Dan Buchanan - Voice, Casiotone and Glockenspiel Jessica del Rio - Guitars and Voice Graeme Moorcroft - Bass Andrew Aitken - Drums James del Rio - Guitars
Email the band: theraceuk@hotmail.com
MANAGEMENT: Roy Eldridge roy@royeldridge.demon.co.uk
LIVE BOOKINGS: Clive Underhill-Smith clive@mainstageartists.com
PRESS enquiries: Pete Bassett and Jay Taylor at Quite Great jay@quitegreat.co.uk
RADIO and TV enquiries: Dylan White dylan@dylanwhite.co.uk
New limited edition 'In My Head It Works' T-shirt available now!
Influences
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Strokes, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, The Cure, Pixies, Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Bloc Party, Kings of Leon, Jeff Buckley, Doves...
It all seems like such a long time ago now. Back in 2004, Dan Buchanan (voice, Casiotone and glockenspiel), Jessica del Rio (guitars and voice), James del Rio (guitars), Graeme Moorcroft (bass) and Andrew Aitken (drums) formed a band in their hometown of Reading. Things moved quickly. Their demo found its way into the hands of legendary Oxford indie Shifty Disco, who released two tracks from it as the band’s debut single. The record found its way onto Radio 1, 6 Music and XFM and the band suddenly found themselves playing festivals and supporting the likes of Supergrass and The Spinto Band. By the time their debut album ‘Be Your Alibi’ was released in 2006, they had won legions of fans and favourable reviews courtesy of NME and The Fly, among others.
Two years later they return with ‘In My Head It Works’. Produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers/Idlewild) it takes the band’s anthemic songs and gives them a stadium-sized sheen. Not that they’re intending to play Wembley any time soon. “These days we’re less interested in trying to appeal to the masses,” says Dan, the band’s ever-pragmatic frontman. “We have a little more experience and perspective on life in general and a clearer idea of who we are as a band, so we’re more interested in connecting with the people who seem drawn to the music we make. We’re not trying to please everyone.”
Musically, The Race are often likened to bands such as Arcade Fire and The National. Dan doesn’t necessarily disagree, but claims the band are “too skint” to listen to much contemporary music and says that the biggest influence on the band over the past couple of years has been a bit more straightforward. “Just two more years of life,” he says. “Not just the people around us that we love, but people and situations that have nothing to do with us, stuff that’s going on around the world both good and bad. The song ‘Gloves’ on the new album is about this. I work in a hospital and it’s a huge source of inspiration to me. Playing in front of crowds who love your music is ultimately a little pointless if there’s nothing else to you.”
This admirable attitude is something that characterises the The Race’s entire approach to the music business, or whatever’s left of it in 2009. Long-term fans of the band will feel even closer to ‘In My Head It Works’ as many of them helped to finance it after Shifty Disco set up a stakeholder fund and got people to buy the 1,000 units at £25 a go, in exchange for a share of the record’s success. This brave new approach seems so much more genuine than corporate sponsorship and other such shortcuts to stardom taken by most so-called indie bands today. “For me, that’s what it’s all about,” says Dan. “It’s having people come out to see us or buying our records because they have connected with the songs, not because they’ve seen an advert or have had our music shoved down their throats. That’s what we aspire to.”
And that’s exactly why The Race are a sound investment in so many ways.
"endearingly awkward... couldn't be more triumphalistic if they soundtracked Brandon Flowers taking a unicorn for a victory lap round a paddock" NME
"the band are definitely firing on all cylinders, get into them now before everybody else does" Clash
"excellently executed... outshine other bands........ Dirty, subdued riffs, spindly chords... I listened in awe... contains a dirty penchant for the extrovert" Artrocker
"this band delivers. If the Pixies shacked up with The Arcade Fire and then threw in a bit of Bloc Party for good measure, 'In My Head It Works' would be the hybrid love-child. ...twinkling, mesmerising with enough grunge sensibility to give this band the edge." RockSound
"As bold and big-hearted as The Waterboys in the Grand Canyon, it's vaulting ambition meets ruddy big choruses coming the other way. ...roars majestically. Intriguing moments of punk interrupt" Channel 4, Planet Sound
"it's really very good. ...the elegiac nature of the lyrics and the soaring guitars of the del Rios make this [an album] which owes a debt to many, from Arcade Fire to Simple Minds. If the race is on for successful rock with balls and brains, then it's already been won" AU
"Akin to Editors, Interpol and White Lies....Floor-tom heavy with a rolling bass the guitars are alternatively choppy then floating on a Chameleons-like tide of echoing, chiming, glassy effects." Q
The Race will be featured on this weekend’s “Road Trip” episode of Undiscovered, airing 6/28.
