Tig Digs: Goan Dogs 'Drifting Apart'

Love music?! Love balloons?! Well this will be right down your alley... it's the new video from Bristol's Goan Dogs for their track Drifting Apart. Who knew that a bunch of grown men playing with balloons could make for such an entertaining music video? 

If you dig the tune and video as much as we do (and you live in Oxford or nearby) you're in luck as Goan Dogs play for us tomorrow night at The Bullingdon with support from Ben Dey and The Concrete Lions and Joe Osborne & The Winter Moon. Tickets are cheap in advance on the site here and just a fiver on the door, come down for some Sunday evening tunes!

Eight questions with GØSPEL

1. Who are GØSPEL (a short introduction)

GØSPEL is Beth Anderton- Allen & Chris Willsher & in the live band we have George Conry, Darren Maddox & Matyas Csonka.

2. How long have you been making music as GØSPEL, and can you describe that music in a few words? What have the highlights been so far for the band?

We've been together about 2 years now. It's very natural, we dont try and sound like anyone and its just lucky that we get compared to amazing acts like Daughter & Fleetwood Mac. Our highlight was being invited to Abbey Road studios only a couple of weeks after our first single came out, we got to hear our music being played back through a mixing desk that Radioheads music had been mastered through.

3. This is the point where I usually ask about a recent release… your 'Ain't Gonna Let You In’ single was released last Summer, how has the response been?

The response was great, we've been very lucky to have had good radio airplay and features on us with very little PR, Clash premiered the video & compared us to Bat for Lashes which made us very happy.

4. I can see you’re currently working on your debut EP, how has the process been going?!

That's all finished now, it was actually finished in the Summer but we had some delays with the music video, it can be hard to organise filming on the streets of Lewisham at 4am on a Saturday night.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

I think we are still building our audience but I think its mixed, we get a lot of more mature fans who actually pay for releases & appreciate the hard work we put in. Beth is great with the social media and being a lot younger than me the way she exposes the band on Instagram is connecting well with the younger audience.

6. What are your plans for the rest of the year, and how does 2017 look for the band?

We have just premiered our music video for 'Bodies' and announced the live dates for 2017 at The Sebright Arms on the 24th of January, we plan to release the EP a bit later in the year after we have released a few singles from it.

7. We’re excited to be working with you on a London show at Sebright Arms in January... what can we expect from the show?

This will be the first show as a fully live band, previously weve played to a track on the laptop but we decided it would be much more exciting to have a live drummer and bassist. It's daunting having only played to track before but this way we will be much louder and noone can turn us down with a live drummer.

8. What would your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside or cities you’d love to visit?

Dream gig for me would be to support Bat for Lashes. She is the entire inspiration for my musical endevours in London for the past 10 years and I would die happy to play alongside her.

GØSPEL play Sebright Arms on 24th January to support the release of their new single 'Bodies' and to premiere tracks from their upcoming EP. Tickets and info here!

Eight questions with Hazey Jane

Photo from Hazey Jane Facebook

1. Who are Hazey Jane? (a short introduction)

We're a folk quartet from London, keeping it real staying safe.

2. How long have you been making music as Hazey Jane and what have the highlights been so far as a band?

Bobby (Vocals) and Laurent (Guitar) met when they were very short. The duo started writing together at Secondary School, rendezvousing with Paul (Drums) and Connor (Bass) some years later. Enjoying the vastness of London's folk circuit has thrown up a few highlights. Playing at beautiful old venues like The Borderline and rising the ranks to play our first headline show at The Barfly last year. It's all good stuff.

3. Your ‘Us On A Wire’ EP was released last month, how has the response been so far? When was it recorded, and where? It there is an interesting story behind how you and any producers and session players met and started playing together, please do share!

It's been going down a treat thanks. We recorded at Urchin Studios in London Fields. June. 2016. Our current front of house engineer Sander Van Laere set the whole malarke up; we met at an open mic in Camden two years ago. His former teacher, Marcel Van Limbeek mixed and mastered the tracks at his studio in Netil House. This guy toured with Tori Amos for twenty years and mixed every album she's released. Ever. Even the musical. They're genius men and we're very lucky to work with them.

4. You used Indiegogo to crowd fund for the launch of the EP, smashing your aim with 131% raised… how did having that level of support from your fans and friends feel?

Stunning. We have incredible people in our corner and cannot thank everyone enough for donating their sweet sweet $$$. Funding this kind of project from the bottom up is hard work but so rewarding. In an industry where chance A+R meetings are biting the dust, these campaigns can be the best way for unsigned bands to release professional material. We're very fortunate to have been able to do so.

5. Following on the EP theme, you also played an EP launch show, how was that?! We can’t wait for this Surya gig you’re playing for us!

Next level. We hosted at The Bedford in Balham, lovely old venue with a gorrrrgeous candle lit circular auditorium. Our pals Jake Morrell, Vannessa Forero and Horatio James played phenomenal sets beforehand. Cracker of an evening. SAME, it's gonna be a beauty! Looking forward to seeing Temper Cartel strut their stuff.

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Our Dads still come to every show. We like to make sure they enjoy themselves.

7. What would your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside, or cities you’d love to visit? Perhaps European shows?

There's nothing legal about our dream gig, perhaps another time. Cor blimey, yeh for sure Kings of Convenience, Thomas Dybdahl, Alexi Murdoch … there are plenty. We'd love to spend time touring around Northern and Central Europe. Really getting into Switzerland at the moment. Could definitely get us some Bern or Zurich.

8. What does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

We're setting up a couple of residencies in Dalston and Stoke Newington over Christmas. Otherwise we're hunkering down and mapping out our 2017 UK tour, can't wait!

Hazey Jane play a show at Surya for us on 28th October (not long to go!) with Temper Cartel, tickets available here.

Eight questions with The Travelling Band

(c) Dan Wiebe

1. Who are The Travelling Band? (a short introduction)

We're an indie rock band from Manchester, UK, who write dark songs with killer melodies and sunshine pop harmonies.

2. Your upcoming ‘Close Your Eyes and Count To Ten’ tour is drawing pretty close - how are you getting ready for the shows?

PUMPING IRON EVERY DAY. We've been working pretty hard in the studio with the new line up and looking back at old songs and rearranging them for the road.

