Kite
04-09-2007, 09:26 PM
The Rumble Strips are an English band from Tavistock, Devon. The band take their name from Rumble Strips, which are small, continuous lines of bumps along the edge of a road. Having known each other since childhood, a precise conception date for the band doesn't really exist. The current line-up has been together since 2004 and are now based in London. The band are currently signed to Fallout Records, a subsidiary of Universal Island Records. Their most recent single, a re-release of "Motorcycle", reached #46 in the UK Singles Chart on 4 June 2007. Their debut album, Girls And Weather, as well as their next single "Girls and Boys in Love", will be released later this year.
Band History
Lead singer Charlie Waller took an involvement in music from an early age, taking initial inspirations from Lou Reed's Transformer and bands such as Adam & the Ants. After moving to London for work, Waller became reinterested in songwriting. He began playing again with former Tavistock friend Tom Gorbutt, and with the added recruitment of Matthew Wheeler and Henry Clark, The Rumble Strips were formed.
During this time, Waller was also staying with fellow singer/songwriter Mark Vincent, also known as Vincent Villain of Vincent Vincent and the Villains. Waller would go on to perform a number of live shows with the Villains and eventually become a full-time member of the band. The pressure of gigging eventually became too much for Waller, and he would drop out of both bands - leaving The Rumble Strips without a lead singer.
First Releases
Fortunes for the band would take a turn for the better when out of the blue, independent record label Transgressive Records - who have produced singles for The Young Knives and Regina Spektor - would offer to produce the band's first single. This would reunite Waller with the band, and together they released "Motorcycle" on 12 December 2005. Waller said at this time "It was like, I have nothing to lose - I'm working for my uncle on a building site. What's to lose?".[3] It is believed that Waller reuniting with The Rumble Strips caused some stir amongst Vincent Vincent and The Villains, and that "Johnny Two Bands" was written about Waller's decision.
The band moved further into the public eye with a number of key support dates for Dirty Pretty Things and fellow Transgressive artists The Young Knives in early 2006, and then the release of their second single, "Hate Me (You Do)" on 5 June. A further tour supporting The Zutons, and the release of the band's first EP, "Cardboard Coloured Dreams", followed this in November 2006.
Current Work
The new year brought the Rumble Strips their first move into the charts, with their release of "Alarm Clock" on 19 March 2007 reaching #41 in the UK Singles Chart. The band were asked by NME to play their biggest headline tour to date, as headliners of the 2007 Topman NME New Music Tour throughout May 2007. The tour saw them play a number of venues around the country with other new bands Pull Tiger Tail, Blood Red Shoes and The Little Ones. The band released a live EP recorded whilst on the tour containing the tracks "Oh Creole", "Alarm Clock", "My Oh My" and previously unreleased track, "London".
The band re-released "Motorcycle" on 4 June 2007. The single failed to reach the previous heights of "Alarm Clock", charting slightly lower at #46. Two 7-inch vinyls were also released of the track, containing b-side "My Oh My". A misprint was made on some of these vinyls where 1000 copies were distributed labelling the b-side on the opposite side to the one listed. These are already being considered collector's items, even by the band themselves.
Following the release of "Motorcycle", the band stated that they have already decided on their next single, "Girls and Boys in Love", which they will release later this year.
---------
One of my favourite new bands whose album is pretty good.
Band History
Lead singer Charlie Waller took an involvement in music from an early age, taking initial inspirations from Lou Reed's Transformer and bands such as Adam & the Ants. After moving to London for work, Waller became reinterested in songwriting. He began playing again with former Tavistock friend Tom Gorbutt, and with the added recruitment of Matthew Wheeler and Henry Clark, The Rumble Strips were formed.
During this time, Waller was also staying with fellow singer/songwriter Mark Vincent, also known as Vincent Villain of Vincent Vincent and the Villains. Waller would go on to perform a number of live shows with the Villains and eventually become a full-time member of the band. The pressure of gigging eventually became too much for Waller, and he would drop out of both bands - leaving The Rumble Strips without a lead singer.
First Releases
Fortunes for the band would take a turn for the better when out of the blue, independent record label Transgressive Records - who have produced singles for The Young Knives and Regina Spektor - would offer to produce the band's first single. This would reunite Waller with the band, and together they released "Motorcycle" on 12 December 2005. Waller said at this time "It was like, I have nothing to lose - I'm working for my uncle on a building site. What's to lose?".[3] It is believed that Waller reuniting with The Rumble Strips caused some stir amongst Vincent Vincent and The Villains, and that "Johnny Two Bands" was written about Waller's decision.
The band moved further into the public eye with a number of key support dates for Dirty Pretty Things and fellow Transgressive artists The Young Knives in early 2006, and then the release of their second single, "Hate Me (You Do)" on 5 June. A further tour supporting The Zutons, and the release of the band's first EP, "Cardboard Coloured Dreams", followed this in November 2006.
Current Work
The new year brought the Rumble Strips their first move into the charts, with their release of "Alarm Clock" on 19 March 2007 reaching #41 in the UK Singles Chart. The band were asked by NME to play their biggest headline tour to date, as headliners of the 2007 Topman NME New Music Tour throughout May 2007. The tour saw them play a number of venues around the country with other new bands Pull Tiger Tail, Blood Red Shoes and The Little Ones. The band released a live EP recorded whilst on the tour containing the tracks "Oh Creole", "Alarm Clock", "My Oh My" and previously unreleased track, "London".
The band re-released "Motorcycle" on 4 June 2007. The single failed to reach the previous heights of "Alarm Clock", charting slightly lower at #46. Two 7-inch vinyls were also released of the track, containing b-side "My Oh My". A misprint was made on some of these vinyls where 1000 copies were distributed labelling the b-side on the opposite side to the one listed. These are already being considered collector's items, even by the band themselves.
Following the release of "Motorcycle", the band stated that they have already decided on their next single, "Girls and Boys in Love", which they will release later this year.
---------
One of my favourite new bands whose album is pretty good.