After a lengthy hiatus, Liverpool post-punk / indie rock stalwarts The Room are back to release the first new music recorded in 38 years. Originally formed in 1979 by singer Dave Jackson and bassist Becky Stringer, their new 'Restless Fate' LP was recorded and mixed at Ark Studios in Liverpool. Co-produced by Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band, Autour De Lucie, Echo & The Bunnymen), the album was released on 9x9 Records.

‘Restless Fate’ picks up where the band left off. At times shimmering, at times haunting, their melodic blend of progressive, alternative pop and sultry post-punk is just as relevant and captivating now as when they broke up in 1985. An exploration of man’s search for meaning and the dysfunction of the human condition, there is still a relentless optimism at the core of this record.

The Room also present the video for the album's lead single 'The Drift', created by Mark Jordan. Inspired by long peaceful walks during lockdown, contrasted with a sense of inevitable drifting apart and loss, Jackson reflects on how people come and go from our lives over the years in a beautiful melancholic tale of slow loss.

The Room earned the support of John Peel, with whom they recorded four sessions (Strange Fruit eventually released 'The Peel Session'), an appearance on 'The Whistle Test' show, and production support from Television's Tom Verlaine and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, Microdisney) on their 'In Evil Hour' LP (1984). Recordings from their two sessions for Janice Long's BBC Radio One programme and Saturday Live would be used for the band's final release while together - the 'Jackpot Jack' EP (1985). In 2004, the LTM label released the 'No Dream (Best Of)' compilation, followed by the 'Indoor Fireworks' LP, recorded in 1982 and released via Red Flame Records in 2005.

Past members include Robyn Oldlum, Clive Thomas, Alan Wills, Paul Cavanagh and Peter Baker. Having toured the UK and the USA, The Room has performed with The Fall, The Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Southern Death Cult, Violent Femmes, Tom Verlaine, John Foxx and The Red Guitars.

Following the band's split, Becky and Dave went on to form several other bands: Benny Profane, Dust and Dead Cowboys. Dave has also recorded under his own name and, most recently, he issued a string of releases as The Room in the Wood (with Paul Cavanagh).

Since lockdown, Dave and Becky reunited to record their new album under their original name, joined by guitarist Darren Brown, Becky's son Ethan Kyme on keyboards and drummer Tom McCabe.

"It's great to be working with Becky Stringer again and the infusion of new blood has produced an album we're proud of.  Live reaction to the new songs has been amazing. A recent trip to Manila to perform old songs by The Room with Filipino musicians at Sneak Attack was the first time I'd sung them since 1985. It's great to revisit old stuff, but writing new songs as The Room is where the excitement really lies. New Dreams from an island cursed by Restless Fate," says Dave Jackson.

"'Sleepless' is about addiction to media that keeps us on our phones and obsessed by trivia. 'Red Admiral' is a reflection on childhood with an implied murder mystery hidden in the picture. 'Kingdom' is an atheists hymn. 'Crying Face' is about a Facebook troll I know. 'Bull in the Doorway' is about the paintings of Francis Bacon. 'Mirror World' is an oblique response to a misinformation in the media. 'Cursed Islands' is about an island off the coast of Napoli and also the redundant World Islands in Dubai. 'Time Comes' was another response to lockdown. 'The Reeds' is about a bereaved swan on Prince's Park Lake."

The 'Restless Fate' album is out now, available digitally across fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon. It can also be obtained on CD and as a vinyl record via Liverpool-based 9x9 Records.

TRACK LIST
01   The Drift    
02   Red Admiral    
03   Sleepless    
04   Kingdom  
05   Time Comes    
06   The Reeds  
07    Dust Motes  
08    Mirror World    
09    Crying Face    
10   Cursed Islands    
11   Bull In The Doorway

Alternative pop duo The Yets present 'Fades To Gray', their latest slice of rich texture and dark delight from their recently-released self-titled EP, released via South Carolina indie imprint Royal Terns Records.

Highlighted by the gorgeous Cocteau Twins-inspired 'Letter To A Boy' and earlier singles 'Remember' and 'Lesser Evil', this six-track debut offering indie pop sensation and sonic temptation with a fresh, but seemingly familiar, adult alternative vibe.

The Yets is the creative union of Robin Wilson on vocals and guitarist-producer Craig Anderson Snook, who met when Robin returned to her home state after some years in Georgia.

