2008 saw the release of HEY NEGRITA’s third studio album ‘You Can Kick’, appearances at numerous festivals (including Glastonbury, SXSW, Latitude, Cambridge Folk Festival, The End Of The Road Festival and Bestival), plus a support slot for The Beach Boys in Germany. The band also embarked on a 14-date UK headline tour and starred in the award-winning British music documentary ‘We Dreamed America’.
The video for the single ‘Room Service Part 2 (The Last Thing That I Do)’ received over 650,000 views on Youtube, reaching No. 3 in the daily Youtube chart.
Inspired by the recordings of several of their recent acoustic BBC sessions (including their appearance on the Bob Harris Show on Radio 2), HEY NEGRITA decided to end the year by recording a live acoustic album titled BURN THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN, with producer and long time friend, Richie Kayvan.
“The idea was to cut as many tracks as we could in five hours without any overdubs or edits. We just sat in a circle and put some microphones up. We didn’t even bother with headphones. We wanted to capture the band exactly how we sound when we’re playing for friends in the kitchen.”
HEY NEGRITA recently introduced their acoustic line up at Canadian Music Week in Toronto, SXSW in Texas and at the Bergen Music Festival and Vinstra Country Festival in Norway.
The band is also scheduled to record a new studio album over the next few months.
BURN THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN is out on October 5th.
Here are some of the things people have said about our music:
A joyful sourmash-sodden affair. One of the main talking points of this year's SXSW festival in Austin. Mojo
If Clint Eastwood were a band he’d be this one. Unpeeled
No other act has such a biting lyrical edge. Songs of this quality just dont happen every day. Blues Matters
Fabulous acoustic Americana. Play loud when you’re driving through the mid-West or anywhere else the pickup takes you. Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2)
A band that can genuinely claim to have a unique sound. The lyrics are blade sharp, cutting straight to the heart. Maverick
London's Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Austin Chronicle
Beautifully detailed songs. Daily Mirror
The Pogues of country. American Statesman
Intensely personal and refreshingly honest, like slipping on your favourite jeans. The Sun
Sung with feeling and dripping with emotion. The music just takes you. Chris Coco (BBC Radio 1)
A breath of fresh air in amongst shoe-gazing guitar bands. Music Week
Best Southern-fried music, dark but melodic Americana.
Sometimes Dylan, sometimes Tom Waits. Sunday Express
Delightful acoustic-driven country rock full of insidious melodies and harmonies. Classic Rock
A strong brew of mixed styles, all informed by their talent and extreme lives lived. Clash
Never has a romantic meltdown sounded so good! The Critic
Who would have thought that the old west would have collided so spectacularly with England's very own capital? Rock City
Can't stop humming these irresistable tunes. Americana UK
I love Hey Negrita. It goes with beer. Billy Butler, BBC Merseyside
Buy Hey Negrita online from these fine establishments -
Hey guys, Great music and the video work for "One Mississippi" is very impressive. I blogged it to give you some promotion on my dotcom and found it on dailymotion. Nice work, can you share what program the animation was done in?
Great music! Thanks for your friendship, and welcome aboard the Redline ship. Looking forward to sharing the journey ahead with you. Take Care, and thanks again. Peace,
How did the rest of your States tour go? It was great to meet you in Toronto. Do you have wheels and TM sorted for your up and coming shows?
Let me know if you need me. We can offer Bus, Driver, TM and Tech all in one person and for reasonable rates. Check out our brand new splitters - they are beautiful.