When: 8pm on Wednesday 30 October 2024
Where: Night & Day Cafe, 26 Oldham St, Manchester, M1 1JN

We’re delighted to be welcome Old Sea Brigade back to Manchester!

We never know where life will take us. The path forever twists and turns in unexpected directions. Singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Cramer a.k.a. Old Sea Brigade, never imagined he would be living almost 5,000 miles away from his native Georgia in Sweden as a husband and father. However, that’s where he is now!

Moreover, he’s sharing the story of this unpredictable journey on his 2024 EP series If I Only Knew (Parts 1 & 2) (released via Nettwerk Music Group).

A season of change informs the seven tracks on Part 1.

‘Five years ago, my life looked so different,’ he observes. ‘I didn’t even know where Gothenburg was on the map. If you told me I’d be living in Sweden with a family of my own, I wouldn’t have believed you. So, the title, If I Only Knew, is fitting. This record was made after getting married and becoming a dad. It was a lot to process. It’s amazing, though. I always just let whatever’s happening reflect in the songs.’

Such reflections have defined the music of Old Sea Brigade since 2016. Listeners have followed along as Ben effectively journaled his life aloud across projects such as Old Sea Brigade EP (2016), Ode To A Friend (2019), All The Ways You Sing in the Dark EP (2020) with Luke Sital-Singh, Motivational Speaking (2021), and 5AM In Paradise (2022). His catalogue has quietly generated hundreds of millions of streams anchored by Love Brought Weight, Tidal Wave, Hope and Call Me When You Land (with Luke Sital-Singh). Beyond inciting the applause of Boston Globe, Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence, No Depression, Uncut, Under The Radar, and more, he made his national television debut with a stunning appearance on CBS Mornings Saturday Sessions.

For If I Only Knew, he re-teamed with some of his closest creative confidants co-producers Jeremy Griffith and Owen Lewis. Over the course of three weeks, they recorded the project in Sweden for the first time.

‘We made some great memories together, and we really defined the sound in my studio,’ Ben smiles. ‘They challenge me in all of the right ways. We talked a lot about the differences of working in Sweden versus Nashville. Society seems less stressed in Europe. The Swedes have a saying, “Don’t be too happy or too sad. Keep everything down the middle” — which is what we tried to do.’

He initially teased this era with Polygraph. Right out of the gate, it resonated with listeners. On its heels, the single Heaven In The Right Light layers dreamy piano and lightly strummed guitar over an airy backbeat. Ben’s delicate delivery echoes on the hook, ‘Heaven in the right light, so strange, wonder what you might find.’

‘I was listening to a lot of José González, and I wanted to write a soft number,’ he says. ‘We made a loop out of different drumbeats. Jeremy suggested a key change, and we pulled it off.’

On Rest Assured, loose guitar gives way to swooning strings in the wake of a lush and lovestruck refrain, ‘Rest assured that I’m on your side. The rest is yours, and you’re all mine.’

‘It’s a no-frills, very intentional song about love — as if there aren’t enough,’ he laughs.

Synths murmur through a haze on If You Had To Ask, while a lilting piano crescendo carries the song towards a sonic exhale. Then, there’s Real Life. Acoustic guitar brushes up against a glitchy beat, and a moment of acceptance crystallises on the chorus, ‘I guess it’s real life. If it worries you, leave it alone.’

‘The lyrics were really stream-of-conscious,’ he says. ‘The message is just let go and trust the process. Focus on what you can control and do your best. I’m a firm believer everything will work itself out, and the song reflects this narrative.’

The finale, The Tourist, revolves around stark acoustic guitar, grainy beat-craft, bright flute, cinematic strings, and his so-grizzled-it’s-beautiful timbre. It ends on a gentle realisation, ‘The days of being strangers now are gone.’

‘It was inspired by feeling like a tourist when I got to Sweden,’ he says. ‘It’s not a bad thing, but most of the time, I do feel like a tourist.’