3. The tour is a celebration of your 10 year anniversary as a band, what have been the highlights? A lot of the bands we work with at Tigmus are just starting out, playing some of their first headline shows, any advice you wish you’d had 10 years ago?

Highlights have been getting to make albums, touring over 25 countries, playing great festivals like Cropredy and Glastonbury and sharing the whole ride with your best mates. Forming a label and opening a studio have been important steps for us too. 

Advice I'd give is maybe don't be so precious about making music. You can spend a whole bunch of time dithering. Learn to make decisions and trust your instinct but also develop a capacity to listen to others. Strength in numbers!

4. At this point in an interview I’d usually ask about the recording of a recent release… do you have an EP or album in the pipeline?! When can we hear it?!

Yeah we have a new EP compilation coming out on our label called "Pinhole Sounds Volume One' (named after our studio). It features two new recordings of ours - 'Wasted Eyes' and a live version of 'Borrowed and Blue. We'll be selling it on the tour! Check it out here.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

We have a real mix. We played Carlisle the other day and the age range was 16 - 65! They like beer and they like rock n' roll and harmonies. We really like playing shows in people's living rooms. The other day we played in a laundrette in Durham. It was pretty mental. We like to think we adapt to any environment.

6. The Oxford gig is the final night of the tour… do you have anything special lined up for the night, or perhaps some plans to explore the city before the show (or will catching up on sleep be top of the agenda?!)

We're going to have big party afterwards back at my bothers house who doesn't live too far away. Sunday will be a write off!

7. What would your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside or cities you haven’t visited yet as a band?

Neil Young

The Band 

Bob Dylan 

Wilco 

The Travelling Band 

 Live at The Albert Hall in Manchester.

8. What does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

Nov/Dec we're going to get back in studio and work on a few side projects and get ready for releasing our new album in 2017.

The Travelling Band headline Oxford's The Bullingdon on 29th October with support from A. Dyjecinski, Arch Garrison and Great Western Tears. Tickets available through our site here!

Music Venue Trust’s ‘Venues Day 2016’ - review

In July this year, The George Tavern in London’s east end won a historic case in a legal battle to prevent a block of flats being built next door. The case was significant not only because it was fought out in the High Court (supported by a host of celebrities from Kate Moss to Justin Timberlake), but because it proved a rare victory in the battle to save grassroots music venues from closure. 

The case rested on the premise that residential flats and music venues don’t often make great bedfellows. A single noise complaint can result in a venue’s license being revoked, spelling the end to centres of creativity that have been cultivated over decades.

Over the past 10 years it has been estimated that 40% of small venues have closed, a depressing figure which is born out across the UK; this despite live music being the fastest growing sector in the music industry, contributing over £3bn to the economy each year.

Why is this the case? The Music Venue Trust’s ‘Venues Day 2016’ set out to explore the issues surrounding grassroots music venues: why are they declining? What can be done not only to stop the decline but, as Mark Davyd (Founder of the MVT) asked in the opening panel, encourage new venues to open?

Over 2,500 delegates from across the UK packed into London’s Roundhouse - one of the city’s most iconic venues - for a day of panels, each focussing on different areas of concern: how to build a grassroots community; fundraising; relationships between venues, agents and promoters; legal issues etc.

Everything Everything headlining the Fightback gig after Venues Day at The Roundhouse

Sitting in on several of the panels, it was fair to assume that everyone present was there under a common banner: all agreed that grassroots venues are absolutely instrumental not only to nurturing new talent, but are also epicentres of communities. With this basic plank of agreement dealt with in the opening session, often to rapturous applause from the audience, I had assumed that the sessions would delve into the problem and work out solutions. 

But there seemed to be a disconnect between big and smaller players, who pulled against each other. A panel on promoters and venues, for example, was dominated by large promoters and small venues. Both extolled often overlapping merits of their systems: big promoters argued they supported gigs in small venues with a view of growing talent a reaping the rewards later; smaller venues believed it was that precise nurturing that was key to a growing music industry. Yet it was how the spoils of this nurturing were distributed that proved a point of friction. The big promoters said they would loss-lead on the smaller gigs, while the small venues believed they were squeezed to such a degree that they also lost money. Surely that can’t be sustainable?

Another hot point of discussion was around the relationship between independent venues, royalty collection (via the PRS) and public money (Arts Council England). How could independent venues access grants? How can we renegotiate the terms of royalty collection to give smaller venues a better deal? These are absolutely key questions and ones that the Music Venue Trust has worked tirelessly to highlight and challenge, with some brilliant results. But as Mark Davyd declared, more needs to be done. Given the vagaries of public funding, what happens to a venue the face of spending cuts? Should they put themselves in a postion in which they become dependent on these grants?

At times, as I walked around Venues Day, it felt like I was in an echo chamber. There was broad consensus about the headline issues, but then panels often got bogged down into arguments over how to cut up the cake with the tools we have.

I went to check out a panel on social media, in which representatives from Twitter, Facebook and Google gave a masterclass on how to make the most of their platforms to reach more people. It was perhaps instructive that this was the quietest session I attended, outside and in an open, windy marquee: literally and figuratively on the periphery of the debate.

Technology seemed to be absent from many of the discussions, yet surely this is where ground can be made. How can new technology build audiences, engage with fans, sell tickets? With so much innovation and data out there, how can venues and artists be brought together in a more efficient way that results in more of the revenue being directed to them?

This is, really, at the heart of everything we do at Tigmus - using technology to boil gigs back down to their core components: venues, artists and fans. We’ve proven that by harnessing artist and venue data in an efficient way, we can increase revenue for both parties while creating magical experiences for the fans. Economically the results are so clear and yet we constantly come up against an intransigent industry.

Forums like Venues Day can only help to improve things for venues and artists, but only if issues turn into debates which turn into action. My hope is that, over the coming year, new technologies like Tigmus can not only help venues make more money, but allow them to stand on their own feet as successful business, without recourse to grants and public money.

The enthusiasm and expertise is clearly there. Time to harness all that energy and redraw the map.

