PET NEEDS new single 'Overcompensating' // Watch video // Tour dates summer 2021 with Frank Turner and Xtra Mile labelmates

PET NEEDS release their new single ‘Overcompensating’, complete with video that you can watch below. This is their latest cut from debut album ‘Fractured Party Music’, released in March (buy the album on vinyl, CD and download here).

PET NEEDS joins Xtra Mile Recordings’ tour series of one-day festival shows dubbed ‘The Gathering’ after headliner Frank Turner’s new single. Dates are below.

‘Overcompensating’ finds frontman Johnny Marriott exasperating about the contrived expectations of happiness in the modern age.

“The whole tune was built around the line "we'll laugh about this one day (separately and at the expense of each other)"” says Johnny. “It then grew into a story about a desperate attempt to prove to people that life is brilliant when in reality we all have rough days and we're all vulnerable at times. To any old friends who think they may have influenced this song - don't worry! It's almost definitely purely fictitious.”

Delivered at 100mph and packing a moshpit-primed punch guaranteed to leave you dazed, it’s a track described by the band as “the ultimate Fractured Party song”. Catchy, euphoric, heavy and disconcerting, “Overcompensating” is just the latest in a string of head-turning singles in 2021 including the BBC6 Music-championed ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’ and ‘Toothpaste’.

Working with Frank Turner in the studio to capture their explosive live sound to record for their debut album, PET NEEDS are now set to support the folk/punk artists on stage this summer as they join the line-up of ‘The Gathering’ outdoor shows. Performing ‘Overcompensating’ and more from ‘Fractured Party Music’ for the first time since its release, catch PET NEEDS letting off steam and in their element at the following dates and venues.

PET NEEDS @ ‘THE GATHERING’ - Tickets for all shows here

JUNE 2021

19 Bideford @ The Big Sheep
26 Frome @ Cheese & Grain
27 Frome @ Cheese & Grain

JULY 2021

08 Liverpool @ Top Rope Brewery - competition winners only
17 Gloucester @ Llanthony Secunda Priory
18 Gloucester @ Llanthony Secunda Priory

AUGUST 2021

21 Manchester @ Urmston Sports Club (full band show)

SEPTEMBER 2021

3 Hull @ Zebedees Yard

Johnny Lloyd releases new album 'La La La' on 16 July 2021 // Preorder on CD and gold vinyl //Listen to new single '2367'

Johnny Lloyd will release his third solo album ‘La La La’ on 16 July 2021 through Xtra Mile. Preorder the album on CD and gold-coloured vinyl. Listen to the first single from the new album, ‘2367’, below.

Hot on the heels of his stately soundtrack for ‘Rare Beasts’, Johnny Lloyd’s ‘La La La’ follows 2019’s ‘Next Episode Starts In 15 Seconds’ and 2020’s ‘Cheap Medication’, finding the Tribes frontman and film composer on track with his pledge to continue writing an album a year.

On typically prolific form, ‘La La La’ features 14 brand new tracks, produced by Max Clilverd, Johnny and Nathan Coen (the latter of whom co-wrote the ‘Rare Beasts’ OST) and further mixed and mastered by Frank Turner. With the songs predominantly dating back to a songwriting purple-patch between ‘Next Episode...’ and ‘Cheap Medication’, the album was finalised by Johnny during sessions at his Dorset home earlier this year.

Though written during the darkest of winter days in January 2021, you’ll hear no-such bleakness in the arrangements of this latest collection; especially so in the case of its summer-y, sun-kissed lead single: ‘2367’.

Shedding light on the track, Johnny says:

“I’ve had this riff for a long time. The song (‘2367’) was lyrically more abstract, musically more complicated and it goes down that slightly 70s groove-based sound. it didn’t sound like anything else I’ve ever done before. It really pops.”

