Hell it's been a long time coming, but boy was it worth the wait. Today we're delighted to be sharing news of the debut album from The Golden Dregs - the project of the magnificient Benjamin Woods.
Though last year's single Congratulations hinted at what was to come, Ben has actually spent four years filtering Falmouth life into his first full length album - Lafayette. What plays out is a rich representation of small town living; from the churn of the rumour mill to the assortment of intriguing characters that only seem to exist far away from motorways, itsu chains and the relative anonymonity afforded by city living.
With a musical approach inspired by 70’s Americana and jam bands - The Basement Tapes, The Grateful Dead and the Mussel Shoals scene - Lafayette is an album fit for longer evenings full of simpler decisions. Today we're sharing lead single Adaptation - though it might take 56 seconds for the first caramel coated vocals to kick in, you're never in doubt of where the song is headed - five minutes of jangly sun-summoning pop.
In committing the album to tape, Ben roped in the help of some of the town's best musicians - the Cleave brothers (The Red Cords) form the rhythm section, with Samuel Stacpoole (Holiday Ghosts) on guitar and Jake Wilbourne (The Black Tambourines) on keys. The album was recorded by the sea (you can almost hear it) at the now closed Troubador Studios in a converted warehouse space.
We're delighted to be teaming up with Cornwall based label Krautpop to be releasing the album on a lovely black 12" record (limited to 300 copies) as well as a small run of handmade CD packages. It's due out on Friday 25th May but you can pre-order the album right now. Anyone who orders in the first 7 days will receive an instant download of a Adaptation plus a (really good) Gorgeous Bully cover. Alongside the record we've also created a small booklet which comes with both CD and vinyl versions of the album. All artwork was created in collaboration with Jay Harper, probably our favourite Falmouth artist.
Today we're delighted to announce our new club for 2018 - AIH FC (that's fan club, not football club).
Anyone familiar with the label, should be accustomed to our annual singles clubs. In the last six years our "legendary" Singles Clubs have seen us release over 100 artists on pizzas, postcards and an assortment of other formats. They've featured debut releases from heavy hitters (Abattoir Blues, Joey Fourr, Splashh), nuggets from good friends (Happyness, Trust Fund, Porridge Radio) and even a few Weezer covers (Doe, Pinact, KEEL HER).
In 2018 we'll be trying something different. We've got some really big releases that we're extremely excited to share with you. In order to give these releases our full attention, we'll be giving the Singles Club a rest. Instead we'd like to introduce AIH FC - the best fan club you could ever hope to be a member of. We've made it cheap, thrown in lots of fun exclusives and also tried to give a nod to previous singles clubs.
AIH FC membership costs £16 and includes:
15% discount on all 2018 releases
A members only enamel AIH pizza pin badge
A 12 track 2018 sampler CD
Numbered membership card
An A6 postcard with an original 60 second drawing from our chief of design Kieran Gabriel
Exclusive pre-sale links for any Art is Hard gigs/our summer parties
All housed in a handstamped Art is Hard pizza box
AND a monthly digital mixtape just for subscribers
Or for just £5 extra, get the official AIH FC 'kit'. A screenprinted black and white ringer tshirt. Membership is limited to 100 and other than the tshirt, all elements are exclusive to AIH FC members. You can grab either bundle from here.
Today we're delighted to welcome Adults to the family (aka Dan, Joe, Joely and Tom). Our story starts almost five years ago when me and Rich were living in Exeter. Tom was also living there at the time and had somehow convinced This Town Needs Guns to play in his living room. It was invite only and me and Richard had to practically beg him to let us come*. In Tom's words "I remember stalking Dave online and thinking his label was pretty shitty but now they're all my fav bands."
TL:DR: Tom is a bit of a shit, but over the years we've grown to admire him.
Back to the future, Adults formed after meeting via school, friends, gigs and drunken late nights talks in clubs in London and Dublin. In their words they bonded over "desperately trying to be adults and desperately trying to rip off other bands." Which leads us on neatly to their debut single released today as part nine of the Postcard Club.
