[SOUNDS OF 2016] #10 - Blaenavon

Having had a pretty successful 2015, supporting Foals for example, the band released their "Miss World" EP back in late October via Transgressive Records. The "Miss World" EP is produced by David Pye (Wild Beasts, Egyptian Hip Hop) and mixed by Dan Grech (Radiohead, Wolf Alice, Circa Waves), and what made it all that exciting was that it was recorded during a school half term. That little bit in the PR emails really got me, I mean, they're singed to one of the biggest Independent record labels in the UK and they're still only young!

The "Miss World" EP was well received and since then they've been showing their potential to everyone, we first picked up on them back in September 2014 and since then they've been well and truly on our radar, and with an album being talked about in 2016 I can definitely seeing them go a long way, especially with the Transgressive label behind then! What makes 2016 start off with a bang for them is that they'll be supporting Bloc Party at Village Underground in London on the 26th of January.

When Josh went on down to see the band earlier on this year he said this about the band - Live they are one of the tightest units around and fit snugly amongst the likes of Dry The River themselves and The Maccabees. "Denim Patches" brews slowly, with Ben Gregory's vocals wavering like latter's frontman, Orlando Weeks. Other crowd favourite, 'Into The Night' shifts through picky riffs and drummer Harris McMillan turns tribal on the drums.

SO 2016, meet Blaenavon, 2016 meet Blaenavon.

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[PIAS] Nites reveal new gigs with Bloc Party, TOY, Blaenavon and more

The birth of the UK event in January 2015 saw two sold-out shows featuring the likes of The Fat White Family, Ghostpoet and Teleman at Village Underground.

Twelve months on sees a similarly varied line-up that includes the return of Infectious’ Bloc Party, much vaunted newcomers Wichita’s Oscar and Blaenavon from the Transgressive stable alongside Play It Again Sam’s newly signed FEWS. Representing Heavenly Recordings are TOY whilst recent addition to the Stolen Recordings roster, Thomas Cohen completes the line-up.

25th January 2016
TOY // Oscar // Thomas Cohen
Tickets priced at £12.50 (stbf), go on sale at 9.00am on Friday 4th December

26th January 2016
Bloc Party // Blaenavon // FEWS
Tickets priced at £27.50 (stbf) go on sale on Friday 4th December

Tickets are available from www.rockfeedback.com

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[LISTEN] Blaenavon - Dragons

Blaenavon have today shared a very laid back new track in the shape of "Dragons", thus completing their EP - which is available to stream on their soundcloud page. Their EP is released via Transgressive Records (one of my favourite labels) on October 30th.

Discussing "Dragon", frontman Benjamin Gregory offered the following; - "We wrote this tune a couple of years ago. Dragon started as a solo piano piece, and we first tried it as a band in one of Mr Ogley's music lessons - he liked it so we knew it was a gem. We really developed it at the Bryn Derwen studio in North Wales, though. It's quite a mystical environment there; an old chapel nestled amongst the Welsh mountains. David Pye is a wizard and we think his influence comes through best on this recording. Frank found that killer synth sound at that back of the college music cupboard, covered with a layer of rust and then a layer of dust - and then another layer of rust. We were thrilled with the results."

[LISTEN] Blaenavon - Destiny's Mind

The band have announced a new London headline show at The Lexington for February 2016, they've also announced a string of new shows with Foals and Oscar on their respective upcoming UK tours with shows also with Songhoy Blues, The Districts and Palace coming up too. SO one thing's for sure, the band will be playing a lot of shows in the coming months!

Today sees the band reveal their new track "Destiny's Mind" which is lifted from their forthcoming "Miss World" EP, out 30th October on Transgressive Records. The "Miss World" EP is produced by David Pye (Wild Beasts, Egyptian Hip Hop) and mixed by Dan Grech (Radiohead, Wolf Alice, Circa Waves), recorded during a school half term.

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Interview with... Blaenavon

Blaenavon have become renowned as the band who doesn't release music. Almost eighteen months since their last release, the KOSO EP, they say things are about to change.

With a handful of festivals on the horizon, a debut album nearing completion and school left to one side, the trio are finally making use of their musical abilities. Tonight at The Leadmill in Sheffield they support Dry The River on an intimate UK tour but unlike some support acts, they leave the crowd wanting more of them rather than the headline band.

Live they are one of the tightest units around and fit snuggingly amongst the likes ofDry The River themselves and The Maccabees. 'Denim Patches' brews slowly, with Ben Gregory's vocals wavering like latter's frontman, Orlando Weeks. Other crowd favourite, 'Into The Night' shifts through picky riffs and drummer Harris McMillan turns tribal on the drums.

The crowd are treated to a taste of new tracks to come with thicker bass lines and strings that ring more like synths in what sounds like older influences from The Cure. 'Swans' is the highlight though, and despite it being first played before the band had even accomplished puberty, it's lullaby opening is a throwback to The Maccabees 'Toothpaste Kisses'. It's a wailing love song and far too mature for their youthful souls but a sure sign that their album to come could be a dark horse to say the least.

I had the chance to talk to the band just moments before they went on stage and they revealed more information about the album, their thoughts on the Brits and misleading song names.

Listen below:


By Josh Shreeve (@JJShreeve)

Daily Download... Blaenavon - Wunderkind (The Antlers Remix)

Much has been made of the youthful exuberance of Blaenavon - developed through their final school years through the classic releases "Into the Night" and the 'Koso' EP… but the hints of a band moving into a position of realising their enormous potential are visible in this remix from Darby of School of Night/The Antlers.

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