Offering a more situational and less personal style of songwriting than in previous releases, ‘La La La’ is a record that finds Lloyd more comfortable in his own skin than ever and in inquisitive form. Alongside fine examples of the kind of tender acoustic ballads that Lloyd does so well (‘Night Guard’, ‘Don’t Swim Stoned’), there’s dashes of electronica (‘Joypolis’) and pepperings of Nashville-preened country, such as on the harmonica-driven ‘Beautiful World’, or the pedal-steel arranged ‘It’s On You’; Cure-esque new wave (‘Perfect Body’) to stripped-back ukulele folk songs (‘Moments On Earth’), and much, much more.

Closing the set is the retro-styled rock jam of ‘God Bless Ronnie Wood’, a track that signs off ‘La La La’ with a rousing homage to the iconic Stones axeman. As Johnny says:

“Ronnie Wood is my ultimate hero. He’s the ultimate kind of guitarist in that he plays for the band. In the 70s when everyone in the Stones was trying to play up front, he just really slotted in perfectly. I just love him, so I wrote this song about him. It’s about keeping your chin-up and carrying on, which I think Ronnie would always represent. He keeps the mood upbeat and carries on and has a laugh doing it.”

Since bursting onto the scene in 2010 as frontman of indie-rock outfit Tribes, Johnny Lloyd has gone on to establish himself as a prolific solo artist and esteemed film composer. Alongside his solo studio output, Johnny has also contributed music for numerous TV and film productions including ‘Frank of Ireland’, ‘Sex Education’, ‘Legacy of Lies’, ‘After Life’, plus the Sky Atlantic series ‘I Hate Suzie’. Releasing the official motion picture soundtrack for Billie Piper’s critically acclaimed ‘Rare Beasts’ film earlier this year, Lloyd is also planning new material and shows with the recently reactivated Tribes, with a date fixed at the Kentish Town O2 Forum on 4 December 2021 (tickets).

Frank Turner 'England Keep My Bones' - Tenth Anniversary Edition out 4 June 2021 on coloured vinyl

Xtra Mile Recordings will release the tenth anniversary edition of Frank Turner’s fourth studio album ‘England Keep My Bones’ on coloured vinyl, out 4 June 2021. Preorder links for different regions below.

The double vinyl package comes complete with refreshed artwork and a download code containing exclusive album demos from Blacksmith Studios, Portsmouth. One vinyl contains the album while the second inlcudes never-before-released El Paso session demos.

Wherever you are in the world, the links below will take you to the vinyl you are looking for!

Xtra Mile Recordings webstore exclusive - transparent yellow vinyl

• Within the UK

• Outside the UK

Xtra Mile Recordings webstore exclusive ‘England Keep My Bones’ tenth anniversary edition transparent yellow

European exclusive for indie stores - transparent green vinyl

• Coretex

Europe indie exclusive ‘England Keep My Bones’ tenth anniversary edition transparent green vinyl

UK exclusive for indie shops - opaque green vinyl

• Banquet Records

• Resident Records

UK indie exclusive ‘England Keep My Bones’ tenth anniversary edition opaque green vinyl

North America indie store exclusive - opaque yellow (this will release later in June-July 2021)

Link to follow soon.

North America indie store exclusive ‘England Keep My Bones’ tenth anniversary edition opaque yellow

Rest of the world – standard black

Preorder from your local record shop or web store.

Rest of the world: ‘England Keep My Bones’ tenth anniversary edition standard black vinyl

‘England Keep My Bones’ - Tenth Anniversary Edition double vinyl tracklisting:

Vinyl 1

1. Eulogy
2. Peggy Sang The Blues
3. I Still Believe
4. Rivers
5. I Am Disappeared
6. English Curse
7. One Foot Before The Other
8. If Ever I Stray
9. Wessex Boy
10. Nights Become Days
11. Redemption
12. Glory Hallelujah

Vinyl 2

1. Eulogy (El Paso Demo)
2. Peggy Sang The Blues (El Paso Demo)
3. I Am Disappeared (El Paso Demo)
4. English Curse (El Paso Demo)
5. One Foot Before The Other (El Paso Demo)
6. If Ever I Stray (El Paso Demo)
7. Redemption (El Paso Demo)
8. Song For Eva Mae (El Paso Demo)
9. Wanderlust (El Paso Demo)
10. Balthazar, Impresario (El Paso Demo)

