On their way north, following a gig in Philly, it was up the New Jersey Turnpike for Viva Brother. Before a gig in Boston later that night, we were privileged to have the band to spend a few quality hours in our studio. Just a few months prior, the Slough, UK band made their U.S. debut at SXSW, and played their first New Jersey (Maxwell’s) and New York City (Mercury Lounge) shows. Perhaps you saw them and didn’t know this is the same band? You see, here in the U.S., the band have had to change their name from Brother, to Brother U.K. before settling on Viva Brother. Their debut album Famous First Words was released on August 2nd and was preceeded in the states by the Fly By Nights EP.
Slough, UK as you might know, is the where the U.K. version of The Office takes place. So, basically, the guys had one thing in mind, use this band as the vehicle to get outta there! So the goal was to write good songs and work extra hard. Viva Brother‘s plan worked, as their jangle-rock, paying homage to the ’90′s alt-types, to my ears, like Cast, The La’s and Dodgy with a good edge to it. But the real clean feel comes from the touch of producer Stephen Street. Coincidently enough, one band Stephen produced were The Darling Buds, which leads us to today’s first song they did, “Darling Buds Of May.” According to lead singer Lee Newell, they set out to write the catchiest song they possibly could. And they did.
“Darling Buds Of May” live at Last.fm Discover
Video for “Darling Buds Of May”
Their appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman 5/6/11. I second the words of Dave…”I think we’ve got something here!”
“Still Here” tomorrow
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