News Archive 2006
Tour Diary, Eamon v Eamon on 6 Music & Best Live Band
Read the latest post in the Tour Diary: UK TOUR Nov-Dec 06
Listen Again to Eamon Hamilton versus Eamon Holmes on 6 Music's Nemone - HERE (click on the Friday show) It comes on just after Hold Me In The River around 14.09 - tracklist (thanks to Callum)
Brakes are the Number 1 Live Band 2006 at SoundsXP For your delectation and education (and a chance for us to pretend that we're really cool) we have cobbled together a list of all that was magnificent musically over the last twelve months, based on a poll of the SoundsXP scribes. Looking down the list it tells us that 2006 was a good year for music but one not dominated by any one band or genre.
Brakes fairly comfortably win the best live act award, having finished second in 2005. With their eclectic taste (hardcore punk to folk in an instant) and intense delivery, they are a band you really must see in 2007 if you have not done already.
Vote for your Top 5 Singles of 2006 at 6 Music
Keep voting for Brakes in MTV2's NME Chart & new interviews
Vote for Brakes in MTV2's NME Chart: CLICK HERE Scroll down and look for "The Brakes" (you need to type your name at the top) You seem to be able to vote again every few days (keep trying)
All the band talk to soundsxp.com Eamon and Marc talk to fat-controller.com Interview with Tom at trashclub.co.uk
The Beatific Visions is in Indie London's Best Albums of 2006
XFM Listener Vote 2006 & Sun Top 100
XFM Listener Vote 2006 "It's that time of year again. Time we ask you, our most dearly beloved Xfm listener, to pick the very best albums, singles, events and bands from the year just gone..."
Brakes are No. 19 in The Sun Top 100 (thanks to duffers and lady muck)
Interview at pennyblackmusic.co.uk Eamon Hamilton took time out before a gig in November at Boddington's Brewery in Manchester to speak to Pennyblackmusic outside in the freezing cold, with only a cup of tea to get us through. They also have a good Single review
Photos of Eamon at King Tuts Glasgow on 1st December by Gregg.
Hold Me In The River video, NME Christmas issue
See the other videos in the Xmas issue
The video is still being played on MTV2's Spanking New section and you should be able to find out when it's next shown by pressing the red button on your remote and choose it from the Requests list (they were listed as The Brakes) The video isn't always on the list - probably appears before it's due to be on.
Hold Me In The River was also Indie London Single Of The Week Brakes provide an excellent reminder of why you should go out and buy their latest album, The Beatific Visions with the release of this lively single Hold Me In The River. Kicking off with an ultra-sharp guitar riff, the track blasts out of the stereo like a lightning bolt amid a whirlwind of dizzying but endearing beats and melodies. The central guitar riff weaves cheekily in and out, disrupting the flow of the otherwise driving guitars, while the vocals are edgy in a punky sort of way. It's a firecracker of a start to the album and a welcome reminder of why Brakes are such a great little super-group.
Read Eamon's recent Q&A at Subba Cultcha There are photos from their Brighton gig by HK HERE and KCLSU by Elfy HERE More photos in the Gallery (look for new) Thanks to Dan, SeeBass, Cath & Luke.
Monday gig at Metro
Brakes headline the Xmas Party at Metro in London, Monday 11th tickets - website - more info - Flyer
The T Shirt stock has now been replenished: See the designs SPIKY SPIKY! HI HOW ARE YOU / WON'T YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP... And more. You can buy HERE (vinyl for Give Blood and The Beatific Visions now available too)
RINGTONES... all the tracks from the new album and Cheney, Ring a Ding Ding, Pick up the Phone and other Brakes classics. The site's in the middle of being updated... but the tones are there. Go HERE
A well earned rest is now due but dates for next year will be up on the site soon... Vote for Hold Me In The River now at XFM Tune into Music: Response Monday to Thursday 7pm to 10pm and see if they get played out on the Top 7 At 7 - Vote Here
The website will be updated with the new photos & reviews very soon...
Playlouder Single Of The Week & Marc's Top Ten
Single Of The Week at Playlouder: Brakes have certainly come a long way since they appeared as a part-time breakaway movement from British Sea Power. There are three reasons why this single is brilliant. First up Eamon's voice is stronger and more individual than ever, stuttering and growling like a demented Steve Harley, secondly 'Hold Me in the River' has the strongest, most ass kicking riff of the day, and thirdly they name check Scarlett Johansson, and we luuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve her. Well done chaps, your ascension as a band-proper is complete and you are worthy recipients of the Single of the Week.
The Perfect 10 Brakes tell TuneTribe about the songs which have inspired their particular brand of jarring, psychedelia-laced guitar pop... On second album The Beatific Visions, Brighton's Brakes have allowed a hitherto unexpressed tenderness to colour their raucous avant-indie, with songs such as 'If I Should Die Tonight' and 'Isabel' adding a dash of sentimentality to the gloriously noisy proceedings. But don't let that fool you - they're still as satisfyingly unhinged as ever. Bassist Marc Beatty told TuneTribe about the tracks which have soundtracked their journey thus far...
Tour Diary
Read Marc's latest post in the TOUR DIARY on the Forum.
