SGV- Band Bio Oct 2011 - Music NT ·...
Transcript of SGV- Band Bio Oct 2011 - Music NT ·...
Skipping Girl Vinegar Biography 2011
“Deep & Dark and it will haunt you. Album of the year? It’s going to be hard to top.” Mag (4 .5 stars), Jeff Jenkins, May
Up and coming indie darlings Skipping Girl Vinegar have become one of Australia’s most talked about bands. Comprising of brother/sister Mark and Sare Lang and their respective childhood friends Chris Helm, Amanthi Lynch & Kelly Lane, their debut single One Chance was the Australian iTunes ’single of the week’, added to high-‐rotation on Triple J and championed by major alternative and ABC radio nationwide. The accompanying animated clip for One Chance also received critical acclaim, with Rage featuring it as their first ever ‘indie clip of the week’ and JTV featuring it as their “new clip of the week” before it then charted in their Top 20. They were highlighted in Triple J’s Oz Music month as a ‘next crop’ artist. Following the success of One Chance and with the release of their debut album pending, Skipping Girl Vinegar were offered some serious major label and indie offers to release the album in Australia. They made the decision to maintain their independent route at home and release via their own label Secret Fox and license the album in Australia to Melbourne label Popboomerang and MGM distribution.
Released in Australia in Sep 2008, SGV’s debut album “Sift The Noise” is testament to the band’s obsession with melody, pop-‐hook, and the search to stretch their song craft. A dark, warm, organic record that reflects the environments and journey of the band; it was received ecstatically by public and media alike. Rip It Up Magazine in Adelaide and Rave Magazine in Brisbane both made the title track ‘single of the week’ while press in Sydney, Melbourne and all other capitals were no less receptive.
Drum Media called it “a classic pop sense that doesn’t get bogged in its own vision of itself”; Rip It Up Magazine were straight to the point: “In an age of downloads and ringtones, Skipping Girl Vinegar stand out from the pack”. JMAG and the Music Australia Guide (MAG) both gave the album 4.5 stars. The title track was added to high rotation on JJJ and ABC local radio nationwide in February 2009. The accompanying animated clip for Sift the Noise also received critical acclaim with Rage featuring it as SGV's second ‘indie clip of the week’. And so it has continued. SGV has played many of Australia's premier festivals including a packed tent at Splendour In The Grass 2010, The Falls Festival, Sunset Sounds, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Pyramid Rock, Newtown Festival, Northbridge Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival. SGV have also supported the likes of The Lemonheads (USA), Something for Kate, Shout Out Louds (Sweden), Little Birdy, Missy Higgins, Angus & Julia Stone, Kate Miller-‐Heidke, Weddings Parties Anything (reunion tour) and many more.
THE SECOND ALBUM Fast forward to 2011 and the band has proudly released [7 May 2011] their highly anticipated follow-‐up album “Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey”. Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey was written across two continents and recorded on the Victorian coast. Mixed in Nashville by legendary indie engineer Brad Jones and produced by Melbourne indie-‐wiz Nick Huggins [Kid Sam, Whitley], Caleb James [Yves Klein Blue], Greg Arnold [Stonefield] and SGV’s Mark Lang. The album is rich with sonic landscapes, melodies and lyrical turns. Received across the country to critical acclaim and already on many albums of the year lists including The Age EG awards, the album showcases the band’s songwriting prowess with a darker sonic experience to the band’s debut. Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey is a layered and deeply intricate piece of work with its moods linked by soundscape textures, giving the album and its stories a strong filmic quality.
Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey proudly closes with a hauntingly special guest performance from legendary singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith (Canada]. Featuring the euphoric Single ‘You Can’ that was immediately added to high rotation on Triple J the week it was released and championed by major alternative radio across the country. The song received the number one chart position on the Airit chart for most added song to community radio across the country. The ‘You Can’ film clip was also awarded “indie clip of the week on rage.” If you take the time to explore the cover art on this new album you will see that SGV are not your average collective. Pushing the boundaries of how music is delivered in the physical the band has an ingenious eye for detail and understanding of human connection. The album artwork is like a whisper that draws you close to see and hear the layers and textures of hidden details and thought. Through photos, cut outs and embossed files, the design reinforces the textured feel of the album. Along with their handwritten letters to fans SGV have forged strong connections with their support base. This was demonstrated when the band sent out the call to raise funds towards the making of their second album through their Hobo Philanthropy initiative. SGV’s beloved fans responded overwhelmingly, donating over $22,000 to help free the band to create the album they were stretching to make. Each ‘Hobo Philanthropist’ earned a place on the album’s “Hall of Fame” page inside the album art and proved philanthropy is not exclusively for the wealthy but for all those passionate about the arts. It is all of these various components, the music, the artwork, the philanthropy along with the band’s philosophy on life and their articulate way of expressing this all through their songwriting that make Skipping Girl Vinegar ‘the band to watch’.
Skipping Girl Vinegar tour Australia September-‐November 2011. For full details visit: www.skippinggirlvinegar.com
Skipping Girl Vinegar is: Chris Helm Drums, BV’s, Melodica Kelly Lane Violin, BV’s, Percussion Mark Lang Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Soundscape Textures Sare Lang Bass, BV’s, Percussion Amanthi Lynch Piano, Keyboards, BV’s, Percussion
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Chryss Carr, AUM // 02 66 809 871 // [email protected]
“In an age of downloads and ringtones, Skipping Girl Vinegar stand out from the pack.” Rip It Up
“An Intricate work of art... deadly serious compositions, the lyrics dark winding corridors of meaning.” Herald Sun, July
“An indie Force of Nature” The Age
"Blending Springsteen-‐ esque hope with Luke Steele otherworldliness tracks roar with BRMCC infused energy with Lang's lyrical strengths on show.” Rolling Stone (4 Stars), September
"A wonderful exhibition of the group's ability to paint masterpieces with each stroke." The Dwarf, June
“Skipping Girl Vinegar are right on the money with their sophomore album. Subtle and adventurous... This is clever and original which is what good songwriting should be.” Sunday Mail 8/10
“You find highlight after highlight, deep under the layers of the melody.” Time Off Magazine (4 stars)
“It’s the kind of album that rewards effort and careful listening on the part of the listener. Attention has been taken with the music – in the sonic details which mirror the optimistic tone of ‘You Can’, the energy and force of ‘Hell Out of Town’ and its instrumental link to the ominous ‘Castles Full of Storms.” Courier Mail (4 stars), Noel Mengel, July
It’s an album that boasts the sensitive side of Lang’s character.” The Weekend Australian, Iain Shedden, June
“This is heartfelt melodic pop in the great Melbourne tradition. An impressive, assured second album.” Triple J Mag, Tim Fisher, July
“Dreamy Soundscapes… Haunting Melodies… full of heartache and hope.” Rave, May