mansions'... it's a monster vibe and a life affirming celebration of those goosebump moments you get when somebody performs a song that hits your soul from only a few feet away.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Being referred to as 'Itchy Feet' - it can be at once hilarious and depressing!

If you were asked to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Well, right now we are all vibing on this song of ours called 'Lady Moonshine' - it's a song about a train that relentlessly ploughs through the night, working hard and keeping moving although nobody notices. I think we can all get a lot of identification with the train...

Where can we listen to it?

We play it at 21:30 into this episode of 'Live From Itchy Mansions'...

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/itchyteeth

www.itchyteeth.org

https://twitter.com/itchyteethuk

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

We are playing at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on September 1st so see you there!

The Dowsing Sound Collective Q&A

Your name: 

Andrea Cockerton.

Where are you from? 

Cambridge, UK.

Name of band: 

The Dowsing Sound Collective.

Who else is in your band? 

For our next gig there are 100 singers, a trumpet player, a violin player, bass guitar, drums, African/Middle Eastern percussion, Hammond organ, lead/acoustic guitar, a double bass, a cathedral organ, an opera singer, tubular bells and an iPad…

How would you describe yourselves? 

Eclectic, unpredictable, rather large!

Who are your main influences musically?  

We perform original covers and arrangements of tracks by a vast range of artists, and this diversity is really core to who we are. At the moment we’re working on tracks by Moby, Peter Gabriel, Agnes Obel, Mary Mary and The Head and The Heart, but we’re also stretching back to some 15th century polyphony and including some ‘Puirt-à-beul’ (Scottish mouth music) mixed with a bit of acid house & funk.

What do you hope to achieve in music?  

Bands write brilliant music, but not everyone gets to sing in one…local choirs sing good but perhaps predictable pop hits in very simple harmonies, but many trained musicians won’t go near them…and conventional choral groups sing challenging pieces, but not everyone can read music.  With The DSC I’m trying to fuse all of these together – to get people singing complex arrangements to a really high standard, but without excluding anyone, to mix vast amounts of voices with professional musicians and unusual instruments, and to together have a huge blast – much more like a gig than a concert - while doing so. It’s a lot of fun. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

The first DSC gig which had about 10 minutes of applause at the end and two standing ovations.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

The disappointment of sound problems during one of our gigs when I realised that people couldn’t hear the voices properly.

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?  

Tough call!  If I’m really honest I’d want to share it between our covers of Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap and Tonight We Fly by The Divine Comedy…. But if it has to be one, it would be our cover of Madness by Muse, which is coming out on our new EP soon and we’re performing in Ely in July (see below). There’s a clip of it (and the Temper Trap track) on our website at the moment.

Where can we listen to it?  

http://thedowsingsoundcollective.com/sound-samples/

Where can we find out more about your music?  

www.thedowsingsoundcollective.com 

https://twitter.com/dowsingforsound

https://www.facebook.com/TheDowsingSoundCollective

email hello@thedowsingsoundcollective.com

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?  

We’re going national and are looking for the best instrumentalists and MDs that want to be in the band/run sessions, as well as opening the doors to singers all across the UK. Get in touch if you’re interested!  And the other thing is that we have a lot of men, which often surprises people… mostly they come because of our set list but I think our ‘no dance moves’ policy has something to do with it. The final thing is that we’re fast selling out for our 6 July gig in Ely Cathedral but tickets can still be bought online https://tickets.elycathedral.org/ or by calling 01353 660349.

Kismet Ryding Q&A

Your name: 
Jazz White (drummer).

Where are you from?

Grimsby, UK.

Name of band: 

Kismet Ryding.

Who else is in your band?

Michael Freeman (frontman), Josh Humphreys (guitar/vocals) and Thomas Humphreys (bass/vocals).

How would you describe yourselves?

Kismet Ryding boast psychedelic garage sounds of the 60's with a modern day kick up the arse. Musically made up by Jazz White pounding the kit, Josh Humphreys on seamless guitar, older brother Tom walks the bass, and is topped off with energetic front man Mike Freeman. They posses a presence of power in their performance, topped off with lashings of energy from all four members; you just don't know where to look when they brace the stage.

Who are your main influences musically?

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Kula Shaker, Oasis, Kasabian, Stone Roses.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Bring rock'n'roll back to music. Headline Glastonbury Festival. Have No.1 selling album and single. World-wide tour. Basically be the next big thing, basically do it all ha!

What's been the highlight of your career so far?

Supporting Ocean Colour Scene at one of our first ever gigs. Outselling Noel Gallagher and Coldplay singles with out debut single Hangin' in HMV Grimsby.

And what's the moment you'd rather forget?

We've forgotten enough already due to excessive partying and alcohol consumption. Can we could forget the hangovers? Those are the worst parts!

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Last Night's Stains is the first track from our brand new six-track EP Look.See.Don't.Trip and will be released as the first single from the EP on iTunes next month with a music video to promote. The song is basically about those party people, who are out on it all the time, and they get home and question whether to stay in or go out and do it all again..9/10 times it's usually go back out! It also sums up our hard hitting, pumping garage-rock sound.