MTV2 Playlist and End Of The Road promo
Hold Me In The River video was on the MTV2 Playlist (on the Spanking New section)
End Of The Road Festival promo featuring Brakes by SSS Films (interview with Eamon and live clips) Website
Hold Me In The River out now
'HOLD ME IN THE RIVER' VERY LTD. EDITION 7", ENGRAVED WITH LYRICS AND A CHANCE TO WIN THE BAND PLAYING IN A VENUE OF YOUR CHOICE (your office, front room, pub, school) ...IS IN THE SHOPS MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER. The single is available from Rough Trade Shops Read what people have been saying about it HERE
Edith Bowman's been playing the single all week on Radio 1, sounded lush. And the video has just been added to the playlist on MTV2 and Sub Shot student TV. Feel free to email the XFM peeps, in particular Lauren Laverne and Sarah Darling: xfm.co.uk and the Radio 1 peeps, in particular Edith Bowman, Colin Murray, Zane Lowe and Jo Whiley hassling them to play the track and telling them how the band were on tour. Etc etc... bbc.co.uk/radio1
Acoustic session video & Barcelona photos
Wintercase Barcelona photos 25th November by Tomas. There are also photos from The Killers Tour in the GALLERY (look for "new") by Cath, Kirstie and Lady Muck. Many thanks to the photographers. If you have any recent photos for the gallery please email webmaster@brakesbrakesbrakes.com (large photos will be resized)
3VOOR12 has a video of Tom & Eamon performing an acoustic session in the Paradiso lift on 17th November. Click under where it says Concerten. They play a few songs and Tom asks if it's for TV or Internet (interviewer replies both) Songs are: On Your Side - Porcupine Or Pineapple - Heard About Your Band - If I Should Die Tonight.
Here's the Brakes page at 3VOOR12 with more audio/video, including new single Hold Me In The River.
NME review, Record Of The Week on Radio 1, Chart Show video
Watch Hold Me In The River live on The Album Chart Show: HERE
Hold Me In The River review in NME "Chugging Pop Wonderment". Eamon Hamilton has a tip for anyone wishing to lead a happier, more fruitful life: "try lying on the grass thinking of Scarlett Johansson" beams the Brakes frontman, and you know what? We tried it, and like much of what the Brakes do, it's natural Prozac. On Hold Me In The River, Brighton's finest sound brassy, breathless, and full of more beans than a half dozen Heinz factories. Guitars divebomb like candy-coloured Spitfires as Hamilton spells out his silly, surreal philosophies in a voice we can only pin as being somewhere between David Byrne and a friendly Muppet. It's all over just shy of the two-minute mark, but never fear, Brakes: you were never in danger of outstaying your welcome.
Record Of The Week, Edith Bowman, Radio 1: I love this band and they are back with a brand new album The Beatific Visions follow up to Give Blood. I was smitten with this band when I first saw them live supporting Editors in Holland. There was something slightly off centre to them that I loved, a quirkyness that makes you smile. The beautiful minds of Tom and Alex White, Eamon Hamilton and Marc Beatty came together in 2002 to make sweet music. It's hard to describe their music and especially the new album which you can sense a different emotion in every song. Fun, endearing, sad, direct, melodic it has everything that I want in an album. So it's a total pleasure to to play Hold Me In The River - the first single from the album - as our Top Rated. I hope you like.
New T-Shirts & Interviews with Eamon
All been going well in Brakesland, The Killers dates were BIG, the band were in Spain for the weekend playing the Wintercase festival and they're back for the UK tour. Hold Me In the River will be Edith Bowman's record of the week this week on Radio 1. The single will be released on 4th December - Limited Edition Engraved 7" (with the lyrics), there will be a chance to win Brakes playing in a venue of your choice (your living room/office/school...)
New T-shirts are now in stock Click here to see the designs and here to buy.
Our Brake with Cerys I can't imagine Cerys Matthews cooking a Sunday roast and playing mam to any old itinerant indie bands who dropped by her old Nashville home. Matthews may have replaced her hard-living rock star lifestyle with contented motherhood and wifedom but something about that image still jars. Yet that's the picture of domestic coziness painted by Eamon Hamilton, vocalist with Brakes, who stayed with Cerys and hubby Seth Riddle while they recorded their new album The Beatific Visions. "Actually it was Seth making the Sunday dinners" Hamilton laughed.
They released their debut album Give Blood in July 2005 and with 16 songs clocking in at just 29 minutes it showcased their ability to spit out incredibly concise shards of urbanised indie. It was a record that impressed Cerys' producer husband Riddle.