Eight questions with Slate Hearts

Cristina Camilla Corazza

1. Who are Slate Hearts, and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)

Hellooo we're Slate Hearts we're a 3 piece from Oxfordshire and people say we're grungy. How we got our name is a really boring story, we had managed to book a gig but needed to put some demos up online for the promoter to hear and obviously to do that we needed a name. We were going to be called CUBS but then we decide we didnt like it (boyscouts, beavers, sound like an indie band etc.) so Will's ex girlfriend pointed out that there were slate hearts hanging outside his house and in our haste thought it was a good name, now not so much but it's kinda stuck.

2. You’ve just finished up supporting on the Lucy Leave tour… how was that?! Seeing you guys at the final date of the tour you all looked like you were having the time of your lives, particularly when they invited you back up to play ‘Carry’ with them, which went down an absolute treat with the crowd.

Supporting Lucy Leave on tour was great fun. It was basically just a week of playing music, hanging out with friends and having a few beeeeers, I'd recommend it to anyone. Playing Carry with them was sweet, Ed looked so happy and so lost at the same time going back and forth between the mic and a cymbal, a beautiful site. Haha we're glad people enjoyed it too as it was a bit self indulgent of us.

3. Your ‘Blood Fluff’ EP has been out for a few months now… how has the reception been?! It was a pleasure hearing ‘Take Me To The Green’ at the Lucy Leave show - what a tune! When was the EP recorded and where, any cool stories about collaborations with other artists, producers etc?

People have told us that they like it so it can't be too bad which is cool. We recorded everything back in April and used Ed's friend's studio to record the drums (which was a bit of a waste of time as things didn't go so smoothly and we could have done them ourselves). Everything else was recorded in Ed's little shed of a studio that he built. Ed produced everything you hear on the EP as he's some kind of wizard but our friend Callum Marinho from Too Many Poets mastered it for us which was v nice of him!

4. What’s next for you, is another EP on the horizon? (If so we can't wait!)

We're currently writing new material which should eventually turn into an EP at some point so look out for that. It probably won't be as long as our previous 2 though.

5. How do you approach the songwriting process? Does it start with the lyrics or the melody, or does it vary from track to track? Do you draw on any particular musical influences?

It always starts with the melody for us and then I mumble over the top of it until they somehow turn into lyrics, I think I'd like to be more of a poet but you can't win them all. I don't think we actively draw on any particular influence, it's just a combination of them all and if we think something is sounding good we'll try and turn it into a song.

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Our audience is absolutely anyone, bring your grandma to our next gig.

7. Tell us about your dream gig… are there any venues (anywhere) you’d love to play, or a band you’d love to support, or maybe a line-up of local bands you’d love to be a part of?

Hmmmm our dream gig? That's a tough one. Maybe like headlining a packed out Oxford O2 with free beer and pizza for everyone. Yeah that sounds like it could be fun.

8. What does the rest of 2016 hold for you, and do you have plans for 2017?

We have a few gigs left currently in 2016 such as Oxjam and the Idiot King Christmas party. We are just going to try and gig as much as possible next year and really try and get ourselves out there and heard.

Sadly we haven't got any gigs with Slate Hearts coming up yet, but we love them and can't wait to work with them on more shows so watch this space (and their Tigmus profile here!)

Eight questions with Flight Brigade

Steve Gullick

1. Who are Flight Brigade? (a short introduction)

We're seven friends who grew up very near each other in Hampshire & after going separate ways, and being in different bands at uni and stuff, we came back together. The two girls, Miriam & Dorry (violin) are sisters and Ollie (lead singer) is married to Miriam (microkorg, backing vocals) so nearly half of us are related.

2. How long have you been making music as Flight Brigade, and what have the highlights been since then?

We've gigged as Flight Brigade for five years, a recent highlight would definitely be playing Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg last month, our show completelely sold out, they had to turn a load of people away, which kind of took us by surprise. The audience were really responsive, dancing and even singing along. We'd already fallen in love with Germany but now we're totally psyched for touring there at the end of he year!

3. Your biography mentions comparisons to Arcade Fire and Of Monsters and Men… two other bands with a mix of male and female vocals (and two of our favourites!) - how do you take such comparisons, and which bands do you find inspiration in?

These are both bands we admire hugely, both for their albums and their live shows. Arcade Fire especially have incredible intensity on stage and are so good at drawing the crowd into the experience, we're deeply honoured if people do say they see a comparison. We also love heavier bands, especially Queens of The Stone Age, & Nine Inch Nails. Our drummer's a metal- head and is always introducing us to his latest discovery.

4. Your debut album ‘Our Friends Our Enemies’ is being released in a couple of weeks… how exciting is that?! When was it recorded, and where? Tell us if there are any interesting stories about producers and session players you met and worked with!

We recorded it by the sea in Eastbourne, of all places, you don't associate Eastbourne with rock music but it's a great studio called Echo Zoo, with a huge live room and lots of vintage gear. We had the chance to record drums, bass & guitar playing together to try to capture some of the energy of a gig. We also recorded the singing together which was something we were dead keen to do. The studio is literally a one minute walk from the sea so, when we took breaks we got to walk out on the beach which makes you feel so good and gets rid of any cabin fever.

5. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

We seem to have quite a broad range of fans. We often seem to find ourselves meeting Canadian and German fans after playing gigs which excites us as we're heading to Germany but would also love to tour Canada too of course! We still find Facebook the most useful way to let people know about things that are happening and especially for inviting people to gigs. We've some fans who volunteer at the festivals we play at, it's really heart warming to get a message asking where we'll be playing cause they're planning their summer and wanna know where to apply to volunteer.

6. What are you doing to prepare for the album release tour? Any surprises in store? The Oxford date falls in the latter half of the tour… how do you keep band morale up when you’re on the road?

We've been meeting up for 'Band Camp' -taking a weekend to play & work on a few new songs too, just to throw somethin new in the mix and keep things fresh! We always like to have a couple new toons to road test. We keep up band morale by listening to Kenny Loggins & watching Baseball! But seriously, we just try to ignore small annoyances and remember how lucky we are to be with a group of close mates travelling round playing music.

7. What would your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside or cities you haven’t visited yet as a band?

Our top dream would be to support Death Cab For Cutie touring round America. We haven't played in the US yet but would lurve a road trip and Death Cab are huge heroes of ours.

8. After this 17-date tour, what does the rest of the year hold for you? A break? Any plans for 2017 yet?

No break, nooo, we head off to tour Germany and Holland (soon to be announced- we're supporting a Finnish band on tour) so it's pretty all-go till Christmas which will be a well deserved break we reckon! We haven't thought too much about 2017 yet - just enjoying what we're up to today!

