Blues

The Heavy North announce live album launch shows and film screenings

Jun 13, 2024 — Leave a comment

Liverpool blues rock band The Heavy North are set to release their first ever live album ‘Fire In The Furnace’ on Friday 2nd August recorded at the band’s hometown 12-piece band show at the Camp and Furnace in December 2023.

Formed in 2018, The Heavy North released their critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Electric Soul Machine’ in 2022 and last year’s follow-up album ‘Delta Shakedown’ marked the band’s first UK Official Charts release.

The band is made up of frontman Kenny Stuart, guitarist and producer Jose Ibanez, bass player Andrew Horrocks, guitarist Jack Birch, keyboard player Ste Penn and drummer Mark Rice.

In recent years The Heavy North’s sound has caught the attention of BBC 6 Music, Radio X, Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing, Classic Rock Magazine and Tim’s Twitter Listening Party – alongside legendary actor and new music champion Robert Carlyle describing the band as “Absolutely brilliant!”

The band’s hometown show at the Camp and Furnace last year saw The Heavy North perform tracks
from their two studio albums with a string quartet, a brass section and backing singers for their
biggest show to date.

As a preview to the upcoming live album and film, The Heavy North have already released two
singles from the album in recent weeks – ‘The Genie (Live)’ and more recently ‘Don’t Need Money
(Live)’.

“We’ve built a community of fans and followers who travel from all over the place to come to our
gigs, a bit like the crowd we had at the Camp and Furnace show last year” said The Heavy North
frontman Kenny Stuart.

“We’ve had a lot of friends recommending us to other people and saying ‘these sound great, but you
need to see them live!’ so hopefully this live album will be a good introduction for new listeners”

The Heavy North have also announced the release of the full-length ‘Fire In The Furnace’ concert
film to accompany the upcoming debut live album.

Fans of the blues rock six-piece can watch the full 90-minute ‘Fire In The Furnace’ film at one of three
special screening events scheduled at FACT in Liverpool on Wednesday 31st July (6pm & 8.15pm)
and London’s Soho Screening Rooms on Thursday 1st August (7.30pm).

Discussing the accompanying ‘Fire In The Furnace’ film, Kenny said “We’re made up to be able to
release the full-length video from the night too, and thanks to Jade and the team at Green Frog
Productions for capturing the whole 90-minute show for us”

“The film screenings will be a chance for our fans to come together and listen to our debut live album
ahead of the release whilst watching the tracks being performed on the big screen” added Kenny.

To celebrate the release of ‘Fire In The Furnace’ The Heavy North are also set to play two full band
performances and album signings during release week.

The band will be hosting an album launch party at The Met in Bury with Wax and Beans Records on
Friday 2nd August followed by a full-band performance at the Jacaranda Records Baltic in Liverpool
on Saturday 3rd August.

The Heavy North’s ‘Fire In The Furnace’ live album launch week:

Monday 29th July
FREE ‘Fire In The Furnace’ Listening Party
Bandcamp Live online stream

Wednesday 31st July
‘Fire In The Furnace’ Film Screenings
FACT, Liverpool. 6pm and 8pm

Thursday 1st August
‘Fire In The Furnace’ Film Screening
Soho Screening Rooms, London. 7.30pm

Friday 2nd August
‘Fire In The Furnace’ Album Launch
The Met (Wax and Beans), Bury. 7pm

Saturday 3rd August
‘Fire In The Furnace’ Album Launch
Jacaranda Baltic (Jacaranda Records), Liverpool. 7pm

For tickets and more information visit theheavynorth.com.

‘Fire In The Furnace’ is available to pre-order on double 12″ gatefold splatter vinyl and double CD
exclusively from Wax and Beans. For more information visit theheavynorth.com




Emily Marsden – Editor
#IndieRevolution
@Indierevuk
Indierevuk@gmail.com

The Heavy North Release New Album ‘Delta Shakedown’

Oct 24, 2023 — Leave a comment

The Heavy North release World Class second album ‘Delta Shakedown’

Liverpool’s finest The Heavy North have just released one of the best albums of 2023 and it’s called ‘Delta Shakedown’. In fact that’s a bit of an understatement! They’ve just released one of the best albums of the past decade! Possibly even the past thirty years? All in good time this will tell I’m sure.

I first heard of The Heavy North when their debut album ‘Electric Soul Machine’ Dropped last year and I was instantly sucked into their riffed up blues rock world. I’m a sucker for great music! What they created on that record was brilliant. On their latest offering they have just gone and created a monster!
The best kind of monster ever imaginable! This is one of the best records I’ve heard in my entire life let alone the past decade! It’s a big statement I know, but it is what it is. This record is something special.