‘Old Sea Brigade has been my creative outlet for so many of my formative years as an adult,’ he concludes. ‘The catalogue is there to document how I felt in all of these changes and normal events that followed me around for the last eight years. I’m incredibly grateful for this life. I wouldn’t have met my wife if it wasn’t for Old Sea Brigade. It’s the reason I came to Sweden. It’s the reason I’m a dad. It’s the reason I’ve met so many of my friends.’

Tour support comes from Hayden Calnin. Making sounds for eyes closed. See where you go. Previously, Hayden was producing music for other artists and composing songs that have appeared in various films and TV series, atop the achievements of his own work, earning praise from tastemakers like Magnetic, Clash and Earmilk.

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When: 7.30pm on Wednesday 6 November 2024
Where: Gullivers, 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW

We’re delighted to be working with Coruja Jones again!

Join Coruja Jones and his full band this November to celebrate the launch of his second record, Undo. Following on from his debut The Crossing, the EP delves into the healing process in different forms, examining the calm and the chaos that can come from attempted self-betterment, and witnessing and wanting to heal other’s hardship, all through a lens of love.

Produced by Sam Vicary (The Cinematic Orchestra, Hunrosa), the EP features Adam Dawson (BC Camplight), Sam Vicary and Jake Stentiford (Alina Ly, Sobi, Charlie Cooper).

Its dreamy, melancholic indie-folk songs feature soaring high notes and intricate, delicate guitar work, plus killer grooves, which take aim at your heart.

Coruja Jones is a songwriting project from Manchester-based musician and songwriter Dan Jones, originally hailing from Dudley in the West Midlands. He has been championed by the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and toured with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Joe Jackson, as well as supporting Daudi Matsiko, Callum Beattie, Amelia Coburn and Caoilfhionn Rose to name a few.

‘Deft and assured’ – Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music)

‘Like Tom Waits singing nursery rhymes’ -Wayne McDonald (Picnic Area)

Special guests are Alina Ly and Benjamin Finney.

Beginning her career in Seattle, Washington’s music scene in 2011, Alina Ly’s music led her to Los Angeles, California in 2013 then soon after to the UK. While playing a countless number of shows around the world, writing and recording between her home cities, Alina released multiple successful singles over the years and sold out her debut headline shows across the UK. Since then, Alina has been immersed in various projects and co-writes, but most notably working on several EP’s and a debut album with her full band.

A rare blend of fingerstyle guitar, elements of folk and americana – think boundary-pushing blues heavyweight John Martyn with the ethereal ambiance of Sigur Ros. This is the unique sound of Benjamin Finney. Achieving technical virtuosity while retaining melodic integrity, Finney creates honest folk driven acoustic instrumentals. Each piece is composed with the intention of drawing the listener into the song, and encouraging them to stay and hang on every note.

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When: 7.30pm on Friday 8 November 2024
Where: Gullivers, 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW

We’re delighted to be working with Good News for the first time!

Sheffield’s resident wonky-popskis Good News are set to release their debut album Small Forms via Bingo Records on 13 September, and have announced a headline tour.

First singles out the gates are double a-sides Orange Juice In The Shower b/w Tits – a pair of tracks which set the tone for an album as bristling with lean pop hooks as it is with caustic socio-political barbs. Orange Juice… looks at domestic relationships while Tits looks outwards, dishing out withering criticism much further reaching than its 1:39 run time would seemingly allow. Treated bass and eczema-dry percussion carry the music, rhythm first, delivering taut missives accented by discordant clarinet and guitar. Good News epitomise the concept of making a point and not sticking around too long.

Recorded in a studio built in the band’s attic with in-house Bingo Records producer Zac Barfoot, Small Forms follows their 2023 debut EP Same As That, which earned the band a live session with Marc Riley & Gideon Coe (BBC 6 Music). Since then, their feisty clarinet, bass, and cowbell-propelled rhythms have bounced around the North and London supporting The Bug Club, Kid Congo & The Pink Monkeybirds, Wesley Gonzalez & Wild Garlic and Acid Klaus.

Small Forms will be released on vinyl and digitally, with singles, radio and press campaigns to support the album and accompanying tour dates.