Flight Brigade headline a show at Oxford's The Cellar on 21st October, with Harry Pane and Water Pageant supporting - tickets available here! 

Eight questions with Wille and The Bandits

1. Who are Wille and The Bandits? (a short introduction)

Wille - Lead Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Lapsteel, Weissenbourne, Dobro 

Matt - Six string Bass, Five string Double Bass, Foot Piano, Vocals, Percussion 

Drew - Drums, Djembe, Tongue Drum, Vocals

2. Your upcoming tour is in support of the new record ‘Steal’ - when was it recorded, and where? If there are any interesting stories about meeting producers and session players and working with them, let us know!

The album was recorded and produced by Dave Williams in analogue at the Grange studios. The studio is one of the last remaining analogue studios and recording reel to reel tape was an amazing experience. When recording in this way it is all about playing live together much like how the old classic records were made. I think with us being at our best live, it has a really bought the energy we put into live shows. We were also very fortunate to have Don Airey the Hammond Organist of Deep Purple play on the record. He is a great guy and as expected has done a fantastic job on the keys!

3. The album is set for release in January but fans can grab a copy early at the upcoming tour… surely that's incentive enough to get along to the shows! Do you think it’s pretty important to let fans that come out to see you live get the first chance to listen to the record?

It is something very important to us, especially with our roots coming from playing in pubs and our DIY ethic which has always meant we have had a very close relationship with our fans. Without our fans we would not lead the life we have playing music full time and touring the world. So for us I think it was a way of giving something back.

4. How would you describe your audience and how do you connect with them? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

We are very lucky that we have a massive age range in our audiences the older generation love the more retro side of the band harking back to Pink Floyd and Led Zeplplinn in the riffs and guitar solos but we incorporate more modern influences in our music that the younger crew enjoy.

5. You’re touring pretty extensively over October and November… what does playing live mean to you as a band, and how do you manage to keep spirits high on the road for that long?

We love playing Live and love being on the road, the social aspect of meeting new people and the constant changing of landscapes and cultures breeds inspiration. I think also travelling with your music to different countries is a great way of seeing the world as you are not treated like a tourist and people make a special effort to make you feel very welcome. We are all lucky that we have a good crew that all get on and enjoy each others company which is important when playing so much.

6. After your huge crowd at Cropredy we imagine you’re pretty excited for Oxford… what can we expect from the show?!

There will be many of the new songs from the album “Steal” in there with some older classics. Being that it is our own show we also have a longer set which allows us to create different dynamics and take the audience on more of a musical journey.

7. What does your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’d love to play alongside or support, or perhaps a city you haven’t yet visited as a band?

I think we all would love to tour in the USA and to visit some of the great music cities such as Nashville,New Orleans and Austin and it is very much on the cards too.

8. After touring the UK and Europe, what does the rest of the year hold for you, particularly looking towards 2017? A big rest?!

More touring, More travelling and more FUN!

Wille & The Bandits headline Oxford's Jericho Tavern for us as part of their October tour... tickets are available here for the cheapest price (and no booking fees!) Details about the rest of their tour on their site.

Tig Digs: Kid Kin 'Masterclash'

After a busy couple of weeks with lots of great shows and two simultaneous tours with two of our favourite Oxford bands, Lucy Leave and homeplanetearth, we've got a week until our next show so we're catching up with some of the artists who are playing for us over the next couple of months. One of those is Oxford's Kid Kin, who is touring the UK in celebration of his new single Masterclash, finishing up with a headline show for Tigmus at The Library.

The track is billed as his "most ambitious work to date", and although he's been playing it live for 2 years, Peter (AKA Kid Kin) says its taken about 18 months to finish the recording, with over 50 different instruments in the final mix. It's available to listen through Soundcloud above, and will be online to buy and stream on 3rd October. The dates for the shows in Swindon, Bristol, Chester, Liverpool, Oxford, Manchester and London are on the poster below.

Our headline Kid Kin show with Midfield Workhouse in Oxford at The Library is on November 24th, and tickets are available here (for just £3 with no booking fees.) 

Eight questions with Little Red

(c) Charlie Landells

1. Who are Little Red and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)

We are an Alt-Folk trio from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, consisting of Hayley Bell (vocals), Ben Gosling (vocals, guitars, drums and bass) and Ian Mitchell (vocals and guitars). We play as a trio and as a six-piece with label mates Tom Hodges on Keys, Nathan Allsworth on Bass and Marc Challans (formerly of AMP) on drums. The name was inspired by the lyrical tendencies that Ian takes as the band’s principle songwriter. Often drawing upon children’s Fairy Tales and Urban Legends. Little Red sat well with us as it was hinting at our sinister underbelly whilst being ambiguous enough to seem a little ambiguous. We like to surprise people, so having a name that didn’t pigeon-hole us too much was important.

2. Looking online I can see that your influences include Tom McRae, Mark Lanegan, The Staves and Nick Cave. How does listening to them influence your own music, and what else inspires and shapes the music that you make?

Honestly, it’s a real melting pot of things. Yes, those artists have inspired Ian but Hayley’s and Ben’s favourites also play a part. What really drives the music is the lyrics. If there is something worth saying and done in a way that seems original, the song will be pushed to completion.

3. It must have been pretty exciting to sell out of physical copies of your debut album ‘Sticks and Stones’, is a follow-up in the pipeline? Perhaps another EP? What’s the recording process like for you guys?

Since starting in 2014, we have released one album and three EPs. We are working on the next album at the moment and it has some songs that we are REALLY excited about. One in particular, entitled “Siren Song” is sounding great. It’s part acapella, part Southern-gothic and part Low-fi Dub-Step. Ben is our producer and we primarily use his studio. Because of this, the process is relaxed and laid back. We know each other well and are always honest. We tend to not record until we are sure that what we are putting down works.

4. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

We have been amazed by the range of people who like our music. All ages seem to get what we do. The recent double release of “The Huntsman” and “Teeth, We Have", has really helped. Because of the versatility of our sound we are quite proud to say that our audience is quite simply people who like live music with harmony and driving melodies. We are so grateful to everyone who has bought our records, it’s still such a buzz to hear people singing along.