“Our debut EP is basically a snapshot of life … ups, downs, ins, outs, happy, sad and everything in between. 'Fades to Gray' is simply about the beauty and frailty of life, metaphorically colored and fading.  It’s lyrically full of references; in color and motion.  Take for example the phrase "A picture painted thin", which points to the delicate balance of life which erodes with time as paint from a canvas and ultimately fades to gray," says Robin Wilson.

Craig Anderson Snook adds, “We hope the video adds depth and perspective to the message of the song. Life is precious, fragile, and short ... the soul is universal, strong and eternal. We’re already working on the next album … can’t wait to see you there!”

Based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, their music combines elements of ethereal pop and popular rock classics with a sound embracing Fleetwood Mac and Cocteau Twins in equal measure. Breeding and bearing a distinct Americana lining, this EP is an emotively cast and atmospherically delightful proposition.

Haunting, dynamic and smooth, The Yets transform the classic to contemporary, counting Roxy Music, David Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cult, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd and even Soundgarden among their musical influences.

Craig Anderson Snook has performed semi-professionally since he was 13. His musical passion led him beyond cover bands into composition, arrangement, audio engineering, production and ultimately to running his own Royal Terns Records label and studio, where he recorded, mixed and produced the new EP.

After being immersed in the music scene while in high school, Robin found her way to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she fronted the goth-rock band Bachelors of Art (B.O.A.). Upon relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, she fronted the female alt-rock group Skirt, touring the USA extensively and supporting numerous high profile acts.

'The Yets' EP is out now, streamable via Spotify and available to order, digitally or on CD, directly from the band via Bandcamp.

Art pop band Elk City offers their latest audio-visual delight 'Don't You Wanna Try', an anti-anthem for anyone living outside of societal norms. This is a stunning slice of what is on offer on their recently released 'Above The Water' album, out now via Magic Door Record Label. This follows 'Floating Above The Water', these two videos filmed by H. Robert Escurel during the band's life performance at Union Pool in Brooklyn.

Drummer-producer Ray Ketchem and vocalist-artist Renée LoBue have helmed Elk City since 2000, opening new chapters into their sound across 5 albums and 3 EPs. But with their 2022 LP, Above the Water, they’ve abandoned the script altogether, and that has everything to do with the group’s current lineup, which features guitarists Sean Eden (Luna), Chris Robertson (Psychedelic Furs side project Feed) and bassist Richard Baluyut (Versus).

"Putting music first was never a question for me, yet some around me questioned my choices. As years went on, the same people would tell me how I’ve inspired them for sticking to me creative guns. I’ve always known there is no blueprint for what a woman should want out of life. We are not all the same. The meat of the lyrics appear at the song’s end, “In another way I can be a light - for all those who doubt," says Renée LoBue.

Ray Ketchem adds, "We were harnessing real anger and conversely finding strength. The song is about believing that you can be whatever you want in this world by discounting judgement of people who don’t understand you. The distorted sludge of the fuzz bass blossoms and reveals inner beauty as Renee exclaims “I can be a light for all those who doubt!".

It’s always nighttime in Elk City - the same nighttime where Big Star liked to see the people. The same nighttime where that ol’ killing moon often comes too soon. The 'Above the Water' LP is that particular stripe of evocative post-everything rock ‘n’ roll, exalted and earthy at once, revelling in the joy of experience. Because that’s exactly how these songs got written in the first place - the band jammed until they existed.

Earlier, the band released the Suzanne Vega-esque confessional single 'Apology Song', upbeat introspective lead track 'That Someone' and the laid-back and philosophical 'Your Time Doesn't Exist'.

A new chapter in the Montclair, NJ band’s evolution, the new album is vibrant, raw-edged and bold, showcasing a new guitar-rich lineup. Released via the newly-launched Magic Door Record Label, founded by Guided by Voices drummer Kevin March with Ketchem and LoBue with a simple mission to release music created by the rich community of artists who surround them, this album reveals the band’s North Jersey roots and lineage with The Feelies, Yo La Tengo (with whom they share a former label, Bar/None) and Luna (with whom they share a guitarist).
 
‘Above the Water’ was recorded, mixed and mastered at Ketchem’s Magic Door Recording, opened in 2017 as an acoustically lush refuge for musical expression and experimentation. Ketchem, whose production credits include Guided By Voices, Luna and Gramercy Arms, partnered with legendary studio designer George Augspurger to transform a cavernous warehouse into a freeform studio where vintage microphones, modern studio gear, and bespoke sound tuning elevate and inspire.
 