Local support comes from Adam Hopper & The Wimps. Adam Hopper is a singer-songwriter based in Manchester. Concentrating on poignant, wry lyricism and catchy melodies, he creates his own unique brand of wide-eyed, mellow alternative pop music. Adam’s sound is informed by the brighter moments of 1970s New York’s art rock and pop movements and the carefree, DIY attitude of 1990s Lo-Fi and anti-folk scenes. Adam spent the first half of 2023 gigging solo across the country, honing his material, and emerged later in the year, fully fleshed out with his band The Wimps.

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When: 7.30pm on Sunday 10 November 2024
Where: Trades Club, Holme Street, Hebden Bridge HX7 8EE

We’re delighted to be returning to the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge – with Montreal’s Myriam Gendron.

Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014 – reissued last year on Todmorden-based label Basin Rock) and Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found (2021).

Prior to her debut album, Myriam’s primary musical focus was busking in Paris Metro stations, performing the songs of Leonard Cohen and others, accompanying herself on guitar. Through her day job, working at a Montreal bookstore, Myriam discovered the poems of American writer Dorothy Parker, who was better known for her cutting wit than her verse. Inspired by Parker’s words, Myriam wrote music to accompany a suite of them, then recorded the results in her bedroom. These recordings were issued as her debut LP, and continue to delight listeners who discover them, with their freshness, clarity and humour.

After a brief hiatus, Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec (and beyond), recording the second LP, Ma délire, which combines traditional and original songs (largely in French) with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such folks as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and renowned jazz percussionist Chris Corsano.

Mayday is an even more syncretic fusion of these elements. Most of the songs are original, in both English and French, and blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. Additional players this time include drummer Jim White (Dirty Three), guitarist Marisa Anderson, Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie (a fellow fan of trad/avant dynamism), Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba (whose horn actually gets the final ‘word’). Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. Beautiful work.

Local support comes from Zandra – ambient, droney; very simple but delicately quiet and reserved.

This show is a co-promotion with the Trades Club and Basin Rock.

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When: 7.30pm on Friday 15 November 2024
Where: Gullivers, 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW

We’re delighted to be working with Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra again!

Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra have been gleefully trampling over genre boundaries for over a decade now, chucking Rockabilly, Blues, Country, Swing, Soul and more into their musical gumbo, but always sounding mostly just like themselves.

Based in Newcastle but hailing from across the UK, the Tea Pad have released five albums, and toured widely across the British Isles and Europe, playing everywhere from Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival to village halls and barns, and all points in between.

Well-known for their energetic live shows, and dry humour, they’ve toured with some of the big-name Americana outfits such as Pokey LaFarge, The Dead South and Sierra Ferrell. They have released music on Sleazy Records (Spain) and Migraine Records (Germany), appeared multiple times on Radio 4’s Loose Ends, and had their music played by everyone from Marc Riley to Huey Morgan.

The band have constantly added new flavours to their sound: Heron in particular is a vinyl obsessive, always fired up about some new passion – calypso or boogaloo or whatever this week brings – but mostly enthusing about obscure blues and country 45s, and that eclecticism and search for new sounds certainly feeds into their songs.

The upcoming album Feet First was recorded in just two days at Lightning Recorders in Berlin, Germany. The studio is well known for producing authentic analogue recordings, live in the room, and straight-to-tape. This ‘capturing of a musical moment’ can really be heard in the new Tea Pad Orchestra record. The addition of Ben Powling on saxophone has also elevated the band’s sound into a new and exciting era! After a decade of honing their craft, they have never sounded so good!

Joining Rob Heron (vocals/guitar) are Tom Cronin (mandolin/harmonica/guitar), Ben Powling (saxophone/clarinet), Ted Harbot (double bass/electric bass) and Paul Archibald (drums).