"Seth saw us play in Texas and invited us out. We spent pretty much every night sitting on their porch in rocking chairs, watching fireflies. There were constantly musicians dropping by to jam, like a musician's perfect dream, and Cerys sang these beautiful folk songs"
In recording The Beatific Visions, Brakes shared some of the personnel Cerys used on her album Never Said Goodbye, including producer Stuart Sikes. "Stuart is this big Texan who just doesn't take any nonsense. We'd do something really well and he'd just say (adopts deep-voiced drawl), 'Y'all need to do that again"
So given the setting and personnel, how much country influence crept into Brakes' very British indie squall? "There are actually quite a lot of country influences on Brakes so it was nice to go to the home of real country music. Country music in America has become mass-produced rubbish, sort of like hip-hop has become, so it was good to try and do it properly with a lot of old faces. We took about 70 per cent of the material with us but we wrote there too and the single Hold Me In The River came out of that writing. We were there for three-and-a-half weeks and the heat affected the record more than the area or people. The songs are either very relaxed or very angry from being too tired and too hot"
At least they'll be acclimatised to the heat for their date at The Point tomorrow. "Cardiff's always rowdy, a real party city. I remember leaving our last gig at Clwb Ifor Bach and when we came out there were some mates trying to push each other around"
There's a new interview with Eamon at Drowned In Sound (click link to read it all)
There's always a big element of fun running through your music but you pack it with politics, too. What has concerned you enough to write about this time, for The Beatific Visions?
We're in pretty dark times at the moment and it's like a reflection, really. I'm not a big fan of war let alone the reasons and justifications for it, which seem to hinge on some idea of a God, and it's that that I'm trying to explore. Each side uses their God as an excuse to be inhumane to each other.
That is a large and controversial subject. How did you begin to tackle it?
I went away to Morocco and, while I was there, read a book called The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's a brilliant book set in the 1920s, about how the Devil comes to Moscow and how he just creates havoc. It's one of the best books I've ever read. That influenced the song 'Margarita', but I was reading the Old Testament as well, that I'd never read. One of the stories that really stood out was that of Job. It's about what happens when God and the Devil get together to have this bet to mess up this guy's life and test his faith. In our song, 'Cease And Desist', I use that idea but let the Devil win instead.
Sounds like you've had enough of writing about the usual subjects?
Ha ha, people are still falling in love, which is brilliant, so some of the songs are about love and the benefits of love, really.
Does that cool pub gambling room pictured on your cover actually exist? It looks like a film set that's been constructed to look uber-authentic, and I can't work it out.
Yes, it is real. It's called Trisha's and you can find it in Soho. It's been in this same Italian family since the 1940s and it's one of those late-night drinking places.
You recorded this album in Nashville with Stuart Sykes, who has also produced The White Stripes and Cat Power. Did that experience have a marked effect on the way everything came out and how you approached actually making the album?
With this one, we were still rearranging the songs and coming up with better ways of doing them as we started. We also had a producer who was a bit of a taskmaster and he made us do take after take. So yeah, it was a different approach to recording and we took more time over it, like two and a half weeks. It was a luxury! America and Nashville seeped into our consciousness and we had a brilliant time there. Not only that, but one day while we were recording Cat Power called by. Wow!
Video interview with Eamon
Watch a video interview with Eamon, and acoustic songs with Tom at revu.nl
Read reviews of new single Hold Me In The River Here's a photo from their recent Banquet Instore
Brakes in Rough Trade Shops Top 100
The Beatific Visions is no.5 in Rough Trade Shops Top 100 albums of 2006. Hold Me In The River is in the Media Player at NME.com There's a short video of Brakes in Amsterdam - "fantastic gig". Read the Q&A Eamon did for the Album Chart Show and there's a new interview at The Skinny
Fresh from the release of their second album, The Beatific Visions, Brighton quartet Brakes took time out to chat to The Skinny about blagging, the Bible and scary porcupines. Rock on.
"After Give Blood (the band's debut), we kind of imagined that would be it, but then Rough Trade came back to us and asked if we'd like to do another record," explains ex-British Sea Power keysman Eamon Hamilton. "Initially we thought shit yeah! and then we were like ****, we've got no songs! It wasn't a problem in the end though, although I still feel like we're going to get found out, but everyone seems happy with them so I guess the blag goes on!"
Certainly the Brakes' laid-back approach to composing hasn't hindered their creative ability - the tunes on show here are, if anything, more accomplished than their acclaimed debut in that they brim with vivid honesty and unashamed passion. "The lyrical honesty was definitely intentional - it's a reflection of the past year's news and personal matters." There's also no shying away from some of the bigger issues. "I despise the way people get killed in the name of some concept of God and how this belief prompts some humans to become inhuman - it's incomprehensible to me."
Indeed, Hamilton took to reading the Old Testament in an attempt to understand things further. "It's heavy stuff man, it's basically just a set of lists and stories of God and the Devil battling over people's consciences. It certainly inspired some of my songwriting." Amongst the at-times brutal honesty of the new record (see album closer 'No Return' for a graphic heartbreak) there's also time for a number of obscure references on the new record, none more abstract than the frenetic 'Porcupine or Pineapple'? "They're both spiky, so which one's worse?" After much deliberation and the application of a little common sense from The Skinny, the porcupine's ability to move wins the day.
Planet Brakes seems quite a pleasant place to be on right now, with the Brighton scene, of which they're a major part, booming and the Beatific Visions being welcomed throughout. The band has also just played a support slot at the Academy in Glasgow with one of the world's biggest draws at present - the Killers. So can the Brakes do big audiences? "We just love playing music to people, so the more the merrier. We were thrilled to be supporting the Killers, we really admire their style, not using any backing tracks and all that. It's really impressive."
