WILL VARLEY HEADLINE UK TOUR 2016 // SUPPORTING FRANK TURNER IN NOVEMBER 2015 // 'POSTCARDS FROM URSA MINOR' OUT 30 OCTOBER 2015

Will Varley has announced his 17-date solo UK tour in February and March 2016 culminating in his biggest headline show to date at London's Scala. This will be in support of his new album Postcards From Ursa Minor, out 30 October 2015, through Xtra Mile Recordings.

You can preorder the album on CD, vinyl and download from our digital shop, Banquet Records, Amazon, and mp3 from iTunes.

Dares are below, and also on our Xtra Mile gigs calendar:

FEBRUARY

10 Newcastle @ Cluny 2
11 Edinburgh @ Voodoo Rooms
12 Glasgow @ King Tuts
13 Manchester @ Night and Day
18 Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club
19 Liverpool @ Buyers Club
20 Nottingham @ Bodega
23 Cambridge @ J2 at Junction
24 Norwich @ Waterfront Studios
25 Birmingham @ Hare & Hounds
26 Cardiff @ Clwb Ifor Bach
27 Bristol @ Louisiana
28 Exeter @ The Phoenix

MARCH

02 Plymouth @ The Junction
03 Falmouth @ Mono
04 Southampton @ Joiners
10 London @ Scala

The rambling folk singer, who once walked over 500 miles along England's south coast with a guitar on his back and played shows, is also supporting labelmate and confimed Varley fan Frank Turner on his UK arena tour in November. Frank Turner described Varley as "one of the best singer-songwriters in the UK". Those dates are below:

NOVEMBER

05 Llandudno @ Venue Cymru
06 Southampton @ Guildhall SOLD OUT
07 Southampton @ Guildhall SOLD OUT
09 Falmouth @ Princess Pavilion SOLD OUT
10 Falmouth @ Princess Pavilion
13 Glasgow @ Barrowland SOLD OUT
14 Newcastle @ University SOLD OUT
15 Nottingham @ Rock City SOLD OUT
16 Nottingham @ Rock City
18 Birmingham @ Academy
19 Sheffield @ Academy SOLD OUT
21 Bristol @ Colston Hall SOLD OUT
22 Bristol @ Colston Hall
23 Manchester @ Academy SOLD OUT
24 Manchester @ Academy
26 London @ Alexandra Palace

You can also watch his self-made video for album track 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' below:

This headline tour follows a jam-packed couple of years for Will who has played at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust, headlined his own spring tour earlier this year, played dates with cult legend Beans On Toast, released a digital EP (Live At the Lighthouse), and spent a summer supporting The Proclaimers across the UK as well as playing his own festival appearances at Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Green Man and BoomTown, among others.

www.facebook.com/willvarleymusic / Twitter @willvarleymusic / www.willvarley.com     

FAILURE DEBUT VIDEO FOR 'COUNTERFEIT SKY' ON PITCHFORK // US TOUR ON 9 OCTOBER 2015 // EUROPEAN TOUR WITH REFUSED 1–5 DECEMBER 2015

Failure have premiered the video for 'Counterfeit Sky' from their new album The Heart Is A Monster, which you can buy from the Xtra Mile digital shop now. The clip was an exclusive for Pitchfork yesterday. You can watch it below.

Ken Andrews explains the origin of the eye-catching, sci-fi clip: “The video was created by visual effects specialist Kevin Margo with footage from his award-winning short film, ‘Grounded.’” Margo’s film featured an original score by Andrews.

Failure’s upcoming tour, which will include guitar player Troy Van Leeuwen, a first since the band reunited, launches tomorrow in Jacksonville, Fla. “After 18 years it’s a real joy to rejoin one of my favorite bands,” said Van Leeuwen. “When I originally joined Failure in 1996, I had no idea of the musical journey that was ahead of me. The chemistry we have in a live setting is a special experience and I can’t wait to share it with fans old and new."