‘Hank did it like this. So did Sinatra. So did Tom Waits. So did John Lee Hooker. Mix these influences with a healthy dose of youthful enthusiasm, a real passion and an ear for detail, sheer authenticity, and a good slug of both Scotch and Bourbon, and you might find that the results are very much to your taste. They are certainly to mine’ – Mark Whyatt, Folk Radio

‘Newcastle’s finest swing-honkytonk-rockabilly band’ – fRoots

Support comes from The Burner Band. The Burner Band play old school country and rock ”n roll in their own style. After two solo albums (Dog Songs – 2018, Dark Wheels – 2020), front man Lewis Burner collaborated with bass man Ian Blackburn to forge a collection of songs ranging in subject matter from mental health, murder, migraines and Liverpool’s campaign to rid the city of The Sun. This became 2021’s release Signs & Wonders on Shed Load Records, receiving strong reviews in Saving Country Music, Americana UK and Folk Radio.

They are a hard-working unit who have toured the UK, appeared at Deer Shed, Maverick and Buckle & Boots festivals. The band released their second album, Age of the Liar, in 2023 on Shed Load Records.

This show is a co-promotion with Please Please You.

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When: 7pm on Saturday 16 November 2024
Where: Band on the Wall, 26 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JZ

We’re excited to welcome Tropical Fuck Storm back – this time, to Band on the Wall!

It’s been two years since our favourite Australian post-apocalyptic acid punk disco scuzzheads, Tropical Fuck Storm, toured Europe. And while we can’t blame EVERYTHING terrible that’s happened since then on their absence, it does make you think.

Luckily, our heroes are bringing their wild, destructive and unstoppable live show to a stage near you this Summer! Thrill to the interwoven shredding of guitarists Gareth Liddiard and Erica Dunn, feel the bone-rattling basslines of Fiona Kitschin, and marvel at the mind-boggling drumming of Lauren Hammel. Move over Barnum and Bailey, because there’s a new Greatest Show on Earth and it’s coming to YOUR TOWN!

‘Tropical Fuck Storm are masters of tension and release’ – The Guardian

‘A Tropical Fuck Storm gig is like putting your brain in a blender for an hour straight’ – Beat Magazine

Tour support comes from Belgian band Maria Iskariot. Maria Iskariot is the patron saint of debatable behaviour. It’s semi-adult female punk rock from Belgium. Hopeful hopelessness in noisy stanza, chorus, stanza. Love for the unloved, too little, too late but primarily a knee-jerk reaction to sinners. Their debut EP EN/EN is about growing up, being unable to distinguish right from wrong, being confused by yourself and the conditions of this time. It’s about wanting different, but not knowing how – and ultimately realising that we too are benevolent assholes.

This is a 10+ show. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

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When: 7.30pm on Saturday 16 November 2024
Where: Hallé at St Michael’s, 36-38 George Leigh Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5DG

We’re excited to be working with Kris Drever for the first time!

Kris Drever originally comes from Hrossey in the Orkney Islands. Over the years, he has taught himself to be a songwriter, guitarist and singer of note (and sometimes many notes).

As well as creating award-winning original songs and instrumental pieces with the trio Lau, he has had a fruitful solo career exploring the cracks between classic and modern songwriting and the traditional music that he comes from.

Drever’s sound is rooted in the earthy and hypnotic rhythms of much older music, but there’s a sophistication to both the lyricism and the instrumentalism which places him skilfully in the present.

He has an extensive collection of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, plus a fistful of Scottish NaTrads awards for everything from best album, best singer and best live act to best original song.

He has worked with many excellent musicians, including Jack Bruce, Eddi Reader, Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas and Roddy Woomble, and is a member of the beautiful multi-media project Spell Songs: The Lost Words.

Currently, Kris is preparing for a series of Lau events around the UK, writing music for a new solo album and learning some old tunes for reasons he can’t quite explain.

Tour support comes from Heather Cartwright. Heather Cartwright’s musical style is an amalgamation of solo-fingerstyle, traditional Scottish rhythm guitar, and song accompaniment. Years of dedication in the lead up to and during her time at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland resulted in graduating with a first-class honours degree in Traditional music. Although originally from Cumbria, Heather now bases herself in Glasgow’s vibrant music scene. As well as presenting herself as a solo artist, Heather is in duos with Scots Singer of the Year (2022), Beth Malcolm, and Sam Mabbett (accordion), one of Scotland’s most highly regarded musicians. She also regularly collaborates with other singers such Hannah Rarity (Young Traditional Musician of the Year, 2018) and Ainsley Hamill, both around Scotland and in Europe.