With their stock rising within the industry and demanding record companies seeking new tunes to order, how will the Brakes cope? "I find songwriting quite a traumatic experience, so having deadlines is good for me - it prevents extending pain!" And so the honesty continues. Them's the Brakes.
Killers support photos
Photos of Brakes supporting The Killers at Bataclan by photosconcerts.com
Hold Me In The River
Visit clickmusic.com to watch the new video for Hold Me In The River released 4 December. Brakes say of the new single: "It diatribes against religious fervor, creationism versus Darwinism, the loss of the presumption of innocence, and celebrates the screen beauty Scarlett Johansson, Yeah". With a budget of pretty much whatever they had in their pockets, the band recorded the video for the single themselves and are very pleased with the result. "It's fucking brilliant" they said, modestly.
Vote for Hold Me In The River now at XFM Tune into Music: Response Monday to Thursday 7pm to 10pm and see if they get played out on the Top 7 At 7 - Vote Here
Killer Brakes
Comma Comma Comma Full Stop at the end of the set supporting The Killers on 14th November.
Brakes on Album Chart Show 17th Nov
Brakes are on The Album Chart Show, Channel 4, Friday 17th Nov (12.10am early Sat) along with an exclusive of The Killers single.
Watch On Your Side live at Fopp London, November 2006 by Marinade.
There are also new interviews at The Times and The Sun
Eamon: "People's reactions certainly made us take another look at the band. They made us think, Oh right we are a good band actually. We weren't hearing the music we wanted to hear so we decided to make it ourselves. The Killers tour is an amazing thing to get. They just rang us up and asked us to support them. We're really excited about it as these venues are full to the brim with people. A big rig for our big sound"
Eamon on recording The Beatific Visions: "Before we knew it we were making another record! This one took longer than the first - but only two weeks! We'd been introduced to Stuart at South By South West by Cerys Matthews' husband Seth Riddle. Stuart is a big Texan who didn't say much except for no or do it again. We'd gone there with just 70 per cent of the album written so it could be quite unnerving at times. Though, at the end, when he said yep that's the one, we realised he liked us a lot. Nashville was inspiring. We had all these musicians who had played with legends coming in to hear our songs"
So are they now a bit more used to being called a supergroup? "Well we are four super guys in a group but we've never felt like a supergroup. I always thought being a supergroup was about massive egos and snorting cocaine all the time. That's not us at all"
This time around they recorded in Nashville at House of David, the studio owned by David Briggs, once Elvis Presley's pianist and a local fixture. Briggs started out in the Muscle Shoals rhythm section and even backed the Sixties star Tommy Roe on a trip to the UK with a Liverpool band.
Eamon: "He had some good stories about going on tour with the Beatles. He went to George Harrison's house and kept finding rooms Harrison hadn't even been to. He was saying: these are really great songs, and to hear that from a man who played with Elvis and Sammy Davis Jr is pretty cool"
Briggs is right. The title track and the heartbreaking closer No Return are worth a thousand overlong CDs.
Tom: "I think we are quite a traditional set-up. There's no style here at all". Eamon: "I'm realising more and more that we are an old-school band. The Nashville players really appreciated that, I think. We are what they were"
They seem to exist in a world apart from conventional bands. No wonder the Killers, friends since touring with British Sea Power, appreciate them enough to invite them on their current tour.
Eamon: "Right now bands have become more of an insular commodity. If you don't hear what you want to hear, you have to make it yourself. Brakes fills the gap"
Tom: "A lot of bands are too happy to be told what category they fit in. But I don't think we can. We don't look right for this era". Eamon prefers to quote the old Kit Kat advertisement: "You look bad, you sound terrible - you'll go a long way" he laughs, not caring.
Hold Me In The River video
The DIY video of Hold Me In The River is now on the Myspace Video page - made by the band; they scripted, filmed, edited and star in the video, it took them 2 days to make in Brighton. The video starts with Eamon preparing himself to go out boxing. He tapes up his gloves, shorts and puts a gumshield in his mouth before heading out onto the streets of Brighton looking for a fight...
Read an interview with Eamon at BBC Manchester - there's also links to the new video.
The Beatific Visions is quite a grand title. Do you think the album lives up to it?
"The title is a play on how the concept God is being used as an excuse to inflict inhuman acts on humans at the moment. The songs all reflect this in some way"
There's such a wide variety of tunes packed into the album, which is your favourite?
"I can't pick a favourite - I love them equally. Each song"
The Beatific Visions is even more spiky than Give Blood. Is this a trend you'll be following?
"Like Robert Frost pointed out in The Road Less Travelled, following trends leads to a dull life. We don't have a set of rules for what is or is not a Brakes tune, which leaves us free to make whatever songs move us"
There's a lot of social and political comment in your work, do you see yourselves as a political band?
"No, I see us as a human band, but I also see that we are going through one of the most politically sensitive eras in living memory, and that our work reflects this. I don't think art can exist outside of the social situation it was created in, and the political upheaval in our current society is too overwhelming to ignore"
Interview with Eamon
Eamon talks about recording The Beatific Visions at twistedear.com (click link to read in full)
The new album, The Beatific Visions, came out on Monday and seems to have quite a pedigree in terms of the personnel involved - it was recorded in Nashville at the House of David studios, home to records by JJ Cale and Elvis Presley. How did all of that come about? Was it deliberate, or the result of good fortune?
