MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEW ALBUM 'DEAR SATELLITE' OUT 8 APRIL 2016

Mull Historical Society (Colin MacIntyre) will celebrate his birthday this year, on 8 April 2016, by releasing his seventh album Dear Satellite through Xtra Mile Recordings. You can preorder the album on CD and download from XMR's online shop, and from Amazon, and download only on iTunes.

The album was produced by Grammy award-winning Dom Morley, known for his work on Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, as well as working with Adele, Grinderman and Sting. He also produced Colin's first album on Xtra Mile Recordings, City Awakenings, released in 2012.

Listen to the first taste of the album, ‘The Ballad Of Ivor Punch’, which is the first instant grat track for all preorders:

The song’s central character is also the protagonist of Colin’s debut novel, The Letters of Ivor Punch, published in hardback last year. It won the Edinburgh International Book Festival's First Book award and will be released in paperback edition the day before his birthday (and the release of Dear Satellite).

The album is ten tracks of floating, positive, textually-diverse pop songs. The spring morning brightness spread across 'Sleepy Hollow' and 'This Little Sister' may leap you into optimistic, slightly cheerful abandon but 'Why Do They Go So Soon' wrings a little melancholy into the warmth. The odd off-key whistling underpinning the rhyming acoustic pop of 'Bones' meshes the weird elements you'd have expected from MHS of old, while the chiming synth-drive of 'The Ballad of Ivor Punch' reaches into Arcade Fire-esque indie rock. 'All the Love Remains' and 'Each Other' captures the sweet and serious strumming that MHS has made his own, while the album closes with the reflective, sky-and-soul-searching 'Farewell to Finisterre', continuing the seeming interest of Xtra Mile Recordings' bands in space and star gazing.

Colin says: “I couldn’t be happier with the album. It is ten songs, 36 minutes, and it feels like a perfect distillation of what I can do, and my best work. I’ve really pushed myself as a songwriter and tried to challenge myself to evolve sonically and capture a unique atmosphere within the album. There is a lot of space in it, lushness, but also it feels punchy and melodically pop. It is about home, getting home, leaving home, finding home, whatever planet or street or field you live on. Whatever home means to you. I think having a new music publishing deal with BMG/Xtra Mile Music has also made me reach for higher. I’m so excited to see it enter the world. It looks bloody good too!”

Tracklisting:

01 Build Another Brick
02 Sleepy Hollow
03 This Little Sister
04 Why Do They Go So Soon
05 Bones
06 The Ballad of Ivor Punch
07 All the Love Remains
08 Each Other
09 Try To Be You
10 Farewell to Finisterre

Photo by Dan Massie

This news follows a mammoth 2015 for Colin which saw him celebrate 15 years since the release of his first single 'Barcode Bypass', as well as releasing his first 'Best of' collection on double vinyl for Record Store Day which was celebrated with a sold-out tour performing his gold-selling MHS debut album Loss. With a tour in the spring supporting the album release still to be announced, 2016 is shaping up to be another exciting year in Mull Historical Society’s extraordinary career. 

facebook.com/colinmacintyremull / Twitter @mullhistorical / http://mullhistoricalsociety.com/

WILL VARLEY NEW SINGLE 'SEIZE THE NIGHT' OUT 11 MARCH 2016 // WATCH THE VIDEO NOW // UK HEADLINE TOUR

Will Varley kicks off 2016 with the release of new single ‘Seize The Night’ taken from the much-lauded album Postcards From Ursa Minor released back in October 2015. You can buy the album from XMR at our digital shop, from Amazon on physical formats, from our friends at Banquet Records on CD and vinyl or on download from iTunes.

'Seize The Night' is about living life to the full and sharing memories of good times from the past while remembering to savour each moment of the present the best you can. To reinforce these sentiments, labelmate, friend and tour buddy Frank Turner shows up to provide extra vocals on the track. The song has already had radio play on 6Music and Radio X, and it shows yet another side of Will’s multi-faceted writing and multitudinous ways with words.

Check out the video here:

Before the single, Will Varley will be heading out on a headline tour in February; 17 UK dates up and down the country culminating in his biggest headline show to date at London’s Scala on 10 March. Bristol is already sold out and more will follow so booking tickets should be your priority.

Support comes from Xylaroo and Molly’s Lips.

Full dates are below, or can be found at our XMR 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, Bodgea
23 Cambridge, J2 @ Junction
24 Norwich, Waterfront Studios
25 Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
26 Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
27 Bristol, Louisiana SOLD OUT
28 Exeter, The Phoenix

MARCH

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

However, this won’t be your only chance to see Will on tour this year – not by a long shot. He’s currently on tour with Frank Turner and Skinny Lister in Europe, before joining Skinny Lister and Beans On Toast on a North American XMR tour later in March. Dates for these support slots are below.