The 'Above The Water' LP is out now, available across fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify, as well as Bandcamp. On March 4, Elk City presents a night of female-fronted bands with friends Girls on Grass and Creek and Kills at the intimate Windjammer in Ridgewood, Queens (552 Grandview Ave, Queens, NY).

healthyliving is now streaming the first single, “Galleries,”  off "Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief", their concise and direct full-length debut, funded by Creative Scotland and will be co-released on 7 April, 2023 by the band and La Rubia Producciones, followed by a debut live performance this April at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in Tilburg.

The trio consists of long-time collaborators and friends who met through the European underground metal scene — Amaya López-Carromero (Maud the moth), Scott McLean (Falloch, Ashenspire), and Stefan Pötzsch. Having worked on various musical projects together for years, the members’ artistic and personal connection coalesced organically and fuelled a small transnational collective across Scotland, Spain, and Germany.

Of the first track, “Galleries,” vocalist and lyricist Amaya says: 
“Scott made an amazing video for it, using some clips I had taken from our rehearsal space in Germany during one of our first rehearsals. The lyrics on the song make reference to this physical space and building, and what it signified for us at that time; mostly new beginnings, hope and choices to be made in our lives - not just at band level. I think the video is deeply significant.”

Artistically, healthyliving draws from the beauty and horror of the banal to create a kaleidoscopic and evocative musical world which commutes across genre borders. The album, Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief, covers “everyday emotions which are apparently unrelated and mundane” but were chosen for their ability to represent common ground we all share as humans. Indeed, the band themselves describe their music as the soundtrack to “digesting our humanity”, coming to terms with the hopes and fears we all share.

A nocturnal haze of guitar layers lap like mammoth waves, as healthyliving taps into something primal and transfixing with their hypnotic sound. Amaya’s eerie and cosmic vocals sit atop the storm, leaving the listener to find pure human vulnerability and emotion in frequently turbulent and unfettered vocal turns.

Vocalist Amaya expands, “The magic of musical composition/songwriting for me lies in its capacity to create worlds outside of reality where both performers and listeners can explore and process things. A sort of microholiday from everyday life or an exciting meditative state, so I hope that we can share this experience with anyone who listens to the album.”

healthyliving honour this natural connection; something which is reflected in the simplicity, rawness and immediateness of their approach to songwriting. “Whenever an idea was found to be inspiring the whole song and structure needed to be written and finished within the same session.” says guitarist Scott. “Going back to work on it later or changing it was not allowed.” It’s a testament to the band’s conviction in instinct over pre-planning. Stefan confirms - I’m into things being quite straightforward and intuitive despite the distance between us.”

Amaya continues, “All of the lyrics were written using free-association of the music with memories, or emotions that popped into my head in a dream-like manner.” She continues, “I titled “To The Gallows” first, as a summary of the main and oppressive feeling of the song; being stuck in a seamless feedback cycle of abuse that keeps repeating itself in a sisyphus-like vein. “To The Fields'' has an opposing energy, invoking growth, vulnerability and hope.”

The Scottish community from which the band mainly operate (and where Scott and Amaya still reside) is clearly of utmost importance to the band. The three members of Healthyliving appear in other Scottish musical projects - Ashenspire, Falloch, Maud the moth, All Men Unto Me - are included. “The community has taken a really long time to form and it’s amazing that now there is so much going on around it.” says Scott. “The best thing is being able to create such a wide variety of music with close friends. There is something happening nearly everyday in relation to our little community of musicians which is really incredible and exciting.”

Amaya adds, “Feeling part of an artist community is absolutely crucial to survive long term and have any chance of thriving as an independent artist. When I lived in Madrid, I would go to lots of local shows and felt a relevant part of the scene there, even if there were not many opportunities for us regarding international activity or funding. It was slightly heartbreaking having to start again from 0 when I moved to the UK. Although I stayed in contact with all my friends back in Spain it took me a long time to find my footing again and the right people with a shared vision here in the UK.”

Stefan adds, “lest we forget the connection I feel as a friend and fellow musician to Amaya and Scott.” He adds this answer from his home in Germany, “It feels really effortless and rewarding.”

Amaya concludes, “I love connecting people together, and collaborating with others, so I am hoping to build something across the two countries; a mega-scene defined by shared interests and motivations rather than by geographical location.”