'MSN' provides 3:48 of screeching guitars, girl-boy vocals (sometimes shouted, sometimes landing softly) and most importantly a portal to the summer of 2009. A time when Johnny Foreigner seemed like the biggest thing in the world and no-one blinked an eyelid at band names like Cats and Cats and Cats. At the same time the track's lyrical content harks back even further - the days of everyone's favourite instant messenger. The band have neatly summarised it as thus:
"Remember when every word meant something, every emoticon, every song you were currently playing, hoping someone would notice you. Remember how none of that really mattered but how you can't forget it. Remember staring at the screen waiting for that Mormon girl you fancied to finish 'typing...'. Remember the usernames, sid neptune. Remember saying you were out to lunch when you weren't. g2g mum is using the phone fml x."
If you want to catch Adults live, they're playing at The Good Ship, Kilburn on 20th October.
*For the fact fans, it was also the first time we met Georgie. Additionally the whole thing was livestreamed on the internet and can probably be found if you look hard enough.
Oro Swimming Hour; a magical two piece featuring Bristol's own Oliver Wilde and children's book illustrator Nicholas Stevenson (also of Lucky Shivers). The 16 track album mastered by Orchid Tapes Warren Hildebrand is full to the brim with freak-folk anthems, lo-fi bedroom pop and the sound of Elliot Smith summoned to a torch-lit seance.
Penrose Winoa was recorded in the space of five short days in the living room of Oliver's shared house using analogue equipment. If you listen closely enough, amongst the hiss and crackle of the tape fuzz you'll pick up the comings and goings of various housemates as well as Sparklehorse the cat. With no track lasting longer than 3 minutes the album passes by in a breeze whilst inducing the feeling of a pleasantly sticky summer day.
The album is due for release on 28th July on ltd edition splatter effect 12" and also on all the normal digital places, you can pre-order it now from our shop and you'll receive an instant download of two tracks.
Today we're extremely excited to announce the debut album from Oro Swimming Hour; a magical two piece featuring Bristol's own Oliver Wilde and children's book illustrator Nicholas Stevenson (also of Lucky Shivers). The 16 track album mastered by Orchid Tapes Warren Hildebrand is full to the brim with freak-folk anthems, lo-fi bedroom pop and the sound of Elliot Smith summoned to a torch-lit seance.
Penrose Winoa was recorded in the space of five short days in the living room of Oliver's shared house using analogue equipment. If you listen closely enough, amongst the hiss and crackle of the tape fuzz you'll pick up the comings and goings of various housemates as well as Sparklehorse the cat. With no track lasting longer than 3 minutes the album passes by in a breeze whilst inducing the feeling of a pleasantly sticky summer day.
The first song we're sharing is Overthrown, a fast-paced number that brings to mind Neutral Milk Hotel as the pair weave together some wonderful couplets over woozily wonky organs and sing about feeling 'heavy as eyelids and as light as a stone'. It's premiering over on Noisey right now.
The album is due for release on 28th July on ltd edition splatter effect 12" (pictured below) and also on all the normal digital places, you can pre-order it now and you'll receive an instant download of two tracks. We'll also be hosting an extremely special release party in Bristol in At The Well Launderette on 21st July. Limited tickets are available for £5 and include a free risograph print designed and hand-numbered by Nicholas. There will also be a full tour announcement soon, but get in touch if you'd like Oro to play your living room, kitchen, garden or local launderette.
Oliver has always been a personal hero of ours, Nicholas has created some of the best art to ever grace an Art is Hard release and Warren from Orchid Tapes had added just the sort of magic mastering dust you'd expect from someone who had a hand in Alex G's DSU. We really can't wait for you to hear this one.
17th June - Thekla, Bristol - supporting Sweet Babboo 21st July - At the Well Launderette - Release party 27th August - Louisiana, Bristol - Hardly a Party w/ Beach Fossils, Ultimate Painting, Girl Ray & more
Last week a new track from the forthcoming Sea Life album premiered on DIY.