5. We see the music scene in Oxford as a really collaborative, productive community, and we love Tiger Mendoza’s remixes of your tracks on the ‘Teeth, We Have - The Remixes’ EP - how did this come about? How important do you think it is to work with artists, particularly local ones, on collaborations and remixes?

We approached Tiger Mendoza because we were blown away by what he had done for other bands. He’s a real talent and a real gent to boot. He showed a genuine affection for some of our quieter tunes such as “Petal” and “Bonnie and Clyde” (to our surprise) and the relationship blossomed from there. We think collaboration is such a great way to grow and enrich your craft. Tiger Mendoza, Fraud and Foci’s Left were so encouraging and inspiring by what they did with our music. That really provided the catalyst for us to develop our live sound and start working as six piece as well as a trio.

6. You’re playing at two of our shows upstairs at the O2 Academy in Oxford later in the year, first supporting homeplanetearth and then going back to headline a couple of months later. How will you prepare for those shows, particularly when making the transition from opening act to headliner?

Each show is getting the two different sides to what we do. The show with Homeplanetearth will feature our trio line up. Lots of harmony, space and subtlety. The headline show will be with our live band and whilst there will be the harmonies and quieter segments there will also be a more driving experience for everyone. A few new songs will also feature.

7. What does your dream gig look like? Any bands you’d love to play alongside?

It would be an honour to support some of the acts locally and nationally that we admire. We would love to support some acts like The Staves, Stornoway and First Aid Kit, whilst we are also big fans of local acts such as Cameron AG and Vienna Ditto.

8. What are your hopes and expectations for the rest of the year and looking towards 2017?

After a short break from Ian as his wife is expecting their first baby soon, we are keen to be getting back into the studio to record some new tunes. In the Autumn, we are very excited to be playing at the O2 Oxford twice, as you mentioned before, so we will be rehearsing hard for that. Getting the 6-piece band back together for the headlining gig in November will be sure to be a highlight to round off this awesome year! For 2017… hopefully releasing a second album and then organising some great gigs in order to promote it!

As mentioned above, Little Red headline the O2 Academy Oxford 2 for us on the 18th November, tickets for that show are available here. They also supported at the homeplanetearth O2 headline last Friday!

Tig Digs: Little Mammoths 'Phantom Dreams'

While this blog is a great place to celebrate the music of those who have shows upcoming with us, we also love keeping up to date with what the artists we've had previous shows with are doing, and on that note... Little Mammoths, who played their first ever Oxford show for us back in February, have recently released their debut record and we're loving it! We're also massively digging their new video for Uncle Ken's Bar, the opening track of the record.

As well as the online streams, digital release and an upcoming CD release, the guys are hoping to get the album released in a limited vinyl run. If you like what you hear - show your support and reserve a copy here! We're 

Eight questions with Roberto y Amigos

(c) Megan Seekings

1. Who are Roberto y Amigos, and what does the name change from Roberto y Juan signify? (a short introduction)

We're a not-so-Spanish-sounding band from Oxford who want to get people grooving and singing along to our bass lines, beats and folky-soul melodies. We draw our influences from John Martyn and Nile Rodgers to bands like Portishead and more souly outfits. We started off as a duo with acoustic guitars and flamenco influences. Now we've found some rhythm and groove the name change signifies that our drummer George is now just as much a part of the group as Jonny is, while leaving the options open to also collaborate with other musicians.

2. Your ‘Monster Love’ EP is one of my favourites so far this year, when was it recorded and where? The launch show in the beautiful surroundings of Art Jericho with our very own Oli supporting as Count Drachma was hugely successful, how did you find that show and the experience of organising it yourselves?

Monster Love was recorded by Robin in our Shed Studio in Oxford over late 2015/early 2016. For us it contained quite a lot of old material that we had been playing for a while and hadn't got recorded. The launch show was just great. It felt like all of our friends and family (+ more!) where there in support and we were launching something we were proud of and had worked hard on. Loved the arty surrounding of the Art Jericho as well and would recommend as a venue to any other bands wanting a little launch show.

3. We love hardworking artists and loved your video diary about the EP and the show - when can we expect more videos?!

Yes we're planning to get some more videos up soon to keep our followers up to date. Especially some live acoustic performances of new tracks. Nice to keep it intimate and personal with our musical lovers.

4. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Well we sometimes have people back to our studio to have a little boogie party (there is no age discrimination (in the most normal way possible)) so in September when we support HPE come and say "Hi" after the show and we can get on down.

5. As a pretty collaborative band, are there any local artists you’d love to work with on a track? Or perhaps any dream collaborations on a bigger scale?

We really dig Esther Joy Lane at the mo. Her voice is pretty entrancing and her sound would work well with our trip hop-y strand. Would love to get writing a tune together with her maybe with two lead vocal parts. We love Portishead and Massive Attack.

6. Moving from recording to playing live, what does your dream gig look like? Any artists you’d love to play alongside?

Two drum kits, a brass section and a permanent female vocalist who got the audience to dance like crazy would be pretty sweet... + an interval/break for pancakes and creamy snacks.

7. We hope you’re looking forward to supporting at the homeplanetearth O2 Oxford show as much as we’re looking forward to seeing you play, how will you be preparing for the show? Any new music to premiere at the show?

Seriously we can't wait. Already thinking about costumes. We'll be playing our new track Home in Your Heart which was premiered on BBC Radio 6 Music a month back and might have some other tricks up our sleeve too. It'll be one of our last gigs as a three piece because Jonny (guitar) is off to uni in September so we intend to have a bash.

8. With Jonny off to university, what does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

At present, the three of us are collaborating with a range of other musicians and vocalists to make a full length album ready for the autumn and, though without Jonny, the next year we'll be working on gigging with our new set of tunes, incorporating a female vocalist and more electronic sounds and synths. Can't wait!

Roberto y Amigos play upstairs at O2 Academy Oxford on 16th September supporting Homeplanetearth on the hometown date of their UK tour- tickets here, support also comes from Polar Front and Little Red.