Where can we listen to it?

www.soundcloud.com/kismetryding/last-nights-stains

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.kismet-ryding.co.uk    

www.facebook.com/kismetrydinguk   

www.twitter.com/kismetryding    

www.reverbnation.com/kismetryding   

www.soundcloud.com/kismetryding   

www.youtube.com/kismetryding  

www.facebook.com/kismet-ryding (friend page)

Anything else you'd like to say that I forgot to ask?

We have just recorded our brand new six-track EP Look.See.Don't.Trip at Fruit Trade Music in Hull. It is due for release Monday 26th August, and is available to pre-order on 12" vinyl from our website (www.kismet-ryding.co.uk). We have a string of festivals to play over the Summer and are currently booking a UK tour for September to promote the new EP. Also a local photographer has recently finished working on a book about the life of our band, which will soon be available to buy from our website. And finally our bassist Tom has just recorded his first solo album under the name of Tom Tree, which he will be releasing as both an acoustic album and a full band album. We try to keep busy!

The Demographic Q&A

Your name: 

Tom Pappalardo (guitar & vocals).

Where are you from? 

Northampton, Massachusetts, USA.

Name of band: 

The Demographic.

Who else is in your band? 

Sturgis Cunningham (drums & backing vocals).

How would you describe yourselves? 

An occasionally loud guitar/drum rock duo.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Little bit of PIXIES, Replacements/Paul Westerberg, Sugar/Bob Mould, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, I guess. '80s and '90s junk.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Directness.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

We had a really good time opening for Deer Tick last year. Great crowd, and a sound check can be a magical thing.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

I don't want to forget anything.

If you were asked to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Letter off of Listen Close. It's got a little of everything: our alt. country influences, loud Big Muff breaks, nice harmonies, and enough weird little changes to keep it interesting. It's fun to play live and I almost always remember most of the lyrics.

Where can we listen to it? 

http://youtu.be/9H7bEN9vcNY

Where can we find out more about your music? http://www.the-dem.com/

http://twitter.com/thdmgrphc/

http://www.facebook.com/demographic

http://thedemographic.bandcamp.com/

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask? 

We really like making videos. 

Our most ambitious video is "The Headliner" - http://youtu.be/QNAdoPtWiow

Our video for "This Broken Place" is downright pretty - http://youtu.be/EdhTzES7S8M

Our most viewed clip is an acoustic cover of Nirvana's "Drain You" - http://youtu.be/81USF-wTq14

Real Waves Q&A

Band name: 

Real Waves. 

Where are you from? 

Portsmouth/ish. 

Who is in your band? 

Andy, Lewis, Sam, Samuel and Brandon.

How would you describe yourselves? 

Er, kinda tropical but a bit dark at the same time. And maybe a bit psych/pop. We don't even know. Just a bag full of good times. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

Loads of stuff. I suppose we've all grown up on Foals, Surfer blood, Nirvana, Maccabees and more. We've never really talked about what influences band wise that we want to put into it. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Play loads of shows, and then look back on it in good time montage form after. We'd love to get somewhere big, get to play huge festivals infront of a sea of people. Maybe play for the Queen's birthday if she has a sweaty house party. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

Our career if we can call it that, which we definitely can't, is just the response to our first release, it was much better than we thought. Was cool to have people following us in countries that wouldn't occur to us. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

We haven't really had bad things happen yet. Brandon will probably get loads of stalker girls one day if we are successful. Maybe there's a future story there. 

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Gold, because it's all we have out right now. This month/next we'll be releasing one that we have big hopes for. 

Where can we listen to it?

www.soundcloud.com/real-waves 

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/realwavesmusic 

www.twitter.com/realwavess

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

Thanks for listening if you have done, if you haven't then do. Any unhappy people can claim one free hug from Sam which you will not enjoy at all. And we're well excited to release new stuff and hope you like it xox

Two new tracks from Flamingo Bay

FLAMINGO Bay have released their first two-song single.

Serpentine and Bleed will both appear on the "northern swamp rockers" full length out later this year.

For more information on the band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, visit http://flamingobay.wix.com/flamingobay and check out their music below.

MGMT to return with new album in September

PSYCHEDELIC rockers MGMT will release their third studio album on September 17th.

The eponymous album is the successor to 2008's Oracular Spectacular and finds Andrew Van Wyngarden and Ben Goldwasser continuing to push the boundaries of modern pop music.

The band returned to Tarbox Road Studios to work with long-time collaborator Dave Fridmann and experimented with various in-studio writing processes, allowing the music to tell them where it wanted to go. 

They gave fans a taste of what to expect with the Record Store Day release of Alien Days.

And ever ones to push the boundaries, they have begun assembling a variety of unique visual elements to accompany and illuminate the new music via "the Optimizer".  