Good fortune! We met the producer Stuart Sikes at South By Southwest and he wanted to work with us. The strength of the pound against the dollar meant that it would be cheaper to record it over there. We had a great time.
How was the recording process for you guys? I read that some of the songs were written from scratch in the studio - did this prove difficult, or inspiring?
We had about 70% done, so we needed to do a few more in the studio. We're very intuitive with each other, which makes writing quite easy and quick. Some songs were easier than others, though; we were pleased it didn't fall apart!
Certainly the end results seem to have shown sides to Brakes that weren't as obvious on Give Blood, the end result being at times a mellower album, and a more personal, sentimental affair - I'm thinking of songs like Isabel, If I Should Die Tonight and the very touching No Return. Was this an obvious decision? And did being in Nashville play a part?
It's really just that those were the songs we'd written. Our motto is that anything goes in Brakes and if it sounds good, we'll record it. We'll try and tackle anything, and we like to challenge ourselves.
The lyrics too seem to bounce between the good times and fond memories of personal experience in those songs, and volatile anger at political policies in the likes of Porcupine or Pineapple and Margarita. Was it important lyrically to find an outlet for these issues?
Yeah, definitely. I get wound up as much as anyone reading about what's going on in the world today, and it's quite cathartic to write songs like that. I get really annoyed, but I also have good thoughts, and I try to reflect a few facets of being alive.
Following the mixing of the album at Radiohead's studios, it was sent back to Nashville to be mastered by the man responsible for Neil Young's output. What did you make of his contribution?
It was brilliant. He really made the mix come alive, made it shine... we got him cheap, too - he was doing it as a favour for a friend.
And what were your personal favourite moments recording the album?
Trying to work out No Return, which was a different song to begin with. The drums didn't work - they took away from the sadness. So we swapped them for a Hammond and it worked really well. Oxford was good too. Next to that studio there was a graveyard where Eric Blair (George Orwell) is buried, so we paid our respects...
Competition Winners
See the winners for Brakes supporting The Killers Tickets and The Album Chart Show Tickets HERE
The Beatific Visions is out now
The Beatific Visions is in the shops now - read what people have to say here Scroll down to read Eamon talk about recording the new album in an interview with chimpomatic.com.
Brakes are playing a few select instores this week, they'll hang around to chat and sign so make your way down...
Monday 6th Nov 6pm Banquet, Kingston - banquetrecords.com
Thursday 9th Nov 6pm FOPP, Tottenham Court Road, London - more info
Friday 10th Nov 7pm FOPP, North Street, Brighton - more info
If you buy the record at any of the below Indie stores you'll get a free BRAKES badge pack...
LONDON SISTER RAY SOHO, LONDON BANQUET KINGSTON, ABERDEEN ONE UP, BANBURY CHALKYS, BRIGHTON RESIDENT, BRIGHTON ROUNDER, BURY VIBES, CARDIFF SPILLERS, CHELTENHAM BADLANDS, DERBY REVEAL, DONCASTER TRACK, EASTBOURNE POWERPLAY, EDINBURGH AVALANCHE, GLASGOW AVALANCHE, GREENOCK RHYTHMIC, HEREFORD POWERPLAY, LEEDS JUMBO, LEEDS CRASH, LEICESTER ROCK-A-BOOM, LETCHWORTH DAVIDS, MANCHESTER PICCADILLY, MELTON MOWBRAY PENDULUM, NEWCASTLE RPM, NEWCASTLE BEAT DOWN, NORWICH SOUNDCLASH, NOTTINGHAM SELECTADISC, PRESTON ACTION, STROUD KANES, TUNBRIDGE WELLS LONGPLAYER, WITNEY RAPTURE, YORK TRACK.
Read a new interview with Eamon at chimpomatic.com Here's a few quotes:
Chimpomatic: The recording story of The Beatific Visions reads like a History Of Rock documentary - from recording in studios graced by Elvis with Stuart Sykes of Cat Power and White Stripes fame to having it mixed in Radiohead's studio then mastered by Neil Young's engineer, not to mention the Nashville session musicians. What do you feel about the footsteps you are treading in?
Eamon Hamilton: Well, we must've been doing something right, we had all these legendary musicians actively wanting to help us out. We got David Briggs, who owned the studio and has played with everyone from Sammy Davis Jr to Elvis, to put down some barrel house piano on our song If I Should Die; It's a good song, he said. Later on, our engineer Adam told us that it was the first time he'd played on a record for three years. It's pretty flattering having people like that tell you you're writing good songs, more flattering than any review could be.
Chimpomatic: What prompted you to move out to Nashville to record the album?
Eamon Hamilton: We'd struck up a friendship with Stuart Sykes at South By Southwest, recording a demo of Cease and Desist with him whilst we were there, and wanted to work with him. With the strength of the pound against the dollar, it worked out cheaper, even with flights, to do the album in the USA, and we settled on Nashville. Seth Riddle, Cerys Mathew's husband and a good friend of Stuart's, helped us find a place to live and offered us some good Southern hospitality.
