Dry Cleaning – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

Dry Cleaning release “Viking Hair” from upcoming new EP.

UK quartet Dry Cleaning share the second single off their forthcoming EP Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks (their second EP in just over 4 months), entitled “Viking Hair.”

Trademark repetitive, melodic guitar motifs ring out over an energized rhythm section that builds to a gradual crescendo. The result is invigorating and driven yet thoughtful and emotive.

Lyrically, Viking Hair is inspired by romantic ideas about someone you’re attracted to but don’t know well, and distracting things seen in the street. The ‘oooohs’ are intended to sit somewhere between a heart monitor flat-lining and feedback from a microphone.

The song is accompanied by a video shot and edited by the band and Pedro Pina. The band provides the following context:

“Cactus Club is a weekly LGBT line dancing class and club where everyone is welcome. Based in Clapham, South London, it was established in 1993 and is run by Michael, Anne and Peter. Whilst recording ‘Viking Hair,’ we noticed the mood and rhythm of the song brought line dancing to mind. We found Cactus Club online and approached them to see if they would be interested in helping us to make a video. Dry Cleaning wish to thank the Cactus Club organizers and all the dancers who took part for sharing the fantastic atmosphere at their club with us, and for their enthusiasm and expertise.”

WATCH “VIKING HAIR” VIDEO https://youtu.be/d5MNSuhiIGM

LISTEN TO “SIT DOWN MEAL” https://youtu.be/2zd2K4_UykQ

Both EP’s, July’s Sweet Princess and October’s Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th and can be pre-ordered HERE.

DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES: Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival Oct. 20th – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival Oct. 23rd – London, UK @ The Lexington Nov. 23rd – Glasgow, UK @ Great Western Festival Nov. 24th – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Wed. Feb. 12 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s Thu. Feb. 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s Fri. Feb. 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Sat. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Thu. Feb. 20 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms Fri. Feb. 21 – Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast Sat. Feb. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ The Sunflower Lounge Fri. Feb. 28 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sat. Feb. 29 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana Sun. March 1 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers Tue. March 3 – London, UK @ Village Underground

Dry Cleaning online: https://drycleaning.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drycleaningband/ https://www.facebook.com/drycleaningband/ https://pitchperfectpr.com/dry-cleaning/

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Have a “Sit Down Meal” with Dry Cleaning on their new single.

LISTEN TO “SIT DOWN MEAL” https://youtu.be/2zd2K4_UykQ

Today South London’s Dry Cleaning have announced their second EP, Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, following the critical success of summer 2019’s debut Sweet Princess. As well as available digitally, both EP’s will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th (pre-order HERE).

Sweet Princess saw the band arrive fully-formed, and in the brief two months or so since a debut single – their paean to Meghan Markle, “Magic of Meghan” – landed, the band have seen significant international press and radio support, including a 7.8 for the EP at Pitchfork and playlisting at BBC 6 Music. Additionally, Stereogum has named them a Band to Watch today, check out the interview here.

The band have also announced an EP launch show at The Lexington on October 23rd and released “Sit Down Meal,” the first single from the release. Lyrically, “Sit Down Meal” is about being lost for words; there is some reference to both the language of placeholder text and greetings cards throughout the song. Vocalist Florence Shaw has said the following about the inspiration for the single:

“It’s set at the moment just after being suddenly dumped. You cling to details, things you did together and reel at their significance. If you smell their perfume on someone else you feel overwhelmed, but immediately and painfully aware of how lightning quick a relationship can evaporate into thin air.”

“Boundary’s” collection of songs takes its name from the location and context of a shared genesis, and marks a significant chapter for the band as the last tracks to be written in their original rehearsal space. The offering displays a more evolved sound than its predecessor; more textured and confidently realized without overlooking the melodic subtleties or minimal approach implicit on their debut. There is a pop sensibility to the lyrics and a sense that this writing process has become more fluid; words are consciously used with more economy and are often repeated. With this new recording, Dry Cleaning seek to expand the palette of their sound without nagging the simplicity and directness of their songwriting.

While there are currently only UK shows on the schedule, the band plans to make their US debut soon.

DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES: Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival Oct. 20th – Cardiff @ SWN Festival Oct. 23rd – London @ The Lexington Nov. 23rd – Glasgow @ Great Western Festival Nov. 24th – Sheffield @ Picture House Social

BOUNDARY ROAD SNACKS AND DRINKS EP TRACK LISTING: 1. Dog Proposal 2. Viking Hair 3. Spoils 4. Jam After School 5. Sombre One 6. Sit Down Meal

Dry Cleaning online: https://drycleaning.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drycleaningband/ https://www.facebook.com/drycleaningband/ https://pitchperfectpr.com/dry-cleaning/

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Review: Dry Cleaning – Sweet Princess

British four-piece post-punkers Dry Cleaning (Nick Buxton – drums, Tom Dowse – guitar, Lewis Maynard – bass, Florence Shaw – vocals) have crafted one of the most intriguing EP’s of the year – Sweet Princess. What makes it intriguing is not only the cool guitar hooks, snappy drums, weird groove bass, and spoken word vocals, but the fact that Dry Cleaning have only been together since 2017 and played their first live gig just last year – yet they sound like they’ve been rocking clubs for at least a decade. They arrive so self-assured that you can’t help but tip your hat to them.