Download code only - England Keep My Bones solo B-Sides recorded at Old Blacksmiths Studios

Barbara Allen (a capella)
Eulogy (Acoustic)
If Ever I Stray (Acoustic)
Glory Hallelujah (Acoustic)
Song For Eva Mae (Acoustic)
Wessex Boy (Acoustic)
I Am Disappeared (Acoustic)
Balthazar Impresario (Acoustic)
Peggy Sang The Blues (Acoustic)
I Still Believe (Acoustic)
One Foot Before The Other (Acoustic)
Nights Become Days (Acoustic)
Redemption (Acoustic)
Rivers (Acoustic)
Wanderlust (Acoustic)

Johnny Lloyd and Nathan Coen release soundtrack for new Billie Piper film 'Rare Beasts' out 21 May 2021 // Preorder now // Watch the video for 'Without You in My Life'

The soundtrack to Billie Piper’s new film ‘Rare Beasts’ is composed by long-time writing partners Johnny Lloyd and Nathan Coen and will be released by Xtra Mile Recordings on 21 May 2021. Pre order it here on digital and vinyl. Listen and watch the video to its first single ‘Without You in My Life’.

‘Rare Beasts’ is written and directed by and stars Billie Piper. The original soundtrack (OST) features 12 brand new compositions exclusive to ‘Rare Beasts’. The score also includes Johnny’s single ‘Next Episode Starts In 15 Seconds’ - the title track to his debut solo album, also out on Xtra Mile - which was written around the time of filming and features prominently at the climax of the film.

Speaking about the ‘Rare Beasts’ OST, Johnny says:

“‘Rare Beasts’ we started about three years ago now. Billie sent us the script and we came up with several different concepts at first. It was very much driven by romance and there’s a splash of French Riviera in there. I wanted it to be diverse. It’s a very unusual record as a whole. As a collection of songs, I definitely think it's the best thing that me and Nathan have done.”

Writing the music in direct response to the film edits as they saw them, the ‘Rare Beasts’ OST infuses grandiose baroque-pop arrangements with grittier contemporary sounds to provide an eclectic palette of sounds Johnny praises as “bonkers”. The cinematic works of Harry Nilsson (whose work featured prominently in ‘Midnight Cowboy’) and the oeuvre of celebrated film composer John Brion (‘Punch Drunk Love’, ‘Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind’) are also cited as key reference points.

The ‘Rare Beasts’ soundtrack is the latest in a long line of of collaborations for Johnny and Nathan. Alongside production for Johnny’s solo studio output (‘Next Episode Starts in 15 Seconds’, ‘Cheap Medication’), Nathan has partnered with Johnny in contributed music for numerous productions including ‘Frank of Ireland’, ‘Sex Education’, ‘Legacy of Lies’, ‘After Life’, and the recent hit Sky Atlantic show starring Billie Piper, ‘I Hate Suzie’.

The film, ‘Rare Beasts’, is a romantic drama that tells the story of Mandy (Billie Piper), a career-driven single mother who finds herself in a crisis until she falls in love with the charming, but traditional, Pete (Leo Bill). Receiving its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the highly anticipated motion picture has a supporting cast including David Thewlis and Lily James.

The ‘Rare Beasts’ motion picture will receive its official release on Friday, 21 May 2021, screening in a limited number of cinemas. Watch the trailer below.

BERRIES release Live Sessions from Big Smith Studios EP on 14 May 2021 // Watch the video for 'Dangerous'

Following their signing to Xtra Mile Recordings in 2020 and release of the single ‘Copy’ in January 2021, London trio BERRIES return with a new EP, ‘Live Sessions from Big Smith Studios’ released on 14 May 2021. Pre-save the EP on streaming services here.

Consisting of three tracks recorded for John Kennedy’s Isolation Sessions and one recorded especially for ‘Copy’s virtual single launch, ‘Live Sessions from Big Smith Studios’ is the perfect precursor to even more from the band.

Leading the charge is ‘Dangerous’, a track whose chunky bass and spidery guitar riff progress directly from ‘Copy’. Watch the video below.