From the very first riff of the opening track ‘Delta Shakedown’ I’m instantly transported back into The Heavy North world I love so much! I’m back travelling with them on this laid back, groovy journey in my car! There are so many great influences shining through on this record! The Doors, Thirteen Floor Elevators, The Black Angels, The Eagles, Cream, The list goes on! Its truer to blues as it could possibly be.

With all these great influences shining through they still manage to create something completely original that sounds how only The Heavy North can sound. This is a master craft of songwriting and a band at the very top of their game. It oozes class and experience.

This isn’t a record a young band in their twenties can just make off the cuff! This takes years of crafting your art over time. This isn’t a band making singles for Spotify! This is a band who really understand and appreciate the art of making a real record together! An art that’s lost on 99% of young band these days! I really hope some younger bands use this to educate themselves and one day we get that back!

If I had to pick one album to take with me to the desert today it would be ‘Delta Shakedown’. This is my number one contender for album of the year by far.

As strong as the singles ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘Round Again’ are you really have to listen to the list the way it’s supposed to be listened to! As a record in full from beginning to end. Then you will truly understand just how great this band are!

Jose Ibanez has proven he’s one of the best producers in the business. The production is world class. In 30 years time we will be all able to look back and realise just how great this record is.

‘Delta Shakedown’ is OUT NOW on 12” gatefold colour vinyl, CD and all download and streaming platforms. Visit www.theheavynorth.com for more information.

Tickets for The Heavy North’s Camp and Furnace show on Friday 1st December are ON SALE NOW. Visit www.theheavynorth.com for more information.

Scott Marsden
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

The Heavy North Release New Single ‘Round Again’

Jul 4, 2023 — Leave a comment

Is it even possible for a band to keep getting better with each release? For The Heavy North it is! If these two singles are anything to go by then we’re in for a treat. A sign of exciting things to come.

Six-piece rock band The Heavy North have announce their next single ‘Round Again’ is out now ahead of the band’s second album ‘Delta Shakedown’ expected later this year.

‘Round Again’ marks the second single from The Heavy North’s upcoming album following the release of ‘Where Are You Now?’ back in March which was featured on BBC Radio 2’s The Rock Show with legendary Johnnie Walker as well as BBC Introducing and Radio X.

Discussing the meaning behind the new single ‘Round Again’ The Heavy North frontman Kenny Stuart said “It’s a song about being complacent with day-to-day routines whilst longing for a wilder, more carefree time”.

“Round Again is also a response to our last single ‘Where Are You Now?’ which was about wondering what people from our past are up to now, but with this time we’re reflecting on our own circumstances and situations”.

The band have just played their first overseas show before returning to the UK to play the band’s first major festival show at Kendal Calling Festival on Saturday 29th July.

Earlier this year the band also announced their biggest headline show to date at Liverpool’s Camp and Furnace on Friday 1st December 2023. The huge hometown show follows The Heavy North’s sold out 500-capacity Arts Club show last year where the band performed their debut album Electric Soul Machine from start to finish, accompanied by a 12-piece band featuring a string quartet, a brass section and backing vocalists.

The Heavy North’s brand new single ‘Round Again’ is available on all download and streaming platforms now.

Delta Shakedown is available to pre-order now on 12” gatefold vinyl (blue or red colour disc) exclusively from Wax and Beans Records in Bury.

For more information and tickets for The Heavy North’s upcoming live shows visit http://www.theheavynorth.com

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

The Heavy North Release New Single ‘Where Are You Now?’

Mar 24, 2023 — Leave a comment

Liverpool blues rock band The Heavy North return with a brand new single and music video for ‘Where Are You Now.’
The single is a high energy rock anthem with brilliant guitar riffs and is full of serious attitude and swagger. The lyrics are relatable as the song is about people who have come and gone in your life and wondering what they are doing now, are they still the same person or has life changed them.
This song shows The Heavy North are at the top of their game with a new album in the works and a huge hometown gig at the end of the year. 2023 is already looking great for The Heavy North.

Discussing the meaning behind the new single, The Heavy North frontman Kenny Stuart said “Where Are You Now? is about remembering people who come and go in your life, and wondering whether they’re still the same person they once were and thinking about what they’re up to”.

“The lyrics explore whether those people we used to know are still the same as how we remembered them, or have their circumstances or situations changed for better or worse”.

‘Where Are You Now?’ marks the first glimpse of new music from Liverpool six-piece The Heavy North since the release of their critically-acclaimed debut album Electric Soul Machine on Record Store Day in April 2022.