Let’s start with “Goodnight,” a tale of weird events that took place during “the [sarcastically] loveliest two months” of Shaw’s life. Shaw tells someone to shut up because she’s “going through a tough time” and reminisces about her childhood backyard swing set, happier times, and her grandmother while Buxton, Dowse, and Maynard put down serious grooves.

The instrumentation on “New Job” reminds me of early X tracks as Shaw talk-sings about a date she thought was going well but it turns out the guy across the table was just killing time. “Magic of Meghan” is about Duchess Meghan Markle, her charm, and the power of media. Dowse and Maynard play non-stop post-punk riffs while Buxton’s beats are salutes to Stephen Morris.

“Traditional Fish” is a down-tuned mind trip. “Phone Scam” has the great, crunchy angles I love in post-punk music, and Shaw’s spoken vocals about a phone scammer yelling at her yet reciting from a script are great. She sounds more intrigued with the experience than unnerved by it. The closer is “Conversation,” an apt title as most of Shaw’s vocals and lyrics sound like conversations between her and the listener or, in this case, someone on the other end of a telephone – as if we’re only hearing half of her conversation with someone we’ll never see or meet. Dowse’s early B-52’s guitar licks are nice throughout it.

If Sweet Princess is this good, a full-length from Dry Cleaning should be even more fascinating. Let’s hope for that soon. In the meantime, this record is a great start for them.

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Dry Cleaning release “Magic of Meghan” ahead of debut EP – “Sweet Princess” due August 16th.

London’s Dry Cleaning announce their much-anticipated debut EP, “Sweet Princess,” due August 16th on It’s OK. In conjunction with today’s announcement, they present a video for the lead single, “Magic of Meghan.”

The release of “Sweet Princess” continues a period of fervent activity from the band, despite having no music online. Dry Cleaning have already seen significant interest, playing early headline shows and meaningful support tours. They possess something entirely different to the rest of the pack – their wiry, excitable post-punk and new-wave paired as it is to surreal, detached vocal narratives in the form of a predominantly spoken word delivery.

Firm friends for years, the band (Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, Florence Shaw & Nick Buxton) only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience. They recorded the six-track “Sweet Princess” EP before playing their first show only last year.

When they started they knew they wanted to make simple music, direct and uncomplicated. The musical influences were clear – the Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon as a starting point. The garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound as it was so small and intimate; anything unnecessary was to be left behind. A discussion among the four band members about how to make the prospect of performing as comfortable as possible for Florence (a first timer) ahead of the band’s first rehearsal as a four piece, led to her using her speaking voice. There were several references for this; Will Powers, The Anaemic Boyfriends and Grace Jones, among others.

The video for “Magic of Meghan” was made by Sheffield based artist Lucy Vann. Vann investigates, records and reinterprets overlooked behaviours and occurrences in the everyday, in this case through moving image, but she also works with photography, writing, sound, objects and performance. Her work balances between a state of tedium and interest, and attempts to reveal something beyond the immediate surface of daily life. As for the lyrical content of the song itself, well, it’s clearly a song celebrating Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.

“The song acknowledges that following the lives of those in the public eye can provide people with an escape; an outlet for difficult emotions, and subsequently help them to cope with hard times in their lives,” says Florence Shaw. “The song is, in part, intended to serve as a thank you to Meghan for this service (‘You got engaged on the day that I moved out. It’s ok. She’s a smasher, perfectly suited to the role’). The song also aims to highlight how the news media dissect her decisions (‘Never has one outfit been designed, to send so many messages’) and the creative ways they conceal the misogyny and racism that is sometimes behind what they write about her (‘You’re just what England needs, you’re going to change us’).”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “MAGIC OF MEGHAN” –
https://youtu.be/FRbpWEXkBic

PRE-ORDER “SWEET PRINCESS” HERE –
https://orcd.co/drycleaning

“SWEET PRINCESS” EP TRACKLIST:
1. Goodnight
2. New Job
3. Magic of Meghan
4. Traditional Fish
5. Phone Scam
6. Convention

DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES:
Fri. July 19 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
Thu. Aug. 8 – Brighton, UK @ Prince Albert *
Fri. Aug. 9 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Sat. Aug. 10 – Leicester, UK @ O2 Academy
Fri. Aug. 16 – Breacon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival
Wed. Aug. 21 – London, UK @ Schacklewell Arms
Thu. Aug. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
Fri. Aug. 23 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Basement)
Sat. Aug. 24 – Birkinhead, UK @ Future Yard Festival
Sat. Oct. 19 – Bristol, UK @ Simple Things Festival
Sun. Oct. 20 – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival

*= w/ Bodega

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