Track of the week... Swallow Tailed - OAK

Munich-based band Swallow Tailed have released their new single "OAK" recently, and together with their first music video. We've been keeping a close eye on the band since running into them at Utopia Island Festival and are very happy to be able to bring you "OAK" as the 'Track of the week'. The single firmly underlines why we believe that it is only a matter of time before the band hit the big time and start playing internationally: an extremely catchy tune combined with vibrant synth sounds and outstanding vocals.

We hope the band aren't too perturbed by recent events concerning Munich bands in London and will soon take to the stage in the UK. Anyone looking for bands to book for festivals needn't look any further! The German Indie music scene is at its strongest for years, and it's down to bands like Swallow Tailed flying the flag. Listen to "OAK" now and let us know what you think!

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Swallow Tailed release new single OAK

Munich-based band Swallow Tailed have released their new single "OAK" together with their first music video.
We've been keeping a close eye on the band since running into them at Utopia Island festival and are very happy to be able to bring you "OAK". The single firmly underlines why we believe that it is only a matter of time before the band hit the big time and start playing internationally: an extremely catchy tune combined with vibrant synth sounds and outstanding vocals.

We hope the band aren't too perturbed by recent events concerning Munich bands in London (we're thinking of you, Claire) and will soon take to the stage in the UK.
Anyone looking for bands to book for festivals needn't look any further!



Benjamin Brown

It's All Indie meets HØWL London

Musicians have countless sources of inspiration: the people around them, the thought of playing in front of a sea of fans, nature, drugs - the list goes on and on.

One of our sources of inspiration is (and has been for quite some time) the Instagram account of London fashion label HØWL London. 

That's why we're ecstatic to be able to announce our collaboration with HØWL! What does this mean? From time to time It's All Indie and HØWL will release a mix tape - just for you! 

"It's All Indie meets HØWL London" is the first one. We've included tracks which have acted as a great source of inspiration for us lately - may many more follow! 

You can find the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page or here: It's All Indie meets HØWL London

If you're not only a big fan of indie music, but also feel constant wanderlust, you may want to keep an eye out for the travel blog I, Benjamin, am going to launch with HØWL London soon!

Swallow Tailed release new single and announce show

Munich band Swallow Tailed ('Introducing…' + Interview) have released their latest single 'Move'. The catchy indie tune takes off where their debut 'Warrior' EP left off: youthful, yet mature sounding indie-pop.

In my opinion the track sounds quite 'Foalsy', which is obviously good! Check it out below - you can also download it for free until tomorrow (6th December).



The band have also just announced a headline show at Munich's Muffathalle which will take place on January 5th. Swallow Tailed played their last show with founding member and drummer Lucas Haraped on November 29th and will now move on with new drummer Lenny.
We wish the young band all the best for their- no doubt- very, very bright future!

Introducing… Swallow Tailed (+Interview)

"It's actually my first festival - and I played on the main stage", a clearly excited Pia Kreissl tells me backstage at Utopia Island, a music festival near Munich (read our review here). "I always told my mum that one day I'd play on a main stage, but she just smiled and didn't really believe it would happen. Well today it has." When asked whether their set had lived up to the Swallow Tailed's bass player's expectations she exclaimed that everything was organised superbly and the band were made to feel very welcome. She went on to say that one could only hope to have organisers such as those at Utopia Island. So what other great experiences have the band had? "At our first gig...", drummer Lucas Haraped recalls. "We were one of 20 bands playing at a Munich club and there were 2000 people watching us. It was amazing!" Gigs like these and their debut EP "Warrior" soon attracted the interest of various labels.

Foto by Sebastian Mittermaier

Speaking to Pia and Lucas was as much fun as any interview gets. "You've found the right band", Lucas exclaims "we're probably the most-indie band around". Their biggest influences? Lucas promptly responds with Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals and Two Door Cinema Club. "And The 1975", Pia bursts in. "I'd love to be their supporting band one day." Well, judging by the potential of the band, who are still all teenagers, this may happen fairly soon. 

Don't get me wrong though: although the band are young their music sounds very mature. Vibrant, catchy indie tunes sitting right on the thin line between feel-good and slightly melancholic songs. Their debut EP "Warrior" has everything you could want from a decent indie-pop EP, and you should definitely check it out. Their song "The Suburbs", which is my favourite from the EP, wouldn't look out of place on a playlist with some of the biggest indie hits around.

For fans of: Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, Wolf Alice

The band posted a beautiful video on YouTube today, sharing impressions from their festival summer. Check it out here!

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Benjamin Brown

Festival Review... Utopia Island

On the 22nd and 23rd of August an aqua park in Moosburg (near Munich) was turned into the buzzing site of the UTOPIA ISLAND Modern Music Festival. The 8000 people-a-day festival saw mostly German bands perform, with one stage dedicated exclusively to regional talent. Here are some sets I'd like to tell you about. 

The first band I took in were Munich's teenage newcomers "Swallow Tailed". Their vibrant, melodic indie pop set provided a good start to the day's action on UTOPIA's Main Stage. I spoke to the band that evening and conducted my funniest interview to date. You will be able to read the interview and more about the band in this blog in the near future. 

"No festival could be complete without performances by Audiolith artists", the presenter on the Main Stage told the steadily growing crowd. Audiolith are a Hamburg record label with legendary status in Germany due to their great bands (you may know "Fuck Art, Let's Dance!") and leftist views. "So I'm pleased to announce our first Audiolith band of the festival - Captain Capa!", she continued. Their set got people dancing and laughing when, in the middle of their set, a teenage girl climbed onstage and asked them to play Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". "We aren't some party band or DJ", their singer told me afterwards about the incident. Unperturbed by the interruption the band carried on with their aggressive, energy-filled performance. 

Up next were another Munich band: Claire. Their Utopia set was the third time I've seen them live in as many months and I feel that they just go from strength to strength. Their dreamy intro gives way to one of the most energetic sets you'll find. The vibrancy flowing through their performances is perfectly displayed by the dancing of lead singer Josie-Claire Bürkle. Their set saw them play tracks from their debut album "The Great Escape". The crowd loved every minute of it: dancing away and singing along. Before starting their last song Josie-Claire told the crowd that Utopia had been one of their favourite sets of their long and busy festival season. Bands say this at every set, yet somehow I believed Claire... I also have some good news for fans of the band: Josie-Claire told me after their set that they'll be heading into the studio later this year. We'll keep you up to date on that. 

The following band have gone from German newcomers to international stars in a matter of months. You might be familiar with their name: Milky Chance. The duo were the first headliner to perform at the festival. Their set attracted a massive crowd who were clearly enjoying themselves. The duo combined their most famous songs with a host of new ones - while balloons and bubbles got caught in the lightshow, giving the performance a spectacular atmosphere. 

Press speaker Leonhard Mandl summarised the event perfectly by stating: "We're really happy about the weather. Sunshine and our lake go together very well. Our first headliner, Milky Chance, is playing ping pong with the volunteers, we didn't expect that so that's really cool. It's been a real success - everyone is feeling very good. "

Benjamin Brown