We called it "a fuzz pop masterpiece that sounds like The National getting drunk with Pinegrove."
DIY said "Across a skittering, tricky drum beat the band weave fuzzy guitars and build a fairly doom-laden atmosphere befitting of the times. “I don’t only blame you, but I blame myself too” they lament, showing off their awareness and humanity. When they explode into searing riffs and wail in pure anguish, it’s a truly cathartic experience, one that seems to completely capture the discontent of the times."
Today we're delighted to unveil the fourth part of our Postcard Club, a brilliant new single from Cornish supergroup The Golden Dregs. A while back when we first released The Golden Dregs, I wrote the following:
In terms of people I have met since I started the label, Ben Woods was probably one of the first. Having tagged along with The Black Tambourines to the release party for aih02, he drunkenly haggled me down to 20p for a New Years Evil shirt. Since that formative night our paths have crossed many more times and with each occasion he seems to make more of an impression.
Although that was almost three years ago (for the release of The Life Aquatic), that last line still stands true. With each recorded output he exceeds what has come before and that is certainly true of new single 'Congratulations'. It was also an excuse to dredge back up the 20p story #notoverit.
Although led by Ben Woods, the project has always been collaboratively assembled as a recording project and that is certainly true of this latest cut. Ben gets by with a little help from his friends, notably Jake from The Black Tambourines doing some obscene things with the keys. The song unfurls with some wonderful couplets delivered like a red hot knife through a vat of room temperature butter and although the title suggests a celebratory tone the song actually strikes a much more somber reflective note.
Whilst NME originally tried pinning the anti-garage tag on The Golden Dregs, a more accurate tag would be 60s tinged baroque pop (not quite as catchy is it?). Think the Proper Ornaments if they'd spent their youth drinking on a Cornish beach or Crystal Stilts if they spent less time noodling.
Congratulations is released as part of our Postcard club and is available to order right now as a handwritten postcard with a download code, it'll also be available from all the normal digital places on the 28th April. Finally, for people who like parting with cold hard money, the single will be available at a couple of Golden Dregs shows coming up next week:
Wonderful new video for The Golden Dregs golden oldie 'Role of a Lifetime'. SPOILER ALERT, but we'll be releasing a new single from them towards the end of this month! In the meantime, give them a follow on Facebook. They've also got a few shows coming up:
Today we share with you one of the most exciting things we’ve ever been a part of.
Acclaimed solo artists in their own right, Oliver Wilde and Nicholas Stevenson have joined forces to become Oro Swimming Hour; a brand new project specialising in beautiful lo-fi pop swellings.
Enjoy this preview video of what to expect (stay tuned to the end for the debut of track "Marshmellow") and keep 'em peeled for more news soon! You can also listen to Marshmellow more over on Spotify if you wish.
Part three of our Postcard singles club and we're delighted to introduce Factory Seconds, a four piece new wave band from London inspired by the likes of The Cure, New Order, The Feelies and Galaxie 500. Taking their name from factory in which they rehearse, Caught in the Layers is their first official offering and is due out on March 31st 2017.
Bassist and vocalist Katie Wilkinson on Caught:
I was I recovering from a bit of a mental breakdown and was starting to feel well enough to channel my energy into writing music again and this was one of the first songs I wrote. I’ve only been in angry punk bands until now so this is by far the most ‘pop’ song I’ve written as well as being the most personal. It was almost like the mental breakdown was supposed to happen to soften me up a bit…perhaps.
I originally wrote what is now the lead guitar riff on a shitty software instrument synth with some equally as awful name like ‘Sawtooth XXX Lead Analogue’ or something and Michael used his magical guitar pedals / skills to transform it into the shoegaze beast that it is today. It’s safe to say it sounds much better.
The song was recorded by the band in their studio and mixed by friends Angus and Oliver of the Death of Pop who share the space. The decision to keep this process within their ‘factory’ community was intentional one - owing to the feeling that the intimacy of the track was better captured amongst friends and giving them time to perfect their sound.