Van Leeuwen was a touring member during shows for their third album Fantastic Planet before joining Queens of the Stone Age. He makes a guest appearance on The Heart Is A Monster.

Failure join Refused for a brief, early-December European outing. All upcoming tour dates below and on our full label gigs calendar.

Tour dates:

October

09   Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live *
10   Ft. Lauderdale, FL  @ Revolution *
11 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues *
13   Norfolk, VA @ Norva **
14   New York, NY @ FLOODfest (CMJ) @ Brooklyn Bowl
15   Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre **
17   St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird ***
19   Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad ***
20   Tucson, AZ @ The Rock ***
21   Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom ***
22   Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club ***
24   Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst ***
25   Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
27 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent ****
28 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues ****
29 San Diego, CA @ The Music Box ****

December

01   Paris, France @ Trianon #
03   Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix #
04   Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachtof #
05   Hamburg, Germany @ Docks #

January

23 Brisbane, QLD @ Soundwave
24   Sydney, NSW, Australia @ Soundwave
26   Melbourne, VIC, Australia @ Soundwave

* - w/Hum and Torche
** - w/Torche
*** - w/Local H
**** - w/Trail of the Dead and Local H
# - w/Refused

With this new round of tour dates, the band is offering a Technical VIP package (in addition to their regular VIP fan experience) designed for the professional musician, engineer or technician interested in knowing the tech behind the show. As part of the VIP upgrade, Ken Andrews gives a limited number of fans a personal tour of the Failure live set up, the specific equipment used onstage, a live demonstration of the guitar / bass rigs, monitoring system, as well as a tour of the front of house equipment, and a Q&A session with Ken. VIP packages are available via www.failureband.com.

Rolling Stone said The Heart Is A Monster “brilliantly picks up where Fantastic Planet left off”, Alternative Press said “by reviving its past, Failure has taken a most decisive step into the present", and Entertainment Weekly described the album as “a jaw-dropping slab of throbbing, fuzzy, visceral space rock”.

www.facebook.com/failureband / Twitter @Failure / www.failureband.com

FRANK TURNER: THE FIRST TEN YEARS VINYL BOX SET OUT 20 NOVEMBER 2015 // PREORDER NOW

For those of the vinyl persuasion, and who have been crying out for more Frank Turner releases to bulk out your already bulging shelves, your pleas have been answered.

On 20 November 2015, Xtra Mile Recordings will release a seven LP boxset featuring The First, Second and Third Three Years on double, coloured vinyl in gatefold sleeves, and an exclusive single disc entitled Ten For Ten. Featuring 77 tracks, the four records span Frank's 10-year solo journey. The box set will come in a beautifully presented box, an exclusive print on heavyweight paper, and a download code for every track. This first run is limited to 1000 copies.

You can preorder this amazing artefact of history chronicling Frank's musical explorations and inspirations by clicking here. [Please note, LPs will only be available as part of the box set currently and Ten For Ten will be available on 20 November as a separate digital download]

This essential box set will fill in the gaps between the six studio albums on vinyl, giving you almost every non-album recording that has ever been released officially by Frank Turner*, on a heavyweight physical format with full-size artwork, sleeve notes and that freshly-minted smell vinyl fans know so well. (*minus some digital-only covers, 7" alternate versions, acoustic versions of album tracks, and the already-released Buddies 10" mini-album with Jon Snodgrass)

This will be the first time that The Second and Third Three Years are released on vinyl, with The First Three Years finally getting an official vinyl release in the UK. These albums collect a huge selection of non-album tracks — live sessions, unreleased demos, covers, outtakes, alternative versions and other exclusive songs.

For Ten For Ten Frank has handpicked 10 tracks previously unavailable on a physical release including 'Old Flames' featuring Billy the Kid, the original demo of 'The Ballad Of Me and My Friends', and 'Atlanta Curse'.