JANUARY (w/Frank Turner & Skinny Lister

21 Munich, Germany @ Tonhalle
23 Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer
24 Graz, Austria @ Orpheum
25 Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof
27 Hamburg, Germany @ Docks
28 Hamburg, Germany @ Docks
29 Köln, Germany @ Palladium

MARCH (USA tour w/ Skinny Lister & Beans On Toast)

17 Gainesville, FL @ High Dive (also w/ Frank Turner)
23 St Petersburg, FL @ Local 66
24 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
25 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
28 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
29 Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
31 Toronto, ON, Canada @ Horseshoe Tavern

APRIL (USA tour w/Skinny Lister & Beans On Toast

01 Brooklyn, NY @ Black Bear Bar
02 Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
03 Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy

These tours already follow 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 in 2015, played dates with cult legend Beans On Toast, released an EP, and spent last summer supporting The Proclaimers across the UK as well as festival appearances at Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Green Man and BoomTown among others. 

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

TRAPPER SCHOEPP SIGNS TO XTRA MILE RECORDINGS // NEW ALBUM 'RANGERS & VALENTINES' OUT 1 APRIL 2016 //

Xtra Mile Recordings and Milwakee-based troubadour Trapper Schoepp are proud to announce the release of the singer-songwriter’s second full-length album, Rangers & Valentines, out on 1 April 2016. You can preorder the album from our digital shop or on download via iTunes now.

The video for the track 'The Ballad of Olof Johnson' – which is also the instant grat track for all preorders – has been premiered on AV Club. Watch the video here. 

It's an enjoyable animated clip inspired by the wildly popular 1970s computer game The Oregon Trail, The song relays the family legend of Trapper’s Swedish immigrant ancestor, Olof Johnson, and how he survived his first winter in America as he headed west via covered wagon. There is a companion website to tell the harrowing full story at OlofJohnson.com. 

Having toured with the likes of The Wallflowers, The Jayhawks and The Old 97's in the US, Trapper will be coming to the UK and Europe in support of Ranger & Valentines, on a three-week run supporting Jesse Malin. Full dates listed below.

Produced by pop polymath and Raconteurs member Brendan Benson at his Readymade Studios in Nashville, Rangers & Valentines finds the teller of tales (both tall and true) handling vocals, guitar and harmonica. On the recording, Schoepp is aided by an array of estimable musicians including his brother, songwriting partner and musical-foil-since-birth, Tanner Schoepp (providing bass guitar and vocal harmonies), Steve Selvidge (The Hold Steady), John Davis (Superdrag), the McCrary Sisters, and even comedian and WTF podcaster Marc Maron chips in on background vocals and lead guitar.

Trapper Schoepp is a young man who has befriended a strange and diverse cast of characters during his 24 years. That small army of rogues and romantics, drifters and dreamers, soldiers and schemers populate his songs, their tragedies and comedies, their lives and deaths recalled in his finely-etched musical vignettes. Rangers & Valentines follows his critically-acclaimed 2012 debut showcase, Run Engine, Run, with his band The Shades. The LP earned notices in Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and Paste, with the folks at Huffington Post calling him a “master storyteller” and PBS hailing his work as "story songs that explore and explode the conventions of rock and roll."

On the new album, Schoepp defies the limitations of the standard-issue Americana platter by hopping genres – you’ll hear lots of brass, backing singers and B-3 – as the songs build to delirious musical highs. His narratives, meanwhile, find subjects in the narrow margins of society, the strange twists (literal and metaphorical) in the weather, and the vagaries of a troubadour’s transient life, with lyrics that flash a lacerating wit and humanist streak that’s at the core of his craft.

Tracklisting:

1. Mono Pt. II
2. Tornado Alley
3. Ogallala
4. Ballad of Olof Johnson
5. Talking Girlfriend Blues
6. Settlin’ or Sleepin’ Around
7. Lost Cowboy
8. For Jonny
9. Don’t Go
10. Dream

Tour Dates (18 February – 12 March Supporting Jesse Malin)

FEBRUARY

18 Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute
19 Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall
20 Edinburgh, UK @ Electric Circus
22 Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
23 Manchester, UK @ Sound Control
24 London, UK @ Dingwalls
25 Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
27 Leffinge, Belgium @ Café de Zwerver
28 Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ Sugar Factory
29 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumphuset

MARCH

01 Oslo, Norway @ John Dee
02 Stockholm, Sweden @ Bar Brooklyn
04 Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow
05 Berlin, Germany @ Auster-Club
06 Munich, Germany @ Orangehouse
07 Cantú, Italy @ All’una e Trentacinque Circa
08 Brescia, Italy @ Latteria Molloy
10 Madrid, Spain @ Wurlitzer Ballroom
11 Barcelona, Spain @ LA2
12 Valencia, Spain @ Loco Club
16-20 Austin, TX @ SXSW