Chimpomatic: Does the recording process have a similar urgency and immediacy as the live show or is it much more considered - and was it different for each album?
Eamon Hamilton: We record live straight on to tape, which gives it that human energy. The difference in recording was that we had only five days to record the first one, but we had two weeks to record the second, so we could try a whole lot more takes until we hit the one we were happy with.
Chimpomatic: How are song-writing duties split on the Brakes albums?
Eamon Hamilton: We've always been instinctive with each other, and some times, songs come out when we're playing together. Other times, I'll take a song to Tom, Alex and Marc and watch as they tear it apart and rearrange it. We split the royalties 25%.
Chimpomatic: Both albums seem to span many genres of music. What are some of your main influences?
Eamon Hamilton: Big Bill Broonzy, Hank Williams, Sarah Records, Teenage Fanclub, Sunn O))), Yo La Tengo, Trojan Records, Kent Records, Jeffrey Lewis, Vee Jay Records, Dr Dog, John Cale, Sex Pistols, The Lilac Time, Art Brut, Broken Social Scene. Is this sounding a bit like myspace?
Chimpomatic: There are less 30 second songs on The Beatific Visions, but it still clocks in at 28 minutes. Are you drifting towards a more standard song format or is the short, sharp punk format something you want to explore some more?
Eamon Hamilton: It's hard to know where you're drifting to when you're on a raft. We'll just let the sea take us to whever it will and keep finding new ways to cook fish.
Brakes on Sun Podcast & NME Media Player
Brakes have three exclusive acoustic songs on the latest Podcast at The Sun - download from this page
You can listen to The Beatific Visions in the NME Media player - click the link on their Brakes page
Live Brakes footage and album preview
Watch video footage from the End Of The Road Festival at Brakes Myspace (click on videos) Songs are: Cheney, Comma Comma Comma Fullstop, Hi How Are You, Jackson, Porcupine Or Pineapple and What's In It For Me.
Subculture Magazine has an exclusive album preview. The album is available to buy now exclusively on itunes.
Upcoming radio/online chat
Monday
2pm: Acoustic Session at Brighton Uni radio URF
6pm: Instore at Banquet
10pm: XFM Monday night Jon Kennedy show xfm.co.uk
Thursday
2pm: Online chat at gigwise.com - More info
6pm: FOPP Instore, Tottenham Court Road
9pm: Proud Galleries gig
Friday
7pm: FOPP Instore, Brighton
Brakes on 6 Music 2nd Nov
Brakes did a live 6 Music Session: bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/brain_surgery The first song came on right at the start of the show. You can listen again (Thursdays show) They also supported The Long Blondes in Manchester (Warehouse Project @ Boddingtons Brewery) Thanks to Kirstie.
They play Hold Me In The River. After the song the DJ talks to the band and asks Eamon to ring up one of British Sea Power to see if they'll do a session. Eamon rings up Nobby (Noble) from BSP and the DJ talks to Tom about how Brakes came about and the chart position of Disco Party. Then Eamon hands him the phone and he tries to get BSP on the show. Finally gets to talking to Brakes again. Marc says they're playing in Pink Floyd's tent tomorrow (Friday) in Stroud (a private gig) and Boddington's Brewery tonight (Thurs) in Manchester. They play On Your Side with backing vocals. Last part the DJ talks about supporting the Killers. And they do Cease & Desist.
Brakes Album Chart Show recording - win tickets
Competition now closed. Come and see Brakes @ KOKO - Brakes will be recording for Channel 4's Album Chart Show. Line up: Brakes, Jarvis, Tapes n Tapes and Lemar (each band records 3 tracks) KOKO Nightclub, 1a Camden High Street, Camden, London NW1 7JE.
We have 50 pairs of tickets to give away. Each exclusive Priority Pass eTicket is valid for 2 people to attend the recording of The Album Chart Show on Monday 13th November 2006. Doors will open from 19:00PM onwards. You have to be able to be at KOKO 18.15 to guarantee priority entrance. Finish time approx 21.45. Over 18's only (photo ID may be required)
Brakes guide to Brighton
Brakes guide to Brighton: page 1 - page 2 (click links for the scans)
The Beatific Visions is Album of The Day next Tuesday on BBC 6 Music
Killer Brakes
One week to go before 'The Beatific Visions' is out and few things to mention... Album tracks are getting regular outings at XFM, 6Music and Radio 1 (Colin Murray, Zane Lowe and Steve Lamacq) NME.com will be hosting an album 'listening party' sometime next week. And the band will be on your screens soon on Channel 4's Album Chart Show.
We will have the 'Hold Me In the River' DIY video ready for it's premier screening soon... the band have been busy in Brighton with their camera and boiler suits... the single will be released on 4th December on limited etched vinyl, more news soon.
Brakes have been asked to support The Killers on some of their UK and European tour dates and we'd like to offer you the opportunity for 2 winners to win a pair of tickets to the SOLD OUT gig of their choice.