From the earliest recordings — 'Longing For the Day' from the 4-track CD demo and 'The Real Damage' from the split 7" with Reuben — to previously download-only B-sides from the Tape Deck Heart sessions, among the gems on offer across the Three Years discs are: all the songs released on Campfire Punkrock, The Real Damage, Rock & Roll and most from other EPs; beloved covers of Queen's 'Somebody To Love', ABBA's 'Dancing Queen' and Bruce Springsteen's 'Thunder Road'; deluxe album bonus tracks turned fan favourites like 'Hold Your Tongue' and 'Song For Eva Mae'; tracks from hard-to-find vinyl releases like the Jonah Matranga and Franz Nicolay splits; the original demo of 'Broken Piano'; alternative live and recorded versions of 'Father's Day', 'Jet Lag' and 'Imperfect Tense'; and exclusives to the releases which include the impeccable Postal Service cover 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight', the demo of 'Something of Freedom' and the BBC session of 'Song to Bob'.

The set is released right in the middle of an extensive UK tour, tickets for which are still on sale here.

The full tracklisting for the box set is below.

The First Three Years

Side A
1. The Real Damage [from Xtra Mile Single Sessions Vol. 4 7”]
2. Nashville Tennessee [from Campfire Punkrock EP]
3. Thatcher Fucked the Kids [from Campfire Punkrock EP]
4. This Town Ain't Big Enough For the One Of Me [from Campfire Punkrock EP]
5. Casanova Lament [from Campfire Punkrock EP]
6. I Really Don't Care What You Did On Your Gap Year [from Campfire Punkrock EP]

Side B
7. The Outdoor Type [The Lemonheads cover from split 12” with Jonah Matranga]
8. You Are My Sunshine [traditional cover from split 12” with Jonah Matranga]
9. Sea Legs [from The Real Damage EP]
10. Back To Sleep [from The Real Damage EP]
11. Sunshine State [from The Real Damage EP]
12. Heartless Bastard Motherfucker [from The Real Damage EP]

Side C
13. Pay To Cum [Bad Brains cover from Softcore Tour CD]
14. Fix Me [Black Flag cover from Softcore Tour CD]
15. Hold Your Tongue [Love Ire & Song 7digital bonus track]
16. Front Crawl [Love Ire & Song 7digital bonus track]
17. Jet Lag (Rock) [Love Ire & Song 7digital bonus track]
18. Photosynthesis (Truck Sessions)

Side D
19. Worse Things Happen At Sea (Truck Sessions)
20. Imperfect Tense (Truck Sessions)
21. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight [The Postal Service cover]
22. Smiling At Strangers On Trains [Million Dead cover]
23. Dancing Queen [ABBA cover]
24. Longing For the Day [from 4-track demo CD]

The Second Three Years

Side A
1. Sailor's Boots ['If Ever I Stray' digital B-side]
2. Pass It Along [from Rock & Roll EP]
3. Rock & Roll Romance [from Rock & Roll EP]
4. To Absent Friends [from Rock & Roll EP]
5. The Next Round [from Rock & Roll EP]
6. Song For Eva Mae [from England Keep My Bones Deluxe Edition]

Side B
7. Wanderlust [from England Keep My Bones Deluxe Edition]
8. Balthazar, Impresario [from England Keep My Bones Deluxe Edition]
9. Mr Richards [from iTunes The Road EP]
10. Song To Bob [BBC Radio Session — October 2009]
11. Thunder Road [Bruce Springsteen cover from Under the Influence Vol. 8 7”)

Side C
12. Sally [Kerbdog cover from Pledge: A Tribute to Kerbdog]
13. Barbara Allen [live traditional from Take To the Road DVD]
14. The Quiet One [Mark Mulcahy cover from Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy]
15. Build Me Up Buttercup [The Foundations cover from 1969: Key to Change]
16. Linoleum [NOFX cover]
17. The Slow Train [Flanders and Swann cover]

