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Blackaby Announce Debut EP 'What's On The TV?'
BLACKABY
ANNOUNCES DEBUT EPWHAT'S ON THE TV?
SHARES TITLE TRACK
THE EP ARRIVES 24TH JULY VIA HAND IN HIVE"Like Matt Maltese, Jerkcurb and a small clutch of other recent favourites serving a darker undercurrent to their seemingly sweet offerings” - DIY
"Nostalgically timeless... a moment of bliss that you’ll never forget first hearing” - So Young London based outfit Blackaby today announce their debut EP, as well as sharing a new single, both titled What's On the TV? The EP is released via Hand In Hive (Swimming Tapes, Wyldest, A.O. Gerber) alongside a cassette release on Sad Club Records. Blackaby, despite the infancy of the project, has already garnered support from the likes of DIY,So Young,Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1) ,Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music), and Abbie McCarthy (BBC Introducing).The new single propels the band into the melodic territory of pop-punk, a bubblegum refrain underpinned by songwriter William Blackaby's nonchalant delivery and wry observations.
William says of the single“It’s a silly song about funny moments, sad moments, the sick love of food and uncertain love. It’s short so you don’t get bored.”
Blackaby is the project of multi-instrumentalist William Blackaby, a project which on stage expands to a four piece band. Raised in Kent and now based in North London, he has contributed to various musical projects in recent years but this release marks a step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
After sharing some home made tracks to the praise of tastemakers and becoming a well-kept secret in the London live scene, Blackaby is now set to release this debut EP, a collection of songs which take inspiration from the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel, John Martyn and Gillian Welch.
William's writing captures hazy memories, a host of unusual characters and the absurdities of modern life. While the lead track recalls the sun-kissed romanticism of 'Lust For Life' eraGirls, 'My Paula' feels distinctly British, aRay Davies-equeode to the subtleties of romance and boredom. The recordings feel nostalgic, as William observes "This EP looks back at youth. Learning to write essays and discovering alcohol ('The friend who will travel with me’). The mundane problems of town living. Trying to be cool. Trying skateboard tricks. Trying to fit in ('Eyeing the prizes, watching the other boys’). The way out is growing up but then the same problems are still there, you just create more distractions (‘they do a dance on a Monday night’)"
Elsewhere on the EP, 'Semolina has all the hooks and flourishes of early Gengahr while Bubblegum is a more sombre affair, betraying its name and showing the versatility of William's songwriting.
The whole collection is both a tribute to and a product of escapism, and the processes we all use to navigate modern life.
"TV the great escape
anything will do
it’s glorious to watch a quiz show
you learn things!
tricky school
grammar school
special ties
pressure can dissolve
never the cool one
never to be
don’t do anything
no poetry
what’s on the tv?"