‘Talent and years of dedication have created a guitarist of the first order, blending fingerpicking and rhythm with ease’ – The Quintessential Review

Opening the show is Alwyn Jones. Raised in Sheffield, Alwyn Jones is an indie-folk singer songwriter making himself heard in Manchester. Primarily starting out solely as a guitarist, Alwyn’s composition draws influence from folk heroes such as John Martyn and Nick Drake. His encapsulating and emotive performances as a solo artist, or now as part of a full band, make for a dynamic and intriguing soundscape that audiences would associate with the likes of Wunderhorse or Jeff Buckley.

This will be one of the first public concerts in St Michael’s since its recent re-opening, having been closed since 2004. The Roman Catholic church was founded in 1859 and became the heart of the Little Italy Community in Ancoats.

This is a 14+ show. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

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When: 7.30pm on Thursday 21 November 2024
Where: Hallé St Peter’s, 40 Blossom Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6BF

PLEASE NOTE: This show has sold out! Watch this space for information about future Erland Cooper shows in Manchester.

We’re delighted to welcome Erland Cooper back to Manchester!

Erland Cooper: Carve the Runes
Then Be Content With Silence

Erland Cooper is a Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Stromness, Orkney. As a solo artist, he has released five acclaimed studio albums, including a trilogy of work inspired by his childhood home, as well as themes of nature, people, place and time.

His work combines field recordings with traditional orchestration and contemporary electronic elements. Through music, words and cinematography he explores landscape, memory and identity. He develops these themes further by partnering with other artists, writers and poets. Cooper also works across mixed media projects including installation art, theatre and film.

He’s widely known for burying the only existing copy of the master tape of his first classical album in Scotland, deleting all digital files and leaving only a treasure hunt of clues for anyone to seek it. The tape was found in 2023 and the album will be released, exactly as it sounds from the earth, this year along with its world premiere of the completed score.

‘Nature’s songwriter’ – The Guardian

‘One of the most unique, consistently engaging composers of his generation’ – CLASH

‘Exploring the place where electronic and classical music can co-habit’ – The Quietus

Click here to join Erland Cooper’s official newsletter.

Age restriction: 14+. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

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When: 7.30pm on Sunday 24 November 2024
Where: Manchester Academy 2, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PR

We’re delighted to be working with Pokey LaFarge for the first time!

After crisscrossing the nation for the last half-decade looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. Upon arriving, the Illinois-born singer/songwriter/actor pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farm -a turn of events that catalysed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. On his new album Rhumba Country, LaFarge reveals his newly heightened devotion to making music that channels pure joy. ‘There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared,’ he says. Reclaiming his voice, LaFarge has recorded his boldest album yet.

Rhumba Country was initially shaped from material that emerged while LaFarge was deep in work on the farm. ‘I’d be pushing a plow or scattering seeds, and the songs would just come to me,’ he recalls. ‘It was tremendously inspirational and made me realise that apart from singing, farming is perhaps the oldest human art form.’ But as he moved forward with his songwriting, something felt undeniably amiss. LaFarge then spoke with fellow Midwestern transplant Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle), who suggested he return to city life in Los Angeles for a season so that the two musicians could work together – a collaboration that soon brought the rhumba to LaFarge’s country. As he immersed himself in the album’s creation, LaFarge began dreaming up a kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far-ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Co-produced along with Chris Seefried and Bergman and recorded in L.A., the resulting Rhumba Country is an invitation to come together to celebrate life and love. ‘The songs that naturally come to me are upbeat and make you wanna dance or at least bop your head – they’re all very colourful,’ says LaFarge. ‘I used to think of my music in dark blue, but now I see it in technicolor.’

