When: 7.30pm on Monday 3 June 2013
Where: The Castle Hotel, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE

We’re delighted to be promoting Ralfe Band’s first Manchester show in almost five years!

Welcome back to the intriguing world of Ralfe Band, whose new collection of 12 songs, Son Be Wise, is out on 3 June. The brainchild of English songwriter Oly Ralfe, Son Be Wise marks a new chapter in the Ralfe Band story, and draws on a vivid pallet of sounds blending euphoric folk pop, whispering ballads and gothic picaresques to craft its uniquely enigmatic sound.

Infused with images of travel, the album draws inspiration from Oly’s life of living between England and Berlin and adventures in Iceland, Mexico and the USA. The album was recorded in the UK, beginning with Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi) in a remote Wales studio, continuing with Andy Ramsay of Stereolab in South London and was completed in rural Oxfordshire. The album?s lead single, Come On Go Wild, dances its way through an infectious bossa nova rhythm, imbued with an English eccentricity that is unmistakably Ralfe Band.

Son Be Wise marks a new chapter in Oly Ralfe’s songcraft, drawing on a kaleidoscope of inspiration from Eric Satie‘s music to Borges’s Labyrinths and Emily Brontë‘s poems.

Son Be Wise also features backing vocals from Alessi Laurent-Marke aka Alessi’s Ark who appears on four songs, including album openers Ox and Barricades, with Piney Gir lending her voice to Dead Souls.

Ralfe Band’s musical journey began in 2005 with debut album Swords, a madcap voyage praised by Mojo and The Independent and earning the band an early cult following. Second album Attic Thieves strengthened the band’s reputation for blending ingenuity and intrigue in their wholly original sound. Son Be Wise follows Ralfe Band’s acclaimed soundtrack and album to 2010 feature film Bunny and the Bull (Warp Films).

Oly Ralfe’s distinctive artwork and videos have shaped a unique image, from his animated video for single Women of Japan – winner of Best International Music Video at SXSW – to his artwork for the band’s singles and albums. Past creative collaborations with Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have seen Oly contributing songs and cameos to The Mighty Boosh TV shows, and in 2010 he directed the film The Mighty Boosh On Tour – Journey of the Childmen. Oly also won the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards for BBC4-screened The Ballad of AJ Weberman, a documentary about the notorious Bob Dylan obsessive.

Support comes from Kiran Leonard, a mercurially talented 17-year-old musician from Oldham. His debut album Bowler Hat Soup is set to be released on Hand Of Glory in 2013 as a limited run of 300 vinyl copies. Listen to his song Dear Linconl on Pitchfork here.

Opening the show is Jo Dudderidge – lead singer of Hey! Manchester favourites the Travelling Band.

Buy tickets now. Tickets are also available from the bar, Common (both no booking fee), Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Seetickets.com, WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk and on 0871 220 0260.

Attend on: Facebook | Last.fm