14-Nov: BELGIUM Ancienne Belgique
15-Nov: PARIS Bataclan
16-Nov: AMSTERDAM Paradiso
18-Nov: WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall
20-Nov: MANCHESTER Apollo
21-Nov: HULL Arena
22-Nov: GLASGOW Academy
Competition now closed. To enter the competition answer the following question: Porcupine or Pineapple??
There's new merch in the Brakes shop and you can pre-order the album here at a very nice price: play.com
Coming soon: T-shirts, interviews and a new video...
See Marc's latest post in the Tour Diary on the forum: Beatific Brakes (click link to read it all)
We've been putting the finishing touches to artwork and discussing new t-shirt designs. The new ones look pretty fresh and there's more of a variety this time so look out all you memorabilia nuts. Eamon and I did an interview with Phil from the Stool Pigeon last week. He bought us a good few pints of ale to whet our tongues and we had a decent chat about pretty much everything. Also did a 'Brighton walk and talk' for Music Week where we took a journalist and a photographer around a few places in town. I was a bit useless when it got to talking about 'the Brighton scene' seeing as I live in Glasgow but it was still kinda fun. Plenty gigs coming up and we're doing a video soon! Take care of yourselves... and each other. Marc.
Brakes at White Heat
Brakes played tracks from new album The Beatific Visions at White Heat, Luminaire on 16th October.
From the Luminaire website
Wintercase festival, Madrid - venue change
Brakes have moved to a bigger venue for the Wintercase festival in Madrid on 24 November.
Joy Eslava, Arenal 11, Madrid Myspace - Website
See the gigs page for more Wintercase dates. Tickets for each available from ticktackticket.com (search for Brakes)
Fopp Instores
Click to see The Beatific Visions album cover
Brakes perform at Tottenham Court Road and make a homecoming appearance at Brighton Fopp!
Thursday 9th November Tottenham Court Road Fopp 6pm
Friday 10th November Brighton Fopp 7pm
All Night Disco Party live at the Cathouse
XFM @ The Cathouse Brakes played Glasgow and we were there. Following the impressive line up of JD Sets to date; the Brakes seemed the perfect band to kick start the gigs taking place in Glasgow. The guys have an amazing stage presence that really gets the crowd going. Their fast growing reputation as one of the hottest bands around made this intimate gig definitely not one to have missed.
Exclusive Track: Listen to All Night Disco Party, recorded live at the Cathouse in Glasgow (click the link)
John Kennedy made Hold Me In The River his Hot New One on Tuesday night on XFM: XFM's X-posure
Watch Tom on Jonathan Ross
Following a brief meet at Electric Picnic the talented Thomas White was asked to guest guitar for Sparks on their Jonathan Ross performance, Friday 22nd Sept. Watch it at youtube: Part 1 - Part 2
Virgin Mobile presents The Big Issue's 15th Anniversary Gig
The Magic Numbers and Natalie Imbruglia will headline a unique unplugged music gig being held in celebration of The Big Issue's 15th Anniversary, dubbed The Gig Issue. The event, which is being staged at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on Saturday 23rd September, is being hosted by hotly tipped singer/song writer Winter Roberts and features a line-up including established acts, such as Alison Limerick, as well as some of the very best up and coming UK bands, including Sohodolls, Maxfield, Jackson Scott, Dusty Sound System, Vibration White Finger, Nuala, Piney Gir, Lefthand, Eamon from Brakes and Tim Arnold, amongst others.
On top of the amazing bill, Virgin Mobile will be ensuring that gig goers remain refreshed throughout by providing free beer for their customers. Text Beer to 26666 to get your free code and claim your beer.
The Big Issue comment: We are delighted to have the support of so many music artists. As soon as we put the word out offers started pouring in from singer/song writers and bands keen to offer their services and play at the gig. We've got a great line-up and we're looking forward to what will undoubtedly be a gig to remember.
Saturday 23rd September 2006 - Tickets 23.50 adv - Doors 6.30pm (show starts 7pm)
Box Office: 0870 771 2000 - ticketweb.co.uk - shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk
Tour Diary Update 9 September
Read the whole of the latest entry in the Tour Diary on the forum (here's a few words from it)
Those punks at Jack Daniels got us to play a gig at the hard rockin' Cathouse club on Union Street and filmed it for a show due to be broadcast on the channel 4 channel some time soon. We did a posh interview too so you guyziz gonna get to see some Brakes faces on your visual screens in the near future, holy moly!
We went to Bestival from where I've only just returned. Our time to play came round, appropriately prompted by a Cash number we took the stage and played an absolute blinder. The audience were singing along very loudly and were very appreciative. Luckily the whole thing was filmed by the Jack Daniels people as they were sponsoring the tent so we've got two really good gigs on film.
Good times for Brakes at the moment, album sounds fresh and I hope y'all going to like it as much as I do.
See you at End of the Road if you're coming... Marc
Upcoming Festival Dates
You can catch Brakes at...