Factory Seconds are Michael Tomlinson (guitar), Katie Wilkinson (bass), Marta Milanese (guitar) and Gabi Woo (drums). Catch them live at the following dates…
The Lexington, London (with Cosmic Strip) – 31 March Lion and Coffee Records for Record Store Day, London – 22 April Paper Dress Vintage, London – 3 May
Here are a few other things other people have said about the single:
"A big, shoegaze-pop epic." Loud & Quiet Magazine
"The best debut single of the year so far from a British indie band" - Lost in the Manor
"A brilliant slice of anthemic shoegaze/dream-pop." - The National Student
There are three key things you need to know about Hot Shorts: 1. They released a summer Christmas single (Sex Christmas) in August 2014 2. A Google image search for their band name, does not present any photos of them 3. Their latest single references hair loss, web forums & monetising blog content
They are also a four piece band from Manchester who have been releasing music since 2014. They've had an exciting couple of months; December saw them appearing at the Los Campesinos! Leeds all dayer, in January they recorded a 6 Music session with Marc Riley, in February we can only assume they took the month off and now here we are in March with their latest single 'metaphor for [something]' due for imminent release.
It's all you could ever want from a Hot Shorts song. Sardonic observations play out over a chugging Guided by Voices bassline, occasionally interupted by a well-timed outbreak of ba-ba-ba's, all building to beautifully unsystematic conclusion. Metaphor for [something] will be released on postcard and digital download on March 10th by Art is Hard Records.
On April 1st Hot Shorts will add Crumbs, Molar and Grotbag to the long-list of bands they've played with (Ezra Furman, Kiran Leonard, Trust Fund and The Lovely Eggs to name but a few) when they appear at Fuel in Manchester.
Today we’re delighted to announce our first proper release of the year, the debut album from Washington’s The Sea Lifereleased on sea blue 12″ in partnership with ace US label Babe City Records. Having first found their way into our ears (and hearts) with their swelling sad-anthem Prozac and Merlot, we’re welcoming them to the family by sharing the opening track of the album, Red Eyes.
Red Eyes is a sprawling, scattering gut punch of a track that stumbles its way angrily through a sound that is hard to pigeonhole. Crisp sweet melodies slam against uneasy walls of panic and static, meanwhile Jon Weiss’s guttural howl is perfectly juxtaposed by Jules Hale’s haunting backing vocals. It’s a storming start to an album that barely lets up over its 26 wonderful minutes that mange to be both mightfully impassioned and strangely reflective.
These are turbulent times we’re living in. Sure, you can have someone ride a burrito to your house in a matter of minutes or use the internet to speak to anyone basically anywhere, but you only have to catch the smallest snippet of news to get the sense we’re rolling downhill with the brake chords cut. The Sea Life know this all too well. Their self titled album is full to the brim with themes of disillusionment and self-awareness, while still infused with a real push for something, anything better.
We’re looking forward to sharing more of this wonderful album with you, but in the meantime it’s available to pre-order ahead of the May 26th release date on sea blue 12″ (limited to just 100 copies). We are co-releasing this album with Babe City Records who are covering the US version of the release.
The Sea Life are on tour over the next few weeks and will be playing multiple shows at SXSW.
3/9 Carrboro, North Carolina @ Cat’s Cradle 3/10 Atlanta, GA @ Hill Street House 3/11 Tallahassee, FL @ The Wolf’s Den 3/12 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/13 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/14 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/15 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/16 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/17 Austin TX @ SXSW 3/20 Long Beach, CA @ Que Sera 3/21 Los Angeles, CA @ The Lost Room 3/24 Boise ID @ Bittercreek Alehouse 3/24 Boise, ID @ Treefort Festival Showcase 3/25 Denver, CO @ The Hi Dive 3/27 Beloit, Wisconsin @ Beloit College 3/28 Chicago, Illinois 3/29 Cincinnati, Ohio @ Northside Yacht Club 3/31 Brooklyn, New York @ Alphaville, NY