APRIL

01 Milwaukee, WI @ Anodyne (album release)
03 Muscatine, IA @ River’s Edge Gallery

facebook.com/trapperschoepp /Twitter @trapperschoepp / trapperschoepp.com 

DUCKING PUNCHES NEW ALBUM 'FIZZY BRAIN' OUT 4 MARCH 2016 // PREORDER NOW // MARCH UK HEADLINE TOUR DATES (MORE SOON)

Xtra Mile Recordings can now happily announce that the forthcoming album by Ducking Punches, entitled Fizzy Brain, will be released on 4 March 2016. It’s available for preorder now. 

Fizzy Brain will be released on CD, LP and download, available from our digital shop, Amazon, and our friends Banquet Records. You can also download it from iTunes if you prefer. 

Early birds who preorder the album digitally will receive two new tracks, ‘Greedy Bones’ and ‘God Damn Coward’, instantly. You can listen to the tracks here - ‘Greedy Bones’ and ‘God Damn Coward’.

A full band, headline tour of the UK is taking shape for February / March. The confirmed dates so far are listed below with more to be announced in the coming weeks:

MARCH 2016

03 London @ The Monarch
07 Bristol @ Stag and Hounds
08 Southampton @ The Joiners
09 Cambridge @ Portland Arms
11 Norwich @ Arts Centre 

Fizzy Brain, the band’s third album, was produced by Owen Turner (Bearsuit, Magoo, The Broken Family Band) at Sickroom Studios in Norfolk. Following on from their previous two, the self-titled debut from 2010 and Dance Before You Sleep from 2014, they've collectively cranked the vitality and volume while building melody, texture and drama with violins, gang vocals and amplification, all the while retaining the pace and dynamics that brought Ducking Punches to such live acclaim.

Speaking of the album, frontman Dan Allen says: “We are so proud of this record, it was written much more collaboratively than previous releases and I think this has made for far stronger songs. It carries similar themes to Dance Before You Sleep in that it touches on loss, mental health, death and love. However, it is a far more hopeful record. This one was so cathartic albeit it often heartbreaking to write and I really hope everyone digs it.”

With a soaring sound that seems only to get larger with each album, these songs are as stirring as they are a call-to-arms, as blaring and exhilarating as they can be heart-rending and tender.

Originally the solo acoustic songs of vocalist and guitarist Dan Allen, Ducking Punches are now a punk/rock quintet. Hailing from Norwich, the band has nearly 1,000 shows under their belt, including a European tour in 2014 with Frank Turner and Andrew Jackson Jihad, as well as festival sets at Reading and Leeds, Download, Groezrock, FEST and support slots alongside The Hold Steady, The Menzingers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Franz Nicolay and Leatherface.

Previous praise for Ducking Punches:

“…infectious folk punk” Already Heard

“Ducking Punches are best witnessed live – there can’t be many bands that threaten to blow The Hold Steady off stage as they did.” Outline Magazine

“This record exudes the spirit, and true meaning of punk from the core of the band. This is not a folk punk record that’s full of jigs about drinking, or even filled with protest songs. ‘Dance Before You Sleep’ is nine tracks of well-written, cohesive songs that are straight from the heart, which is exactly the place that punk should come from.” Punktastic on Dance Before You Sleep.

“Ducking Punches … delivered a frankly majestic set of emotion-soaked punk rock. Not only were the songs the band played hugely passionate and real, but it was clear that they absolutely poured their hearts into their on-stage performance too.” - The Punk Archive.

facebook.com/duckingpunchesuk / Twitter @duckingpunches

XTRA MILE RECORDINGS SIGNS DUCKING PUNCHES // NEW ALBUM IN 2016

Xtra Mile Recordings are excited to announce a brand new signing for 2016 – Ducking Punches. Originally an outlet for the solo acoustic songs of vocalist and guitarist Dan Allen, Ducking Punches are now a punk/rock quintet. Hailing from Norwich, the band has nearly 1,000 shows under their belt, including a European tour in 2014 with Frank Turner and Andrew Jackson Jihad, as well as festival sets at Reading and Leeds, Download, Groezrock, FEST and support slots alongside The Hold Steady, The Menzingers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Franz Nicolay and Leatherface. A new album will come our way in 2016 but here’s a little teaser of what’s to come – new track ‘Greedy Bones’: 

New song by Ducking Punches recently signed to Xtra Mile Recordings. www.xtramilerecordings.com https://www.facebook.com/duckingpunchesuk https://twitter.com/duckingpunches

With two albums under their belt, the self-titled debut from 2010 and Dance Before You Sleep last year, they've collectively cranked the vitality and volume while building melody, texture and drama with violins, gang vocals and amplification. But they've never lost the pace and dynamics that brought Ducking Punches to such live acclaim. New material keeps that soaring course, songs that are as stirring as they are a call-to-arms, as blaring and exhilarating as they can be heart-rending and tender. 