Following a successful year which saw the band embark on their first 10-date UK headline tour as well as performing alongside fellow Merseyside artists The Zutons, Cast, The Boo Radleys and Red Rum Club, The Heavy North ended a landmark year with a with a sold out show at the Arts Club Theatre in Liverpool.

The band’s debut album Electric Soul Machine was heavily featured in some of 2022’s end-of-year round-ups (“the perfect encapsulation of this band’s musical talents” – Northern Chorus’s Top 10 Albums of 2022) as well as being the subject of a Tim’s Twitter Listening Party with Tim Burgess (The Charlatans) last year.

To coincide with the release of new music and the much-anticipated second album later this year, The Heavy North have announced a handful of headline shows in May which will see the blues-rock six-piece return to Scotland to headline Glasgow’s Audio (19th) followed by new Sheffield venue Network (20th), The Live Rooms in Chester (25th) and the legendary Water Rats in Kings Cross, London (26th).

The Heavy North have also announced their biggest hometown headline show to date at Liverpool’s Camp and Furnace on Friday 1st December 2023.

The huge Liverpool show follows The Heavy North’s sold out 500-capacity Arts Club show last year where the band performed their debut album Electric Soul Machine from start to finish, accompanied by a 12-piece band featuring strings, a brass section and backing vocalists.

Speaking about the band’s end-of-year show, Kenny said “We’re made up to reveal our next big Liverpool show at the Camp and Furnace courtesy of our friends at EVOL, and we’re looking forward to performing a set of brand new tracks taken from our upcoming second album.

“After the success of our Arts Club show last year, we’ll also be inviting some guest musicians to perform with us again, so we look forward to seeing everyone in December for a special night in an incredible venue”

Tickets for this unmissable hometown headline show are available from 10am on Friday 24th February 2023.

The Heavy North’s brand new single ‘Where Are You Now?’ is available on all download and streaming platforms now.

For more information and tickets for The Heavy North’s upcoming live shows, visit http://www.theheavynorth.com

Coming soon to Music Scene Wales, Kenny from The Heavy North sits down with Scott Marsden to talk all things music.

Upcoming Gigs

GLASGOW Audio – 19th May

SHEFFIELD Network – 20th May

CHESTER The Live Rooms – 25th May

LONDON The Water Rats – 26th May

LIVERPOOL Camp & Furnace – 1st December

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Black Heart Drifters Release Music Video For ‘Mary Celeste’

Mar 13, 2023 — Leave a comment

South Wales band Black Heart Drifters launch their very first music video for the cool and moody ‘Mary Celeste’ from their album ‘Outlaws Under A Western Sky’.

UPCOMING GIGS:

Friday 26 May: Cruisers Rumble Fest, Southam RFUC

Saturday 03 June: The Patriot, Crumlin

Friday 11 Aug: James Turners Birthday Bash, Lydney Town Hall

Friday 18 Aug: The Pitt, McCanns Newport

Friday 08 Sept: Summer Sales Fest, Kemble

Saturday 23 Sep: Dros Ben Tan, NeathFriday 08 Dec: The Pitt, McCanns, Newport

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Shadow Bones ‘In Another Life’ Debut Album Review

Dec 22, 2022 — Leave a comment

Previously playing on the circuit in touring bands, Luke Williams has now gone solo, a project born of the pandemic. Hailing from Hampshire, Shadow Bones’ fantastic solo project of singer songwriter Luke Williams, has had a busy couple of years in the build up and release of his debut album ‘In Another Life’, which has gained a lot of attention from the likes of BBC Introducing and CLASH Magazine.

This beautifully written album is one that tells of Lukes demons and vulnerabilities through his sweet lyrics full of emotion. All the songs were written about a period of time in Luke’s early stages of alcohol recovery, which he talks about as being in another life.
His vocals are honest and raw, with songs like ‘Love Is A Reason’ that are deep and meaningful to the upbeat and dynamic ‘Over and Out’. This album is full of heart.

Of the album Luke says “Writing songs in lockdown was cathartic, a means of therapy. It transported me back to a dark period of time I had left behind when I was battling sobriety, in the early years of recovery. Being in lockdown gave me that time to reflect on life, what’s been, appreciate what you do have and what you don’t. I never thought a bag of pasta would mean so much to me”.

A must for all Indie/Americana Blues Rock fans, look out for upcoming gigs in 2023!

If you like Tom Petty, Ray Lamontagne or Ryan Adams then you will love Shadow Bones, check out his video below.

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com