Listen on: KBRE in Merced, California; WHBR in Parkersburg, West Virginia; WAMX in Huntington/Ashland, West Virginia; WAQX in Syracuse, New York; and WTFX in Louisville, Kentucky Three of our affiliates stream their signal on-line so you can hear the show from anywhere (links on our website)
Undiscovered- we bring Indie music to broadcast radio!
SUONI INDIPENDENTI DAL SOTTOBOSCO è in fase di aggiornamento www.muzikfest.tk già presenti tutte le indicazioni per aderire entro il 30 giugno all'evento previsto per giovedì 6 agosto Spiaggia San Marco Calatabiano CT
Just stopping by to say hello and give you some news. The new album 'Coolgilly and the Freakshow' from Centascope is now available worldwide from CD Baby and also directly from the merchandise page of the official website. You can also get the album from Apple iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon and many more.
Date Friday MAY 29TH Venue Rising Sun Arts Centre 30 Silver Street Reading RG1Doors 8pm ALL AGES Tax £5 door or £$ advance www.wegottickets.com / flyerHUNTING THE SHY (Big Black/Leonard Cohen/Grandaddy) www.myspace.com/hunttheshyTHE BLACK HEART ORCHESTRA (Rapeman/13th Floor Elevators/Birthday Party) www.myspace.com/theblackheartorchestraTILEHURST CHILDRENS ARKESTRA (Explosions in The Sky/Slint/Mogwai) www.myspace.com/tilehurstarkestra This is a gig NOT a roast dinner
Hi, Just to let you know I will be playing your music Tuesday on my show on www.HGRNJ.org between 12 noon and 3 pm Eastern Time ( 5-8 pm England or 6-9 pm Central Europe Time). I hope you can tune in, if you miss the show you can Check out my Playlist link on my MySpace page and let me know what you think! cheers sher "Sher Delight"
Club Velocity with BlahBlah presents READING ON FIRE (CELEBRATING THE BEST IN NEW LOCAL TALTENT) Saturday June 13th 2009 at Plugnplay 35 Milford Road Reading RG1 Doors 8pm Tax £5 door £4 advance www.wegottickets.com MIDIMIDIS (Two piece 8 bit punks, creating music like no one else. Championed by Eddy Temple-Morris/Frank Musisk/Your mother) MR FOGG ("Astounding," Tom Robinson 6 Music "Ace,ace,ace," Huw Stephens (Radio 1)) OM CORPORATION (Like no other band around. They may only have a cello, drums and an acoustic, but these guys rock HARD!) VIENNA DITTO ("Portishead doing a Taranito soundtrack," Huw Stephens Radio 1) Shitty Limits djs Bring yr mum!!!
Everyone at indiecater records would like to wish you a happy summer and let you know that there is an indiepop song from the Very Most available to download FREE from our site! http://www.indiecater.com
Hi, Just to let you know I will be playing your music Tuesday on my show on www.HGRNJ.org between 12 noon and 3 pm Eastern Time ( 5-8 pm England or 6-9 pm Central Europe Time). I hope you can tune in, if you miss the show you can Check out my Playlist link on my MySpace page and let me know what you think! cheers sher "Sher Delight"
Hi guys great tunes. You may have been added or have added yourself to The Toniks as a friend.
If you have not have a chance to listen to our music as yet, feel free to pop by and say hi and have a listen, and let us know what you think of the new recordings?
We also have a mailing list, if you wish to join, just ad your prefered e-mail address on the ReverbNation banner on our front page for the latest new on The Toniks.
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for the add! We really appreciate it. Maybe we'll play a show you can come to sometime. Ya never know! Thanks again and have a great week! Cannon
Hi, Just to let you know I will be playing your music Tuesday on my show on www.HGRNJ.org between 12 noon and 3 pm Eastern Time ( 5-8 pm England or 6-9 pm Central Europe Time). I hope you can tune in, if you miss the show you can Check out my Playlist link on my MySpace page and let me know what you think! cheers sher "Sher Delight"
Hi, Just to let you know I will be playing your music Tuesday on my show on www.HGRNJ.org between 12 noon and 3 pm Eastern Time ( 5-8 pm England or 6-9 pm Central Europe Time). I hope you can tune in, if you miss the show you can Check out my Playlist link on my MySpace page and let me know what you think! cheers sher "Sher Delight"
Thanks for the friendship!! Keep rockin' and much love and success always!!
**** Check me out at: **** www.myspace.com/broadcastasylum www.broadcastasylum.com Rebroadcasts available on iTunes Half A Million Listeners ROCK With Us! ~
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