3rd September: The Electric Picnic, Ireland (amazing line up)
Sunday eve - CRAWDADDY STAGE - onstage 9.15pm
Website: electricpicnic.ie
8th September: Bestival, Isle of Wight
Friday eve - ROCK N ROLL TENT - onstage 10.30pm
Website: bestival.net
16th September: End Of The Road Festival, Dorset
Saturday eve - GARDEN STAGE - onstage 7.45pm
Website: endoftheroadfestival.com
Simon and Sofia are two friends who are so passionate about music that they decided to put on their own festival with their favourite bands, of which BRAKES is one! Other bands include Electric Soft Parade, Ryan Adams, Badly Drawn Boy, British Sea Power, Richard Hawley, Guillemots, Ed Harcourt, Superthriller, Semifinalists, Jolie Holland, Howe Gelb, Tilly & the Wall and more. It takes place at the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens (Dorset/Wiltshire) between 15-17th September. Held over 2 stages, 1 Open Mic stage and 1 Big Top with music going until 2am. There will be a range of quality import beers, fine ales and the Somerset Cider Bus.
Brakes to play first JD Set in Glasgow
Jack Daniels is excited to announce that Brakes will take centre stage at The Cathouse, Glasgow, on Friday 1st September. They will be fronting a new wave of JD Sets; a concept which began back in 2002.
Rob da Bank, acclaimed Radio 1 DJ and curator for the one-off gigs, said: Following the impressive line up of JD Sets to date; Brakes seemed the perfect band to kick start the gigs taking place in Glasgow. The guys have an amazing stage presence that really gets the crowd going. Their fast growing reputation as one of the hottest bands around makes this gig one definitely not to be missed.
Venue: Cathouse, 15 Union Street, Glasgow G1 3RB - website
Doors open 19:00hrs with support from Odeon Beat Club & The Fridays. Buy Tickets
Watch Brakes In Session At Truck 9
BBC 6Music Collective filmed Brakes (well, Eamon and Marc) in an acoustic session at Truck 9 - click here to go to their site and see the performance: Brakes at Truck 9
Brakes at T In The Park
Brakes have just been confirmed as a last minute addition to this summer's T In The Park line-up. They play on Sunday 9th. For more info visit the T In The Park website.
Brakes Play Nashville Secret Gig
Brakes are currently in the studio in Nashville, Tennessee working on the much anticipated second album. While they were there, they couldn't resist putting on a couple of shows for their host city. And thanks to John Brassil we have some photographs to show you:
Festival Frenzy
Brakes have lined up no less than twelve appearances at summer festivals across Europe throughout the summer. Some of these dates are hot off the press, so to catch up on the latest gig info, head over to the gigs section. Brakes will be coming to a corner of Europe near you soon.
Brakes on Lamacq Live on Monday
Tune in to Radio One next Monday (22/5) from 9pm to hear Brakes playing live from Maida Vale on the The Lamacq Live Triple Pack.
April Tour
Brakes' UK tour in April, which included a visit to Eamon's home town of Stroud and a barnstorming last night at London's Mean Fiddler is now over. Thanks to everybody who made it along to the shows. Brakes are having a well deserved breather after three months of near non-stop touring.
Head over to the Press section to read some reviews of the shows, and the Gallery section to see some photographs of the shows
April Instores Announced
18: Aberdeen. FOPP, 136 - 138 Union Street. 5pm
20: Newcastle. RPM, 25 High Bridge. 6 - 6.30pm
23: Manchester. FOPP, 19 Brown Street. 5pm
25: London. FOPP CAMDEN, 285 Camden High Street. 5pm
Brakes At SXSW
The guys at yaris-sxw.com have kindly released this interview with Eamon and Marc from the South By South West festival. Theres also some great dancing in there.
UK April Tour
18 Aberdeen, Tunnels
19 Glasgow, King Tuts
20 Newcastle, Cluny
21 Stroud, Sub Rooms
22 Stoke, Underground
23 Manchester, Academy 2
24 Birmingham, Bar Academy
25 London, Mean Fiddler
All Night Disco Party
Released April 17th, 2006 on Rough Trade Records
Cat.No: RTRADSCD339/S339
Formats: 7” Vinyl + CD Single
MAXI CD - CAT NO. RTRADSCD339
All Night Disco Party (Graham Sutton remix)
All Night Disco Party (FC Kahuna remix)
Porcupine or Pineapple
All Night Disco Party video
7" - CAT NO. RTRADS339
All Night Disco Party (Graham Sutton remix)
All Night Disco Party (Matthew Herbert remix)
Watch the video:
Windows Media Player: Low / High
Real : Low / High
Brakes experienced an incredible year of high praise from critics and punters alike in 2005 which culminated in their debut album ‘Give Blood’ being crowned ‘Album Of The Year’ by The Rough Trade Shops and it also being named one of the Albums Of The Year in the NME.
Brakes have just completed a tour across Europe after a mass of recent dates with Editors, Belle & Sebastian and Maximo Park. They’re already at work on album ‘number 2’, but meanwhile, they have let loose ‘All Night Disco Party’ as a single on April 17th. It comes hot on the heels of their highly anticipated appearance at the South By South West convention in Austin, Texas on March 17th.
‘All Night Disco Party’ has already been picked up off the album and declared “anthem of the summer” by Italy's most popular radio station and become a huge hit in Australia, Spain, France and Malaysia. Lou Reed, Flea and Fonda 500 have all declared themselves fans, whilst the fans who actually turn up to gigs have been becoming more and more rabid.