Eight questions with Hickory Signals

(c) Days in the City

1. Who are Hickory Signals and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)  

We’re a folk duo from Brighton - Adam Ronchetti and Laura Ward. Laura sings and between us we play guitar, flute, cajon, shruti box, various shakers, cymbals and other noise makers including a glockenspiel designed for children. We make new music inspired by old music, so play a pretty much even split of traditional songs we’ve re-arranged and original songs we’ve written ourselves. Inspiration comes from not only old songs and lyrics but also poetry and stories. When we first started playing together in 2014, we referred to ourselves as Bagmen because we carried so much paraphernalia to each show. Then we decided that was probably only funny to us and so came up with Hickory Signals whilst sitting on a bus. We are now considering setting up a dating site for lumberjacks: Hickory Singles.

2. This is the point where I’d usually ask about the recording of a recent release… do you have an EP or album in the pipeline?! If so, where/when was it recorded and when do we get to listen to it?  

Yes indeed! Back in 2014 we released our first 4-track EP and in about two months, we release our second EP (6 tracks this time). We recorded it at our friend’s studio in Kemp Town, where were lucky enough to have Ian Carter of Stick in the Wheel produce it for us. It will be ready in November but you can get a sneak preview of the title track, ‘Noise of the Waters’ (an arrangement of James Joyce’s sea-inspired poem) on our website.

3. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.  

We attract a heady mix of trad enthusiasts who watch through slitted fingers as Adam pulls out his cajon, ladies who love a natural red head, younger people coming out as folk-curious... and our parents. Together we form a little South Coast menagerie and we couldn’t be more proud and grateful. We used to be in a folk rock band together called Laura Ward and the Risen Road and we’re incredibly lucky that a lovely cohort of Risen Road fans have stayed with us and now count themselves as Hickory Signals fans. To thank them (and anyone else who loves live music) we run monthly live folk/acoustic nights at a beautiful venue in Shoreham By Sea called West Street Loft. We love them, the audience seems to love them... there’s a lot of love in that loft. A few months ago, we asked them whether they thought we should buy a cat. They said yes and now we have a beautiful orange ball of fluff named Cognac!

4. You were hand-picked by JINNWOO to support on a couple of the dates on his upcoming album-release tour, how do you guys know each-other?  

We played alongside Ben, aka Jinnwoo, at a ‘Folk Rising’ show at Cecil Sharp House back in 2015 and were immediately spellbound by the rawness of his sound and the emotion he fills each song with. After the show we got chatting and realised we live a couple of roads away from each other in Brighton. Since then we’ve become bosom buddies; playing, recording and drinking together at every opportunity. We’ve actually just recorded an album together under a new folk revival project by the name of Bird in the Belly.

5. What can we expect from your performance at the shows in Brighton and London? Will you be performing as a duo?  

Others have described our live set as haunting, cinematic, atmospheric, un-rushed and detailed. We just hope to get the guitar in tune and hit the right notes. We’re (beyond) happy playing just the two of us, experimenting with how many instrument and tuning changes we can make during a 30 minute set, but we’re hoping our buddy Tom Pryor will join us with his violin for at least for the Brighton show. Tom’s fiddle features on both our recordings and his sensitivity and musicality make him an utter joy to play with.

6. What does your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’ve love to support or collaborate with?  

We could support Christy Moore at Vicar Street in Dublin, come out of that gig and drown, satisfied, in the River Liffey.

7. Having run your own monthly live music night in Shoreham for a couple of years, do you find that the experience of running shows affects your performances?  

Good question! We’ve really worked hard to cultivate a night which is well-attended where the audience can expect a great quality evening and the artists are paid for their work. The nights have also presented us with an opportunity to meet and learn from some amazing musicians and songwriters. When it’s your night, you’re really aware of the audience’s experience and the importance of being warm and engaging as a performer. Also, we’ve had to master the art of compering which has done wonders for our between-song patter...

8. What does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?  

We’ve got a run of nice shows coming up over the next few months. As well as supporting Jinnwoo in Brighton, London and Norwich, we are playing the Bermondsey folk festival in September where we’ll play alongside the Bara Bara Band and Stick in the Wheel. We’re also supporting the Astrakan Project at the Harrison in October. Aside from gigs, we’ve got the EP coming out in November and we’ll be continuing to work on the Bird in the Belly project with Jinnwoo. Next year we hope to release a full-length album and then... maybe supporting Christy Moore at Vicar Street? Maybe not.

As mentioned above, Hickory Signals support Jinnwoo on his upcoming headline shows in Brighton, Norwich and London over the next couple of months, kicking off with a free entry, donate on the door show at Brighton's The Blue Man, info and tickets for all three shows here!

Eight questions with Polar Front

(c) Marina Fucito

1. Who are Polar Front and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)

Polar Front are an alternative three piece, combining electronic and raw instrumentation to create atmospheric melodies, a hard-hitting rhythm section and soulful vocals. Inspired by the likes of, Jack Garratt, The Maccabees, Daughter and PVRIS, Polar Front take contrasting genres to develop their own unique and modern sound. 

With their music featuring on two of Vicky Pattinson's 'Honeyz' television adverts, playing the likes of Wychwood Festival and Sofar Sounds London, and working closely with Roli, Polar Front have already booked some impressive jobs in their first year as a band. 

Made up of singer Sophie-Rose Goldsworthy (23), guitarist Perry Sangha (23) and drummer Liam O’Halloran (23) the three piece create backing tracks that drummer Liam triggers before each song, to play along to live, to fill in the missing instrumentation, for example bass. The name came from a friend of theirs who once mentioned how “Polar Front” would be a great name for a band, and after his permission the three decided to use it themselves. In meteorology, the polar front is the boundary between the polar cell and the Ferrel cell in each hemisphere.

2. Your debut single ‘Eye to Eye’ has been out for a few months now - how have you found the response has been?

The response to ‘Eye to Eye’ has been fantastic, we expected local support, from friends and family and the regulars at our gigs, but we have had a lot of people from different towns, cities and even countries giving us some lovely feedback about it. It’s definitely the song in our set that gets people up and dancing, we’ve been told it’s very catchy, and often hear our friends with it stuck in their heads! 

In fact the other day, my (Sophie’s) friends were all at Centre Parcs celebrating a friends 21st, and I (Sophie) couldn’t make it due to a busy weekend of gigs, and they’d posted a live feed on Facebook of them all in the cabin dancing and singing along to it, it was brilliant!

3. Tell us a little about your songwriting process… does one person usually take the lead or is it a joint effort? Does the music come first or are the lyrics the initial element of a song for you guys?