On the album-opening One You, One Me, LaFarge offers a retreat into the charmed and rhapsodic world of Rhumba Country, sharing a breezy love song rendered with radiant simplicity. ‘The same way Picasso worked his whole life to paint like a child, I’ve been more focused on simplifying my music over the years,’ he says. ‘The fewer the chord movements and simpler the lyrics, the clearer the message. It’s about trying to get to the point where the songs are almost like prayers.’ In the case of One You, One Me, that benediction centres on LaFarge’s belief in ‘evolving and working hard to love and be loved because that’s what we’re here to do’. And like all of Rhumba Country, One You, One Me serves as a prime showcase for LaFarge’s unforgettably distinct voice and ineffable charisma – an element he’s also continually brought to his work as an actor, including recent endeavours like his turn as Hank Snow on CMT’s Sun Records, as well as roles in the Southern Gothic thriller The Devil All the Time and the forthcoming rock opera O’Dessa.

LaFarge pares his songs down to the essential throughout Rhumba Country, ornamenting each track with subtle details that immediately delight the listener. On Run Run Run, for instance, layered percussion and distorted guitar tones converge in what he describes as a ‘tropical-gospel song’. Graced with the heavenly harmonies of his wife, Addie Hamilton (a singer/songwriter in her own right), Run Run Run ultimately delivers an exultant call to overcome the obstacles and distractions that keep us from pursuing our calling. ‘That’s based on the words of Paul the Apostle, who said to run the race set before you,’ LaFarge explains.

Over the course of Rhumba Country’s ten effusive tracks, LaFarge dispenses hard-won wisdom in a way that’s never heavy-handed, often imbuing his songwriting with all the guileless magic of a fable or folktale. A perfect example of that dynamic, the ’60s-R&B-influenced Sister André was inspired by the true story of the French nun who recently passed away at the age of 118. ‘She lived through both world wars, the flu epidemic, all the way down the line through Covid,’ says LaFarge. ‘After I heard her story, I started singing about a character who’s got a lot of sage advice to share, and it turned into a song of encouragement for those who are lonely and hoping for love.’ On So Long Chicago, LaFarge slips into lighthearted storytelling as he muses on the cultural phenomenon of those in colder climates heading south for winter. Co-written with Hamilton, the playfully cheeky snowbird ode mines inspiration from ’70s-era Chuck Berry, unfolding in freewheeling guitar work and fiercely stomping rhythms. A bona fide musical eccentric, LaFarge further flaunts his idiosyncratic sensibilities on the magnificently loopy “Like a Sailor,” a dance-ready and dreamlike number that speaks to the inevitability of struggle on one’s path.

As he documents his tireless journey toward finding his true home, LaFarge also reimagines a tune from reggae legend Ken Boothe. Spotlighting his supreme talents as a song interpreter, his take on Home, Home, Home infuses a heartfelt longing into every moment and, in turn, breathes new life into the late-’60s rocksteady classic. ‘The more you listen to music from around the world, you realise everybody’s got their form of country music,’ says LaFarge. ‘It goes back to why I named the album Rhumba Country in the first place: it’s poking fun at the futility of boxing everything into but a few genres, “What is folk music? What is country or soul?” I’ve always bucked at all those boundaries and found it much more exciting to create my own genre.’

LaFarge’s boundless curiosity for music from other cultures played a vital part in shaping the album’s instantly captivating sound. ‘Listening to a lot of music from around the world helped simplify my approach,’ he notes, naming Brazilian singer/composer Jorge Ben among his key inspirations on Rhumba Country. ‘When you scale back the chord progressions and get a good rhythm going, the musicians have more freedom to play anything or nothing at all. There’s so much space everywhere, and as a singer, it allows me to be that lead instrument and weave in and out however I want.’ At the same time, LaFarge brought a more intense and focused rigour to his songwriting process. ‘I need to trust in what feels good to me, but I also have to ask myself, “Is the message coming through? Am I stimulating thought in a way that might shift someone’s perspective? Am I being honest in telling my story, and am I doing it in love?”,’ he says.

