It’s 2007 and there’s no doubt about it, The Twang are ‘The best new band in Britain’ (NME). The music scene is thriving with fresh talent and devoted gig-goers, and they want a piece of the love.
Tucked away in the Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton, the band are in the midst of creating what is to be their most important record. A record that will set them apart from any other artist, and ensure that 2007 belongs to them.
Their debut album, ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’, is due for release on June 4th, and the hype is building. The world has had a taste of The Twang, and they’re hungry for more.
Meanwhile, their debut single ‘Wide Awake’ is dominating the UK Top 20 Charts, leading them to pick up NME’s Philip Hall Radar Award for Best Newcomers. Now the whole nation is wide awake, and they’re scared to sleep in case they should miss what’s to come.
Media outlets everywhere are believing the hype, declaring that the band are ‘set to own 2007’, and they’re absolutely right.
Every artist and repertoire (A&R) man in the country has been pushing their pedal to the floor, tearing up the M40 to Birmingham to snare the essence of this new band. Shows across the country are selling out in record time, as the Twang’s army of follower’s increases overnight.
The atmosphere builds as everyone comes to the realisation that they are in fact, witnessing one of those rare moments in music.
Music revellers across the UK are heading to their most local packed out venue to bare witness to this new phenomenon, and they aren’t to be disappointed.
These are the days before the smoking ban, the days before political correctness took over, the days when people expressed their craving for freedom through the medium of dance. Music halls throughout the nation became filled with the smoke of Benson and Hedges, and the energetic, infectious noise of The Twang.
Ten years later, the band are living in a haze of nostalgia as they prepare to hit the road again. They’re feeling ‘super excited’ as they embark upon their O2 Academy tour this winter to celebrate the anniversary of their monumental debut album, ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’.
Yes, they will be playing the entire record, in full, from start to finish, for the very first time. A spectacle not to be missed.
What better time to look back longingly into 2007, and remember what made this album, and period of time, so special and iconic? For The Twang were always more than they were painted, casting back to their humble beginnings in Birmingham, the gang were written off by the majority of the local music scene as ‘the band who wouldn’t make it’.
Formed and developed by the sheer will of Phil Etheridge and Jon Watkin, the band persevered through a chaotic year of hype and madness, and came out at the other side, waving a middle finger to all those who doubted them. Their secret to success? Simply making music that fed their soul, and allowing others to share it.
The pair succeeded in finding that perfect recipe that would allow their dreams to become a reality, often using one another as motivation.
Frontman Phil Etheridge said:
“I guess the fact that both me and Jon were bringing songs to the table meant I was always trying to write a better song than him.
"He’d write an Ice Cream Sundae, Push The Ghosts or whatever and I’d think, f**k I better up my game like… in my head at least, that was a thing that spurred me on.”
In what’s regarded as somewhat of a beautiful contradiction, The Twang have always had the unique ability to infuse honest, gritty lyrics with an air of poetic sensitivity.
The songs from the album tell stories of sorrow, love and elation, punctuated by an indisputable sharp wit.
When asked about the source of his inspiration, frontman Etheridge joked that the majority of the bands early material was written about his mates and nights out in Birmingham.
“I hung about with some gloriously funny characters back in the day, and they were a permanent source of inspiration!”
He also acknowledged the influential music from his youth, which ranged from the likes of Happy Mondays to listening to Jungle and House tapes with his mates. At that point, if music gave him ‘goose-bumps’ and spoke about his life, then he was ‘havin’ it and absorbing as much as he could’. It’s music like this which became instrumental in shaping the bands unique sound.
Another colossal factor in the band’s road to success was the release of their second single ‘Either Way’ in May 2007, which climbed its way to #8 in the UK Top Ten Chart. The track speaks volumes about who The Twang are, a band that love music, that believe in music as a form of redemption, and have the power to turn grey, mundane life into glorious technicolour.
Either Way is widely regarded as the track that changed the band’s life, and catapulted them into the mainstream radar.
But undoubtedly, the best way to absorb the album is to witness it performed live. Its ‘youthful and vibey’ sound combined with the energetic charisma of the group creates a cocktail which never fails to intoxicate the crowd.
The final track of the album ‘Cloudy Room’ is one of the most renowned crowd pleasers, often leaving revellers repeating an atmospheric chorus of ‘let’s just fly’, and a feeling inside that they almost could.
The song was written by frontman Phil as an ode to a club in Birmingham, where the band spent some of ‘the best nights of their life’. It perfectly portrays the heart of The Twang, whose songs were born of a love of club and house music and a passion for classic indie bands such as The Smiths and The Stone Roses.
Fans will be excited to hear that prior to the upcoming anniversary tour, ‘Cloudy Room’ has been specially remixed and promises to ooze even more vitality and spirit.
As well as playing ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’ in its raw entirety, the band have teased that they might ‘throw in a couple of B-sides’ too, which is sure to make the evening even more spectacular.
‘Love It When I Feel Like This’ is so much more than just a record. It’s a story of pride, courage, and the ability to beat the odds repeatedly. To strive to steer dreams into reality.
It will forever be the soundtrack to thousands of people’s lives, loves and losses. The beautiful creation that in turn, has filled countless venues throughout the UK with ordinary people who all have one thing in common, they know that the world is a better place thanks to the Twang’s music.
And now it begins again…
Tickets for The Twang ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’ 2017 Tour are now on general sale from ticketmaster.co.uk, priced at £21.50 advance (subject to booking fee). £1.00 from every ticket sold will be donated to CRISIS UK.
To Celebrate The 10th Anniversary Of Its Release
The Twang Will Be Performing Their Iconic Debut Album
In Its Entirety For The First Time Ever!
NOVEMBER 2017
29th Bournemouth – The Old Fire Station
30th Leeds – O2 Academy
DECEMBER 2017
1st Manchester – O2 Ritz
2nd Glasgow – O2 ABC
8th Oxford – O2 Academy
9th London – O2 Forum Kentish Town
14th Sheffield – O2 Academy
15th Newcastle – O2 Academy
16th Leicester – O2 Academy
21st Bristol – O2 Academy
22nd Liverpool – O2 Academy
23rd Birmingham – O2 Academy
Track listing: (1) Ice Cream Sundae (2) Wide Awake (3) The Neighbour (4) Either Way (5) Push The Ghosts (6) Reap What You Sow (7) Loosely Dancing (8) Two Lovers (9) Don’t Wait Up (10) Got Me Sussed (11) Cloudy Room
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