Our song writing processes vary to be honest. It could be Perry that starts it off with a guitar riff or a chord progression, then the melody and percussion follows, or I (Sophie) can write a melody and lyrics and the boys will fill in the gaps instrumentally, and Liam is really into his books and poetry so he really helps with the lyrics too. It will always start as one tiny factor of the song though, for example a hook or a line of lyrics, and then we will jam it out until something works and we are happy.

4. How does it feel to know that your debut EP is due for release in a matter of weeks?! When was it recorded, and where? If there is an interesting story behind how you and any producers and session players met and started playing together, please do share!

The EP release is really starting to get exciting now, the whole idea started when our manager/producer Sam Bates suggested that we turn the September gigs into an EP launch at the beginning of August, and obviously we all wanted to. However only having a month as a deadline has really pushed us all to work hard! We have been working with Sam for around 9 months now, after we met at an acoustic gig in Swindon, he messaged us and since then we have pulled him in as our mentor/manager and producer. Without Sam we wouldn’t have been able to have this EP, let alone already have Eye to Eye out, he has really helped to develop and bring the best out in us, and is a very talented producer and musician, so that always helps when recording an EP! Due to busy schedules, we actually recorded the EP in a few days at Ladder Factory Studio’s, with Sam and Perry working hard leading up to the studio dates, to make sure as much as possible was pre-recorded so that we could get the vocal and most of the mixing done in the studio. We actually recorded most of the drums for the EP at my (Sophie’s) grandparent’s house in their swimming pool dome! It was amazing for reverb in there!

5. You’re launching the EP at a Songs of Praise show in Swindon on 15th September, before supporting at our huge O2 Oxford show with Homeplanetearth on 16th September. A pretty exciting couple of days we reckon! How are you getting ready for the shows?

We are releasing our debut EP “Polar Front 16916” on the 16th of September electronically, and at the Songs of Praise gig on the 15th of September we will be releasing the physical copies! We have been lucky enough to have a pretty packed summer with gigs and festivals, so we are well rehearsed for the O2 show and excited to get up there and play! We will however have brand new backing tracks, from the EP recordings to play with, as the ones we use at the moment are brilliant but we are always wanting to improve and sound better!

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Our audience varies, as we try to cover as many genres of music as we can, we find that most people can find something that they like within our music. We have been described as refreshing before by a heavy rock fan and complimented by a classical piano teacher, so it is hard to describe it under one category. As a band in Swindon, you find you that you’ll know most of the other bands as well, everyone is really supportive of each other, and after a show together you can often find yourself with a following from an audience initially there to see someone else, and as far as online support goes, I think we all try to share and support each other’s success, and you find you increase your audience and type of following that way as well.

7. What does your ideal gig look like? Is there a band you would love to play a support set for, or perhaps a local band you’ve love to play alongside?

Our ideal gig will always be a sold out one. Every band wants to play the huge venues that hold thousands, but unless you can pack it out it won’t have the same effect as a local pub where there’s no room to breathe it’s that packed! So as long as there’s a good audience there and everyone is having fun, we are happy to play anywhere and everywhere. We all have differences and similarities in our music tastes but I think we can agree that we would love to support PVRIS and Jack Garratt, their music is brilliant and they are a huge inspiration to us. Locally we always love gigs with our friends All Ears Avow, Yves and SN Dubstation, all with completely different music genres, but great bands to watch and play with!

8. Aside from the EP launch, what does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

For the rest of the year I think we will continue to write and play shows, we are hoping to release a remixes EP of the one we launch in September towards the end of the year. We think it would be really interesting to work with different people and have their take on our songs and to see what they could do with them. We also want to pack out our Summer17 dates as fast as possible, we really loved all of the festivals and shows that we have played this year, and want to make sure we have it all again and more!

Polar Front support homeplanetearth at their huge Oxford show upstairs at the O2 Academy on 16th September... tickets for that one here, and we've also got some tickets for their Swindon EP launch the day before here.

Eight questions with Kevin Pearce

1. Who is Kevin Pearce? (a short introduction )

Kevin Pearce is a songwriter, producer and performer from Colchester in sunny Essex. I have self released three albums to date, but have just been signed for my 4th record 'So 'On'.

2. When was your upcoming album ‘So On’ recorded, and where? If there is an interesting story behind how you and any producers and session players met and started playing together, please do share!

'So On' was written and recorded over the last 12 months and produced by myself in my studio. It's the thing I'm most proud of to date and within the recording of it, I was able to draft in many musical friends (Double Bass by Eddie Myer of Turin Brakes, Synthesizers by I Monster to name a few )

3. We’re loving the new live video of atmospheric track ‘Jump’, what’s the story behind that one?

'Jump' is basically about recklessness, something I have been quite a lot of my life and also something we are seeing in current modern politics (Brexit, Trump etc). 

It creates hysteria and whips people up into a frenzy, with no end goal in site except to create a reaction and disrupt things, or for people to profit from in one way or another. 

So the song is playing with that idea between the personal and political ends of the spectrum.

4. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

My audience is any one who appreciates what i'm doing ;)

In all seriousness though, I have a very loyal, cult following who have stuck by me. I've even received gifts off some - orange wool for my microphone (which you can still see at gigs to this day) and a vegan cupcake are some of the highlights !

5. You’re playing some support slots for us with JINNWOO, Khamsina and homeplanetearth over September, have you seen any of them live before?

I've not seen them live before but I have had a listen online and all three acts have a good vibe. Looking forward to hearing and meeting them at the shows.

6. Will you be playing solo or with your band for these shows? How do you feel this alters your performance?

These will be solo shows. Solo shows tend to be in smaller venues where I feel I can almost be with the audience and its much easier to gauge a reaction on how a performance is going. With my band we tend to get in a zone and its only an hour or so after playing I can tell how it went.

7. What does your dream gig look like? Are there any artists you’ve love to support, or perhaps to collaborate with on a performance?

The Albert Hall would be my dream show. With a forest for a stage. Not sure the venue would be up for it but still...... In terms of a dream collaboration, i'd have to say Bjork.

8. What does the rest of the year hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

The rest of 2016 will see me play a ton of shows up and down the UK and a couple of single releases ahead of a very hectic looking 2017 with a 3rd single and then the release of the new album 'So On' around May.