Speaking of the signing, Dan Allen says: “We are delighted to be signing with Xtra Mile,  we've always admired their ethos as a label. It's great to be part of the family with some of our favourite bands and good friends.”

Charlie Caplowe, MD of Xtra Mile Recordings added:  “We are thrilled to welcome Dan/Ducking Punches to Xtra Mile Recordings. We’ve been watching them from the sidelines for some time now and can’t wait to work with them on their brilliant new album.” 

Previous praise for Ducking Punches:
“…infectious folk punk.” Already Heard

“Ducking Punches are best witnessed live – there can’t be many bands that threaten to blow The Hold Steady off stage as they did.” Outline Magazine

“This record exudes the spirit, and true meaning of punk from the core of the band. This is not a folk punk record that’s full of jigs about drinking, or even filled with protest songs. Dance Before You Sleep is nine tracks of well-written, cohesive songs that are straight from the heart, which is exactly the place that punk should come from.” Punktastic on Dance Before You Sleep.

“Ducking Punches … delivered a frankly majestic set of emotion-soaked punk rock. Not only were the songs the band played hugely passionate and real, but it was clear that they absolutely poured their hearts into their on-stage performance too.” - The Punk Archive.

facebook.com/duckingpunchesuk / Twitter @duckingpunches

SKINNY LISTER & BEANS ON TOAST 'THIS CHRISTMAS' SINGLE // OUT 20 NOVEMBER 2015 // PROCEEDS GO TO SHELTER

Xtra Mile Recordings labelmates and tour buddies Skinny Lister and Beans On Toast have written and recorded a festive ditty called 'This Christmas', released on 20 November 2015. Money raised from sales will go to homeless charity Shelter.

You can buy the single on iTunes or get it from our digital shop. You can also support Shelter’s emergency Christmas appeal. Please visit www.shelter.org.uk or text SHELTER to 70060 to donate £3.

While touring the US with Frank Turner, the riotous rum-soaked troupe and the ragged-throated troubadour bonded leading to this inevitable collaboration. 'This Christmas' is crammed full of poignant, bittersweet, funny but ultimately uplifting anecdotes of seeing family and friends at Christmas. The song boasts pounding drums, sleigh bells and decorative accordion while Jay Beans and Lorna from Skinny Lister duet around lines that are stuffed with turkey, presents and undeniable sentiments: “I love you, I miss you and I can't wait to see you and forget about all that other business”.

Watch the video below:

They had this to say about the union:

“‘This Christmas’ wraps up all our memories of Christmas into a neat four minute song to be delivered as a gift to our friends and followers this Christmas. It’s got family, nostalgia and festive cheer in abundance! Written and recorded on our recent tour across America, the Santa hats were crucial in providing that extra little bit of seasonal magic in the studio! We’re giving all the proceeds to Shelter, the amazing charity taking care of those without a home. Everybody deserves something nice at Christmas right?”

Skinny Lister are supporting Frank Turner once again on his UK tour throughout November while Beans On Toast headlines his own tour throughout November and December. Full dates can be found on our gig calendar. Their dates are also on their websites www.skinnylister.com  and www.beansontoastmusic.com.

Skinny Lister’s recent album Down On Deptford Broadway was released in April of this year garnering rave reviews across the board, with Q Magazine roaring “three cheers for a band who give pub rock a good name”, while the Evening Standard declared “it’s harder to imagine anything more mischievous”. Beans On Toast releases his seventh studio album Rolling Up The Hill on 1 December which has been described by Rocksound as “quite possibly his most accessible and immediate album to date.”

The money raised will support Shelter’s Christmas campaign. In Britain, 100,000 children will wake up homeless this Christmas morning. You won’t see these children on the streets. Rather, they’ll be hidden away in temporary accommodation – including cold, cramped B&Bs and hostels that are damaging to their health. Their suffering risks being forgotten.

Shelter

To support Shelter’s emergency Christmas appeal please visit www.shelter.org.uk or text SHELTER to 70060 to donate £3.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness – and campaign to prevent it in the first place. Shelter is here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

www.skinnylister.com / www.beansontoastmusic.com

facebook.com/ShelterUK / Twitter @Shelter / www.shelter.org.uk