Produced by MGMT live show video instrumentalist Alejandro Crawford, "the Optimizer" provides listeners of the album with a simultaneously aural and optical listening experience featuring video and CGI work by Andrew Benson, Emilio Gomariz, Geoffrey Lillemon, and Chris Timms.

MGMT are currently on a tour of the US, which will run through to September, before they hop over the pond to tour Europe with stops in London, Glasgow, Cologne, Berlin, Paris and more.

For more details visit www.whoismgmt.com

Autumn release for Polica

POLIÇA will return with their second album ‘Shulamith’ this autumn.

The album also includes a new mix of current single ‘Tiff’, a slice of brooding R&B inflicted pop with lead singer Channy Leaneagh sharing vocal duties with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

The band's debut album ‘Give You The Ghost’ was one of 2012’s standout debut albums with every single released being A listed at 6 Music and with ‘Dark Star’ and ‘Lay Your Cards Out’ getting playlisted on Radio 1, as well as ‘Record Of The Week’ accolades coming from Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens and Fearne Cotton. 

Having just played the XX’s Night And Day Festival, they return to the UK in August for two special shows at Jodrell Bank with Siguar Ros and the End Of The Road Festival alongside other European dates. 

They will also be performing two nights at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall with the XX on September 23rd and 24th.

To find out more about the band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, visit www.thisispolica.com

Second album from Like Moths To Flames

LIKE Moths To Flames will release their second full-length album An Eye For An Eye on July 8th, through Rise Records.

The album keeps up the Ohio band's aggressive energy while revealing some of their most exciting and heavy-hitting work to date.

Vocalist Chris Roetter said: "We've had time to learn about the band and ultimately figure out the direction that we'd like to go musically. I think the record shows a lot of growth and progression as we went outside of our norm to try some different things for a few songs. 

"We couldn't be happier with the way the record turned out and can't wait to share it with all of you."

The follow-up to the band’s 2011 debut When We Don’t Exist was once again recorded at Machine Shop Productions in Belleville, New Jersey, with producer Will Putney (Miss May I, For Today, Suicide Silence).

Roetter added: "After working with Will for our first album there was no question to where we would be recording the second. 

"We spent the months of March and April at Machine Shop working on this album and once again the experience was great. Putney has always had a good grasp on where the band wants to go musically and what the band wants to do and he helps us to get there."

Like Moths To Flames can be seen performing on the Monster Energy stage through the entirety of this summer’s Vans Warped Tour.

New Lake Q&A

Your name: 

Sean Walker.

Where are you from?

Gloucestershire, UK.

Name of band:

New Lake.

Who else is in your band?

Daniel Lowen Grey on bass and Dane Nash on drums.

How would you describe yourselves?

Three piece indie grunge band where heavy guitar and bass meets offbeat hard hitting drums with a bit of groove.

Who are your main influences musically?

We all listen to different types of music. Dane really likes Foo Fighters and other heavy rock acts, Daniel loves Radiohead and other "art rock" bands, where as I really like anything with a groove which is mainly really cheesy 80s synth pop and old Motown  But I also love Arctic Monkeys, so a wide range of influences.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Our main aim with our music is to be atmospheric and to make an impact on people, which is why we tend to use a lot of heavy guitar and bass tones because its hard hitting and memorable.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Probably our first radio play. We got played on Australian radio about a month ago and it reaches out to roughly 350,000 people and considering it was our first demo, that was a pretty big achievement for us! 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I don't think we really have one to be honest, so its all good!

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Probably our song Wisdom Teeth.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/new-lake/wisdom-teeth-demo

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLakeMusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/newlakemusic

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/new-lake

The Ends Q&A

Your name:

James Clarke

Where are you from?

Canvey Island, Essex, England.

Name of band:

The Ends.

Who else is in your band?

Joe Blamey, Michael Darrah and Liam Davies.

How would you describe yourselves?

A young four-piece alternative rock band from the heart of the Essex delta. Our music is informed by our life experiences around the Thames estuary.

Who are your main influences musically?

We would sight our influences as bands such as Dr Feelgood, The Hives and Arctic Monkeys.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We hope we become a strong live act that's entertaining and full of energy, and tour the country playing as many clubs. pubs and venues as we can. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Our strongest memory is playing at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. We played two nights and they were the most nervous fun gigs weve ever played. We even met the bassist from Culture Club, bit surreal

If you were asked to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

One of our favorite songs we play is called 'Jack', we always open on it.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/theendsband/jack

Where can we find out more about your music? www.soundcloud.com/theendsband

www.twitter.com/theendsband

www.youtube.com/astheends

www.theends.bandcamp.com

www.theends.tumblr.com

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

Described as 'Fucking Professionals' by Tom Clarke (The Enemy), ‘Blur mixed with The Sex Pistols’ by James Curran (Head of Music, Absolute Radio) and ‘Distinctly British’ by James Walsh (Starsailor); we have become a favourite at many venues across Essex through our high-energy performances and relentless schedule.