China tour dates announced
The band announce two tour dates in China, one in Beijing and at The Strawberry Festival in Hangzhou.
Aaron: The label we are signed to, Modern Sky, is Chinese. It’s odd one: we’re going on the Wednesday and coming back on Saturday night, and back to work on Monday. We thought Isle of Wight on one day was bad. It’s Beijing and Hangzhou. It should be great. I thought we’d be doing Berlin before Beijing. The ambition is to get out to Europe an the states. Europe seems a logical stop. I’m a stats nerd so we can see on Spotify we’re being listened out there.
We're off to CHINA 😎🎉 pic.twitter.com/cTd5tRlNN2
— THE SLOW READERS CLUB (@slowreadersclub) March 23, 2018
You Opened Up My Heart
The band release You Opened Up My Heart, from the album, Build A Tower.
A lot of our songs are existential and angst-ridden but, in an age where we’re faced with stuff like Trump and Brexit, and people are becoming more polarised, it felt right to offer something with a more positive message. It’s an electro-indie love-song, basically, with great hooks. The lyrics ‘Believe enough to lose control/Where there’s love there’s always hope’ are about a basic belief that humanity and compassion will win the day.
Through The Shadows video
The band release a video for Through The Shadows, which is also released as a downloadable single with album pre-sales.
Build A Tower album and tour announced
The band announces their third album, Build A Tower, will be released on May 4. They also announce a tour to promote the album, with dates in Cardiff, Southampton, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Newcastle, Hull, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Norwich, Northwich, London and Stoke.
Fred Perry Manchester in-store acoustic performance
The band perform a seven-song acoustic set inside Manchester’s Fred Perry store.
Lunatic performance
The band release a live video performance of Lunatic, from their show at Manchester’s Albert Hall.
Lunatic
The band releases Lunatic, the first single from their upcoming third album. The track was produced by Bullyment. Aaron Starkie:
It’s about feeling at odds with the world, especially politically in recent times, to the point where you feel as though you are losing your mind. There’s also reference to how psychiatry has been used to remove political dissidents from society: ‘Hard to find a fit, for I know that I’m a lunatic, Sure in days of old, I’d be chained to the floor’.
‘There’s Only One Conor McGregor’ released as charity single
Mick Konstantin releases There’s Only One Conor McGregor, with proceeds to go to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. The track is available for download on iTunes here.
It’s all been a bit crazy really. I really love creating music people enjoy, I could never have dreamt that the song would have reached the heights it has. I couldn’t believe it. McGregor’s team rang me the following day and told me McGregor loved the song. That was amazing that he heard the song and liked it, but McGregor and his team asked if I’d like to go to the fight. It was a dream come true…The support I’ve received for this song has been immense, and I’m going to have the trip of a lifetime to see McGregor in action in Vegas. I felt I had to give something back. I have decided to donate all iTunes sales of There’s Only One Conor McGregor, until the fight to a charity Conor supports. The proceeds of the sales will go to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. “I’d love to see the hospital benefit from this and see the proceeds going to a good cause.
There’s Only One Conor McGregor
Mick Konstantin releases a song about McGregor’s upcoming fight with Mayweather.
Mayweather, your old and your small
And the truth is that you’ll do feck all
Cos precision beats power and timing beats speed
“Why have you got a school bag Floyd you can’t even read”Well he dresses to kill, buys lamborghinis at will
Can get inside your head like he was Dr. Phil
And if you call him out, have a good reason why
Or he’ll turn around and say who the f**k is that guyAnd on the 26th of August we’re taking over Vegas
The Irish invasion you can’t mistake us
Singing songs day and night til our voices are sore
Cos when one of us goes, we all go to war!!
Lives Never Known recording
The band post a video of the recording of the vocals for Lives Never Known.
Chance the Rapper covers three Kanye songs at NY show
At the Governors Ball music festival in New York City, Chance plays three Kanye West songs as part of his headlining set. Chance played renditions of Waves, Father Stretch My Hands, and Ultralight Beam — all tracks from West’s 2016 The Life of Pablo — amidst a set full of his own hits including No Problem, Sunday Candy, and Angels. Chance worked on a number of tracks for Pablo, earning writing credits on all three of those songs, and production credits on Ultralight Beam.
Before I forget, @chancetherapper killing it with Kanye West's Waves during Friday's @GovBallNYC headliner pic.twitter.com/gjO3mYrTzb
— Harrison Jacobs (@Harrisonxjacobs) June 5, 2017
Through The Shadows tour announced
The band announces the Through The Shadows tour, which will play at the following venues:
- Sat 21 October – Dublin, The Button Factory
- Sat 4 November – Birmingham, Academy 3
- Fri 10 November – London, The Garage
- Fri 17 November – Bristol, Thekla
- Thu 23 November – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
- Fri 24 November – Manchester, Albert Hall
- Sat 9 December – Glasgow – King Tuts
Conor McGregor music video release
Merkules releases the video for Conor McGregor, directed by Kubrick.
I feel like I’m Conor McGregor, get lost in the sauce and then shout at you haters. We eat and we all getting traded. My Squad going major, I’m on a hiatus.
McGregor Walk music video
Manic Flame releases a video for McGregor Walk.
Swag. Pressure. I go harder under pressure. Got that number when I met her. Walk it out Conor McGregor.
Oslo Hackney concert
The band play to a sold out crowd at Oslo, a venue in Hackney, London.
The Ritz Manchester concert
The band play at the Ritz, Manchester, to a sold-out crowd of 1500. This is the first performance of Through The Shadows. As the band takes a bow, James gives a message to the fans:
We all go to work just like you. We all have day jobs just like you. We don’t have anyone who’s giving us loads of money. So the fact that you are all coming out to spend money on us. Everything you spend comes straight back into this band. Thank you very much. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Recovering
Dion debuts Recovering, a tribute song to her husband Renee, written for her by Pink.
The Sound Check
The band appear on The Sound Check, playing I Saw A Ghost, Forever In Your Debt. Aaron:
I Saw A Ghost came in a dark morning. As you can image by the lyrics it’s quite a sombre track…what I try to do in the lyrics is write stuff that people are feeling, but can’t articulate.
Forever in Your Debt acoustic performance
Kustis and Aaron Starkie perform Forever in Your Debt for the BBC in Manchester.
Announce Manchester O2 headline
The band announce that they will headline Manchesters O2 Ritz on 18 November 2016.