Great Weekend

We just had a really enjoyable weekend.

Firstly we played a hometown show in Barry with a number of local bands. A big thanks goes to Joe for organising this show, our first in Barry for three years. Alot of local people we knew and former band members, and friends, showed up. We played our usual set plus a debuted a new song called "Trials" and a cover of "My Hero", both of which had an awesome reaction.

After a short sleep we travelled to Davey and Karoline's wedding at Coventry Cathedral. We played for everyone then at a venue nearby as part of the wedding reception. Alot of Davey's friends are hardcore kids so it went down fine, including with parents as well! We played a number of our own songs and then "My Hero" again, and covers by Nine Inch Nails and Bon Jovi. It was a great day, although we were missing Rob who had to work. After the show was the drive home with a stop for coffee and some deep spiritual conversations which were awesome.

Then we got together after sleeping and did a songwriting session, finishing off another new song which will be ready to be played at our next show (if we choose), which is at Hobo's in Bridgend on April 3rd with Lost Souls and Polar, two awesome bands.

We've confirmed 3 European festival dates as well for the summer, and will be booking dates running up to all of them. One of my favourite bands is headlining one of these three fests so as soon as they allow us to say we are playing, that will be great. Should be cool, and we'll announce all that soon.

The Boss

I've been telling everyone I possibly know, and very few of them except my Dad agree that this is a pretty cool thing.

During our 2009 tour with It Prevails we got a drum kit to use from Dark Horse Percussion, because Sean is endorsed by them. After the tour we had to give the kit to The Gaslight Anthem (great band) who used it for their Reading and Leeds Festival dates. That's cool, but the thing i've been telling everyone is that Bruce Springsteen joined them on stage for a song, and that's "our" kit playing in the background! This is the most tenuous link I will ever be able to make to The Boss in my whole life, so i'm making the most of it.

Most people don't care. But I thought it was cool.

Luke Nicholas

Adversity

This is a blog more or less cross-posted from our myspace.

Adversity

After events over the past few weeks the last blog we posted 'On Our Way Back' reads as hopelessly optimistic.

As usual with this band our plans to mount a return to the touring circuit hit a brick wall due to events beyond our control. This time it was a death in the family which basically shut down the band for several weeks. Everything has ground to a halt and we cancelled both of our planned weekenders.

One thing from the last blog that continues is songwriting. We're working towards a follow-up to our debut album 'The World On Standby' which has done really well and garnered some nice reviews. We are talking to a great American band about a split and some vinyl, but an EP is also a possibility. We feel there's no point rushing into another full length while our own sound is still developing and maturing. Stay tuned for updates on that.

We have just started booking shows again and are lining up all kinds of dates. It's mostly looking like local shows but we are adding them virtually every day, so check our list for that. We are aiming to be back touring then at the end of May, when we're trying to reschedule with This Distance.

Think of it like a football player recovering from injury, that's us.

See you.

Soundscapes

Hey, time for a new blog update, though our suspicion is that nobody reads this. And really what's the point, we're just a local band from Wales. But over the years about two to three thousand people have given us money in exchange for music so maybe its possible that a handful of those people will find this interesting.

In last November's update we said we were writing a batch of new songs, that's now blossomed into writing even more songs and looking at putting out an EP or even a second album soon. They are great songs, i've felt that since last year we've started maturing and becoming an out and out heavy rock band, whereas in the past we were more obviously playing melodic hardcore (and two or three years ago much more metallic music). We'll have more to say about that eventually with some new tracks but there's no rush.

But at the same time we are still promoting The World On Standby, and really the response has been incredible during the past year. Next time we will have more time and more money, and since that album have become better songwriters and musicians anyway. The record hasn't even been out for a year yet so our live sets will continue to be dominated by the album at least until April or so.

We've done a few shows here and there lately and are playing Le Pub, Newport next week with our friends This Distance and a really interesting band called The Elijah.

We're getting back into the swing of things properly in late February and early March with two weekenders, 8 shows in total, firstly with Still Dreaming and Polar, and then alongside This Distance and Permanence. People that have seen us over the past year and talked to us- come out and say hi. We will hopefully have new songs to show you. The dates are all on our myspace.

For the rest of the year then we will be doing a mini-tour every six weeks or so up until the summer when I believe we are returning to Germany. More on that soon.

Oh also, we have an ongoing merch sale over at our myspace until the end of the month! Davey if you know him bought six shirts. I'm sure he already has a few of them and has bought extras. It's his wedding soon and he wants us to play. Great guy and we'll be hanging out again with him soon and hopefully with everyone else who likes us.

Luke Nicholas

on the TS car stereo- Thrice, Neutral Milk Hotel, Crime In Stereo, Almost Home-Closure, Saints Never Surrender