“Dangerous was written after travelling home late one night from a gig,” BERRIES explain. “All of the thoughts and feelings of walking the streets alone at night and the different personalities you meet on the way.” Brooding, tinged with paranoia, and not without its own air of danger, this is BERRIES at their darkest to date.

A three piece with a penchant for effortlessly combining off kilter melodies with guttural grunge, BERRIES have been turning heads up and down the country for a number of years. Their array of singles earned the band crucial support from the likes of Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy, as well as online championing from Louder Than War and Fred Perry.

It’s not just offstage that the band have impressed. Working regularly with national promoters DHP, recent notable shows include Cherry Glazerr and Porridge Radio at Electric Brixton, Ex Hex at Village Underground and supporting Frank Turner at a socially distanced acoustic show in Nottingham. And now, BERRIES look set to add to this, with a headline show at The Grace (London) on 12 August 2021, as well as some more shows in the pipeline.

BERRIES are:

Holly – Guitar/Vocals
Lauren - Bass
Lucie – Drums

berriesband.co.uk // facebook.com/BERRIESBand // Twitter: @BERRIESBandUK // Instagram: @BERRIESBand // YouTube.com/BERRIESBand

Watch the video for latest PET NEEDS single 'Toothpaste' // Buy new album 'Fracture Party Music' out 12 March 2021

A confident new cut that packs a cataclysmic punch, ‘Toothpaste’ is the latest single from PET NEEDSand swiftly follows the BBC6 Music championed ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’. Fusing the agitated dance / punk rhythms of DZ Deathrays to the bolshy rock chops of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, it’s a track that finds Pet Needs on equally ebullient form and paves the way for the imminent ‘Fractured Party Music’ out 12 March 2021. Watch the video below.

Written as a letter to his 10-year-old self, the track finds frontman Johnny Marriott ruminating on the deep founded memories we can attach to the most mundane of objects. On converting home comforts into arena-sized anthem, Marriott says of the track:

“[‘Toothpaste’] was penned on the M1 on the way home from visiting my mum in Derby. She has bought exactly the same toothpaste for years and every time I use it, standing in the bathroom next to my childhood bedroom, it throws me right back to being an anxious little lad trying to make sense of things.”

As infectious as a winning smile and lacking none of the bite, ‘Toothpaste’ beams with an irrepressible energy impossible to ignore. Mixed and mastered by Frank Turner, it’s as dazzling as it is deafening, and just one of the many standout moments to expect on their forthcoming album ‘Fractured Party Music’.

Founded in Colchester by brothers George and Johnny Marriott, Pet Needs are the band Britain needs right now. With a clutch of anti-anthems inspired by the disastrous job interviews, self-destruction and river journeys on inflatable kayaks that have defined their lives, their idiosyncratic lyrics and an effusive spirit have seen them rise through the ranks with lightning speed. With a line up also featuring Jack (drums) and Rich (bass), the four-piece have shared stages with the likes of Muncie Girls, Buzzcocks, Maximo Park, PiL and The Undertones and impressed audiences at several major festivals. In a date with destiny, their explosive live performance at Camden Rocks would see them win-over: Frank Turner, with the star offering to mix and master their upcoming debut album.

Forced off the road in 2020, Pet Needs took it as a sign to complete their long awaited debut: ‘Fractured Party Music’. Coruscating the modern malaise with sneers at pretense, musing on artistic ambition versus commercial success, and tales of creativity and failure, ‘Fractured Party Music’ will be a topical blitz upon apathy. Calling on Turner’s expertise to harness the restless energy stored up from months bereft of live shows; together they have honed a studio record that smolders with electrifying feedback and tangs with cynic-stinging lyricism.

Described by frontman Johnny Marriott as “the ultimate ‘Fractured Party’ song”, new single ‘Toothpaste’ radiates with the unruly force and atmospheric crackle of a house-party spiraling out of control. A total earworm of tenacious alt-rock; let it loose at your peril. Once out of the tube and in your head, there’ll be no putting it back.