Reflecting on the origins of Rhumba Country, LaFarge points to one of the most crucial revelations he experienced while farming: a newfound understanding of the uniquely human potential to be ‘conduits of continuous creation’. To that end, his effort to provide listeners with ‘medicine for the soul’ has led LaFarge toward a deeper level of dedication when it comes to nurturing his own spirit. ‘You have to live the life you’re singing in your songs – no matter what you’re going through,’ he says. ‘Everything will come out in your music whether you want it to or not. I’ve realised that the more I can pursue goodness and live in peace, the more I can make the music I was put here to make.’ And by living with intention and fully connecting with his truest purpose, LaFarge might finally be ready to lay his head in a place he calls home.

Tour support comes from The Tailspins. The Tailspins hit the ground running as a hand-selected act to support Jack White’s Supply Chain Issues tour in 2022, and the duo dazzled fans coast to coast supporting Pokey LaFarge and Aaron Frazer tours in 2024.

The husband and wife duo go electric for their new 45, Inmate Number 99 / The Flood – recorded live in studio the old-fashioned way, engineered and mixed by Josh Jové from Social Distortion, and backed by an all-star band featuring Nicholas Baker from LA LOM on drums, Lakshmi Ramirez from The Groove Empire Orchestra on bass, and Alex Hernandez on baritone sax.

The Tailspins’ self-titled 10” EP and debut 45 is in stores now from Nu-Tone.

This is a 14+ show. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Book tickets now.

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When: 7.30pm on Tuesday 26 November 2024
Where: The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HE

We’re delighted to be welcoming Admiral Fallow back to Manchester!

Admiral Fallow (Louis Abbott, Kevin Brolly, Phil Hague, Sarah Hayes and Joe Rattray) released their much-beloved debut album Boots Met My Face in 2011, its widely acclaimed successor Tree Bursts In Snow the following year, and an extraordinary third record, Tiny Rewards, in 2015.

Their much-anticipated fourth studio album, The Idea of You, was released via legendary Scottish label Chemikal Underground in November 2021. This captivating collection of songs – generously melodic, confidently executed and festooned with intricacies – was warmly praised by Mojo (4*), The Skinny (4*) and Uncut Magazine (‘…beguiling melodic uplift’). Three singles from the record, Sleepwalking, Dragonfly and Tuesday Grey, received airplay on BBC 6 Music and BBC Scotland.

Admiral Fallow’s recent live appearances include a UK tour, numerous festival appearances and four nights supporting The Proclaimers at their Back In The Big Top summer shows. In winter 2023 the band performed two special anniversary gigs at Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s, to celebrate the vinyl re-issue of their debut album on their own label, First Name Unknown.

Over their 17 years together, Admiral Fallow have taken their music around the world, touring the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. Further career highlights include a commission from Glasgow Film Festival, performing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and creating an ambitious new chamber opera. Navigate The Blood was co-written with Gareth Williams and Sian Evans, and toured eight Scottish distilleries in November 2018.

A group of versatile musicians all uniquely in demand for their skills, the individual band members also find the time to tour and record with renowned artists such as King Creosote, Emma Pollock, Field Music, Kris Drever, Karine Polwart and many others.

Local support comes from Debris Discs. Nestled up in the hills of the High Peak, Debris Discs crafts cinematic epics tempered with a homespun sensibility. The seeds of debut album Post War Plans were planted back in the era of World War Two, via a series of letters sent home to family members by Debris Discs’ grandfather. The discovery of such an important part of family history had a profound effect, inspiring Debris Discs to reimagine the letters to tell a personal war story. A grand tale of hope, despair and solace distilled through an arsenal of dusty synths, warped guitars and stuttering drum machines.

Electronic Sound Magazine say Post War Plans is full of ‘shimmering, electronic anthems’, Bandcamp’s New and Notable describe it as ‘spaced-out synthpop with a psychedelic edge’ and Moonbuilding call the album ‘excellent… a real winner’.

For this solo show, Debris Discs will be re-interpreting tracks from the album through live-looped guitar & vocals and a smorgasbord of hardware electronics.

Age restriction: 14+. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Book tickets now. 

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