Side D
18. The Greatest Day [Take That cover from BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session]
19. My Poor Friend Me [Bad Religion cover from Germs of Perfection: A Tribute to Bad Religion]
20. On A Plain [from Nirvana Nevermind: Forever Kerrang! covermount]
21. Father's Day [live from Take To the Road DVD]
22. Last Christmas [live from Take To the Road DVD]

The Third Three Years

Side A
1. Somebody To Love [Queen cover from 'I Still Believe' Record Store Day 2012 7”]
2. Hits & Mrs [from Losing Days digital EP]
3. Sweet Albion Blues [from Polaroid Picture digital EP]
4. Riot Song [from Fuck the Fire Xtra Mile compilation]
5. Something of Freedom [demo]
6. Fields of June [with Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo from 'Fields of June' 7”]

Side B
7. Happy New Year [with Jon Snodgrass] 
8. American Girl [Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers cover]
9. There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner [Noël Coward cover with Franz Nicolay from Sings Noël Coward 7” split EP]
10. Pancho & Lefty [Townes Van Zandt cover from Spotify Session EP with Jim Eno]
11. Bigfoot [The Weakerthans cover]

Side C
12. Live & Let Die [Paul McCartney and Wings cover from iTunes Session]
13. The Corner [Cory Branan cover from The Bloodshot Records 20th Anniversary Compilation]
14. Kiera [Tony Sly cover from The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute]
15. Plain Sailing Weather [the Cutting Room Sessions]
16. Tell Tale Signs [from iTunes Session]

Side D
17. The Way I Tend To Be [from iTunes Session]
18. The Ballad of Me and My Friends (live) [performed at The Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN]
19. Broken Piano (demo) 
20. Born To Run [Bruce Springsteen cover from the Cutting Room Sessions]
21. Dan's Song (live) [performed at The Engine Shed, Lincoln, UK]

Ten For Ten

Side A
1. Old Flames (featuring Billy the Kid)
2. The Next Storm (original demo)
3. Hits & Mrs (full-band demo)
4. I Am Disappeared (live)
5. Wessex Boy (original demo)

Side B
6. Atlanta Curse
7. Redemption (Matt Nasir mix)
8. Isabel (live)
9. Substitute (live session)
10. The Ballad of Me and My Friends (original demo)

www.thefirsttenyears.com / facebook.com/frankturnermusic / Twitter @frankturner / www.frank-turner.com

BEANS ON TOAST NEW ALBUM 'ROLLING UP THE HILL' OUT 1 DECEMBER 2015 // PREORDER NOW // FIRST VIDEO 'THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL' // WINTER TOUR DATES

Beans On Toast releases his seventh studio album Rolling Up the Hill on his birthday — like every year — 1 December 2015. You can preorder it on CD and download from our digital shop, from Banquet Records, and from Amazon.

The first track lifted from the album is ‘The Great American Novel’, Beans’ love letter to America. The track will also be an instant grat for those who preorder. Watch the video below:

 Rolling Up the Hill is Beans' most creative record to date and it’s an album all about friendship, travel and art. It’s also about drinking, protesting and growing older in these strange modern times.

It was recorded in August with husband and wife country duo Truckstop Honeymoon in Kansas. Beans met the duo at Larmer Tree festival last year, and after hanging out and playing some shows with them in New Orleans they hatched a plan to go to The Ninth Ward Picking Parlour in Lawrence, Kanas to make an album together. The duo brings together double bass, mandolin and finger picking sounds to Beans on Toast's unique style of songwriting. Of course, they were still joined by long-term partner in crime Bobby Banjo, on harp and banjo. Throw in a couple of Kansas players dropping in some horns and some drums and you’ve got a Beans on Toast album that is fresh, fun and exciting while at the same time not losing any of Beans on Toast’s original, cheap and easy English attitude that has got him to where he is today.

Ten years in the game and Beans has built something of an underground following around the world, and is now ramming out festival fields and tents on the UK circuit and constantly touring new and foreign lands. This year alone he’s played shows on rooftops in Cape Town, tropical islands in Barbados, folk festivals in Canada and covered over 10,000 miles in the USA. He also toured the fringes of the UK in the wake of the terrible result at this year’s election, taking in the mood of the country by visiting Harlow, Preston, Chester and the like. He has, of course, got songs all about these travels.