Kevin Pearce supports at a few shows in September... JINNWOO in Brighton on 11th and Norwich on 25th, Khamsina in Oxford on 18th and homeplanetearth in Southampton on 26th. He's also heading back to Brighton to headline on 30th October. All tickets and info here!

Eight questions with Khamsina

1. Who are Khamsina and where did the name come from? (a short introduction)

We are now a four piece band based in Oxford, consisting of myself, Stevie, on vocals and keys, Jamie on guitar, Swing on bass and Hoppy on the drums. It was originally just me performing as a solo artist until a few years ago when I started playing with Swing and Hoppy. Jamie joined us very recently in February (but we love having him!) The name comes from the Arabic ‘Khamsin’ which is a trade wind that travels across the Sahara towards Egypt. They call it the Northern Wind. The word sounded nice with an ‘a’ on the end…

2. Performing at times as a solo artist and at others as a band, how do you feel this affects the music?

Hmm, interesting question. I am not sure that playing as a band or a solo artist or even a stripped back version of the band affects the music too much, in the sense that, I think it more affects the audience. When the songs are just piano and vocal, there is a lot more intimacy and focus on the lyrics. When there are all four of us, the audience is more emerged in the music, rather than focused on just one aspect of it. The songs were all originally piano and vocal as that’s how they are composed which I think helps for them to stand alone as their own acoustic entity or be fleshed out with the entire band. Personally, I definitely prefer playing as a full band as I think the dynamic on stage between us as musicians and friends is the best feeling and this probably comes out in the music.

3. When was your recent track ‘Clouds’ recorded and where? If there is an interesting story behind how you and any producers and session players met and started playing together, please do share!

‘Clouds’ was recorded along with eleven other songs in preparation for our album launch. We started recording in the summer last year and have just finished about a month ago so it’s been a long time coming. We did our recording at Silver Street Studios in Reading, with Umair Chaudhry as our sound engineer. We were lucky enough to have Nigel from Vienna Ditto (check them out if you haven’t!) play some lead guitar on a few of our tracks, of which ‘Clouds’ is one. I met Nigel a long time ago through the owner of Silver Street Studios, Chris, at one of my gigs and I have been in awe of his guitar playing ever since.

4. The track comes from your debut album ‘Everything I Am’, how does it feel to have an album ready to release? Are any surprises in store for the Oxford Bullingdon launch gig next month?

Umm…pretty crazy actually. We had originally planned to release an album in February this year but life got in the way, as it usually does, and the release date became uncertain for quite a while. Y’know, you go through these moments where you wonder if it will ever be finished and ready because there is so much work to do. So, it’s in a pretty exciting stage now, getting everything sent off and printed in time for the launch. It’s been a long wait for both us and those that have been following us since the start and I think we are all stoked that we will finally be able to hold the album in our hands soon! We do have a few surprises waiting for our audience at our launch gig. We will in fact be giving away a pair of Wireless Beats Headphones (they’re blue!) to a member of our audience that evening…so do make sure you’re there to be in with a chance ;)

5. How are you preparing for the launch show on 18th September and your Tigmus show a couple of weeks earlier supporting SEA + AIR?

Mostly, we are just keeping our rehearsal schedule going (as best we can) and getting to know our songs really well. Tigmus have supported us quite a lot, helping to get support acts and posters ready, which we are so grateful for. We’ve also been working on a new music video and some other little projects to keep the momentum going leading up to our launch. When we were recording, we weren’t as active as a band as we would like to be just because we were so busy but now we’re just keeping our heads down and working on our music to lead up to a really good launch night that everyone can enjoy!

6. Who is your audience and how do you connect with your fans? Any crazy, fun, exciting stories are very welcome.

Our audience…it’s usually extremely varied from small children to big adults or pop lovers or jazz enthusiasts. Although Facebook tells me that the majority of our fans are between 18 and 34 if that narrows it down. I know that every single one of us loves it when we know an audience is enjoying our music and talking to those people or hearing how they felt and their feedback is so great. We’re hoping to start a mailing list soon so that we can keep in touch with our fans and let them know all the behind-the-instruments gossip! After our gig at the O2 in Oxford, we met three people who had come to see us again from watching us play the Oakford in Reading. That was pretty exciting for us so we hand-wrote them an invite to come to the band afterparty that night. They are very good friends of ours now and so supportive – it’s really wonderful.

7. What does your dream gig look like? Are there any bands you’re big fans of that you’d love to play with? Or maybe any favourite local bands you’d love to get as support acts?

Personally, I don’t have a dream gig, mostly because I’m not really sure what that would actually look like. It’s almost a question that’s got so many possible answers that I’m not sure which one I would prefer. Across the band we have a lot of different favourite artists so getting them all on one bill would be pretty hard! I think as long as we’re playing gigs where there is an audience enjoying themselves, then we’re pretty set.

8. What does the rest of the year after the album release hold for you, and looking towards 2017?

The rest of the year will hopefully hold a small tour across England to celebrate our album launch and then working on the next project. We’re hoping to really showcase our album and play some more venues and towns we’ve not yet had a chance to explore as a four piece band. We’ve got a lot to learn still and there is still a lot of work to be done as we are all moving into new stages in our lives, but it’s definitely going to become a bit more exciting in the next few months.

Oxford! Khamsina headline The Bullingdon for their album launch show on 18th September, but if you can't wait quite that long you can catch them supporting SEA + AIR next Sunday (4th September) at Ark T Centre.

Tig Digs: Roberto y Amigos 'Home in Your Heart'

Team Tigmus have been loving this Roberto y Amigos track lately - we thought it couldn't get better than the superb Monster Love EP that they launched at Oxford's Art Jericho show back in Feb, but the new tracks on their Soundcloud are proving us wrong!  

After brilliant support sets back in February and March at our Little Mammoths and Martin Harley shows, we're excited to have the guys back supporting at our homeplanetearth Oxford show on 16th September. With Jonny off to university this year it might be their last gig with him for a while (if you needed persuasion) so grab a ticket through the Tigmus site here. Polar Front and Little Red are also joining them on the night! 

If you can't wait that long... Robin and Jonny are also headlining The Bullingdon next Saturday (3rd September) with their other band, Neverlnd. More info on that show here.