As usual Beans on Toast has made the album he wants to make it; no rules, no one to impress, just simple opinionated songs about honest subjects.

Tracklist:

1. The Mudhills Crew
2. Robin Hood Costume
3. I’m Home When You Hold me
4.The Great American Novel
5. Driving Me Crazy
6. The Industrial Estate
7. God is a Cartoonist
8. The Art of Friendship
9. Afrikaburn
10. Numbers and Words
11. A Bit More Track in the Monitor
12. Middleageman

Beans on  Toast is currently supporting Frank Turner on a six-week tour of the USA.

For his headline UK Tour, Truckstop Honeymoon will be joining him; they will open up the show and also play as his backing band, making Beans on Toast a full four-piece band at the following dates (which can also be found on our full-label gigs calendar:

NOVEMBER
11  Aberdeen @ The Lemon Tree
12 Glasgow @ Stereo
13 Edinburgh @ Voodoo Rooms
15 Newcastle @ The Cluny
17 Liverpool @ The Kazimier
18 Manchester @ Gorilla
19 Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club
20 Leicester @ Soundhouse
21 Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
24 Birmingham @ The Rainbow
25 Oxford @ Bullingdon Club
26 Bristol @ The Marble Factory
27 Swansea @ The Garage
28 Plymouth @ The Junction

DECEMBER
02 Portsmouth @ Wedgewood Rooms
03 Brighton @ Patterns
04 Canterbury @ Penny Theatre
10 London @ Islington Assembly Hall

www.facebook.com/beansontoastmusic / Twitter @beanstoast / youtube.com/beansontoasttube / www.beansontoastmusic.com

WILL VARLEY NEW SINGLE, VIDEO & INSTANT GRAT 'THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH' // FROM NEW ALBUM 'POSTCARDS FROM URSA MINOR' OUT 30 OCTOBER 2015

Will Varley will release 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' with a brand new homemade video as his first single from new album Postcards From Ursa Minor, out 30 October 2015. One of Time Out’s rising stars of 2015, Will Varley will release his new album on CD, vinyl and download through Xtra Mile Recordings. Preorder it at our digital shop, or from other outlets including Banquet Records,  online from Amazon, and as download from iTunes. The single will also be available as an instant grat for those who preorder.

The haunting yet beautiful ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ is inspired by the tragic story of Jose Matata, an African immigrant whose body was found in a quiet suburban street one morning after falling out of the fuselage of a British Airways plane above London in 2009, attempting to illegally gain entry to the UK. It’s a powerful and timely piece of social commentary.

See the video below:

Produced by Tristan Ivemy and mastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright (Arcade Fire, Blur) Postcards From Ursa Minor pushes the boundaries of the ‘one man and a guitar’ format. From rowdy drinking songs with sprawling chaotic arrangements to his sparse solo performances he covers a range of subjects with his trademark sprinkling of social commentary, politics and wry humour.

Observing the world and the plight of humanity as if perched cross-legged on the edge of the moon, Varley’s existential themes cover the planet’s lonely existence within the universe as well focusing in to tackle the everyday minutia of human life.

‘Is Anyone Out There’ is a tongue in cheek call to any alien life forms that may be out there, to come and help us stop destroying the Earth. The track has actually been transmitted out into space using a 20 foot parabolic satellite dish in the US. We await a response!

Songs like 'Outside Over There' and 'Talking Cat Blues' show off Varley's storytelling prowesss while 'Seize The Night' and 'From Halcyon' take a more nostalgic approach, lamenting lost friends and times past.

Postcards From Ursa Minor tracklisting is:

As For My Soul
The Man Who Fell To Earth
Seize The Night
Outside Over There
This House
Talking Cat Blues
From Halcyon
Dark Days Away
Send My Love To The System
The Endlessness And The Space Between
Concept Of Freedom
Is Anyone Out There?
The Question Of Passing Time

Varley will be supporting label-mate Frank Turner throughout November on his huge sold out UK tour, playing to over 35,000 people. Full dates and details below or on our gig calendar with ticket links.

November

05 Llandudno Venue Cymru
06 Southampton Guildhall SOLD OUT
07 Southampton Guildhall SOLD OUT
09 Falmouth Princess Pavilion SOLD OUT
10 Falmouth Princess Pavilion
13 Glasgow Barrowland SOLD OUT
14 Newcastle University SOLD OUT
15 Nottingham Rock City SOLD OUT
16 Nottingham Rock City
18 Birmingham Academy
19 Sheffield Academy SOLD OUT
21 Bristol Colston Hall SOLD OUT
22 Bristol Colston Hall
23 Manchester Academy SOLD OUT
24 Manchester Academy
26 London Alexandra Palace

Will signed to Xtra Mile Recordings backstage at the Royal Albert Hall just moments before he performed on stage supporting Frank Turner as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity gig. The 27-year-old rambling singer-songwriter from Kent is a self-made man who, on one recent tour, walked 500 miles with a guitar on his back, playing shows along the way. He makes his own music videos. He co-runs his own record label and music festival, Smugglers. As if mirroring his work ethic, his songs pack narrative detail. Each three or four minutes is earthy and punchy, rolling and rollicking upon barely-concealed anger, or blatant piss-taking.

www.facebook.com/willvarleymusic / Twitter @willvarleymusic / www.willvarley.com

DAN ANDRIANO IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FULL BAND UK NOVEMBER TOUR // SUPPORT FROM SAM RUSSO

Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio comes to tour the UK in November with a full band behind him for the first time. The full band shows will deliver his latest album Party Adjacent in the way it was meant to be heard - the same masterclass in songwriting prowess laced with that surge of live energy drawn from years of experience. You can buy Party Adjacent now on CD, download and vinyl from Xtra Mile Recordings' shop, and from the usual outlets.

As well as treating our shores to the full-band live experience, he is also bringing Sam Russo along as main support act. The Plymouth-based singer-songwriter releases his second album of largely acoustic, entirely indelible songs, Greyhound Dreams, in October and having supported the likes of Tim Barry and Crazy Arm on tour, he’ll fit right in with Andriano & co.

Dates are below or you can find them among all our artists' tour dates on the gigs calendar:

NOVEMBER 2015

05 Stoke @ The Sugarmill
06 Leeds @ The Key Club
07 Tunbridge Wells @ Forum
08 Southampton @ Joiners
09 Bristol @ The Exchange
10 London @ Dingwalls
11 Norwich @ Waterfront Studio
12 Birmingham @ Temple
13 Edinburgh @ Electric Circus
14 Glasgow @ Stereo
15 Newcastle @ Cluny 2
16 Manchester @ The Deaf Institute

 “The Emergency Room started as something for me to do with songs I had been writing that didn’t seem to have a place on Alkaline Trio records,” explains Andriano.  Started when he found himself living in Florida, he released his debut full-length Hurricane Season in 2011 and toured troubadour-style around the release with just an acoustic guitar on the US and European legs of the Revival Tour. 

Released by XMR for the world (ex NA) and Asian Man Records in the US - Party Adjacent marks the beginning of a new chapter to the Emergency Room story.  Produced by Jeff Rosenstock, formerly of Bomb the Music Industry, Andriano is joined by a backing band of Jeff, Kevin Higuchi of The Jeff Rosenstock Band and Mike Huguenor of Hard Girls to fantastic effect. With influences ranging from Thin Lizzy to Elvis Costello via Billy Bragg, Party Adjacent is truly one of those rare records that is built by an artist's singular vision and augmented by exactly the right collaborative team.

facebook.com/danandrianointheemergencyroom / Twitter @danielandriano / danandrianointheemergencyroom.com