H!TP D!Js

Holly and I have been invited to do some DJing at this live cultural event at Chapter Arts Centre next month. The night is to represent the release of Islet’s new single Triangulation Station, which is quite a tune. We’ve never done DJing before and we can’t wait - Shape Functions are the best.

See you,

DJ Neale (actual real life initials)

winter villains music album

Josef Prygodzicz what plays in our band also plays in another band called Winter Villains and they released a music album yesterday on Barely Regal Records and it’s called ‘February’ and it’s great and you should listen to it and then buy it and then be happy about it (I know I am).  Real life physical versions are available from Spillers Records in exchange for money and it’s well worth your while because they look and feel terrific.

Big love,

H!TP x

an ode to odiousness

I did a track to mark the passing of Baroness Thatcher. Guest vocals from Maggie herself. Here it is.

music concert

We’re very delighted and pleased to announce that we’ll be playing this ↑ music concert on 18th March at Four Bars, Cardiff (that’s Dempsey’s to you and I).  Clicking on the poster leads you to the all important Facebook event where can read all the information given here for a second time, just in case you missed anything.

This is our first time headlining which is rather exciting, and we’ve had the pleasure of picking the line-up ourselves.  R.Seiliog and Mars To Stay are two first-rate music bands and we’re very much looking forward to performing with them.

It’d certainly be nice to see you there!

Positive regards,

h!tp

wvvideo

A couple of weeks ago our friends Winter Villains released a music single called ‘The Air’.  It’s really very premium in quality and there is a classy video too (made by On-Par Productions) which features Holly making her acting debut and getting all tearful. Have a look »»»»>

h!tp

[gush]

A HUGE thanks to those that came to the Pinkunoizu concert last night - the music and atmopshphere was 100% premium quality and we had an excellent time. Pinkunoizu were totally stunning, and Rhodri Brooks was class. We had a lot of fun playing our songs too. Thank you to those that spoke to us afterwards and were encouraging and friendly - it really means a lot.  Extra special love and hugs to Shape Records for putting on such a corker of a night, and for inviting us to be part of it. We feel very lucky indeed to have been involved. Cardiff has a lot to be proud of. [/end gush]

da-vid vid

Back in the summer I strapped an iphone to my bike and rode about a bit and filmed it. A few nights ago I recorded a track at home. This is a video where the two merge.  It’s called ‘No Wonder You’ve Never Broken Any Bones’.

shape records & sŵn present: PINKUNOIZU>H!TP>RHODRI BROOKS***************

This is the best poster ever, yes?  Clicking on it will take you to the Facebook event where there’ll be links to tickets and that.  Alternatively you can drop by Spillers and pick up a real life analogue ticket, if that’s how you like to do things.

We are really very pleased to be playing concerts again, and this one is of premium quality.  Positive regards to Shape Records for inviting us to play (and for booking Pinkunoizu who are one high class music band).

Hope we see you there!

Kind regards,

H!TP x

vocals are DONE

Today was spent in Charlie Francis’s attic studio recording vocals for the new EP. That means all recording is complete! It’s been a long time coming, but just mixing to do now (which is happening tomorrow). It’s been such a frustrating six months, so today felt rather joyous. AND it’s sounding absolutely banging. You can tell by the look on Charlie’s face.

h!tp

first concert of 2012

This blog title is a little depressing.  But any road WE’RE BACK and we have this corker of a concert lined up.  We had an incredible time at Rumney Folk Festival a couple of years ago and ended the night by taking part in an almighty ceilidh (there is footage somewhere of myself and Mark Foley holding hands and skipping…).  It’s such a lovely venue to play and we can’t wait to get back playing again after such an annoying half a year or so.  We’ll be doing nearly all new material, and will be six strong for the first time proper.  YAY!

h!tp x

winter villains

When not shredding his guitar like a motherbitch in Hail! The Planes, Josef shreds like a motherbitch in orchestral pop band Winter Villains.  They have just released this wonderful video for the new single ‘Moon’, taken from their forthcoming debut album (to be released on Barely Regal Records):

A bit good, eh?  The On Par boys have done a cracking job. Can’t wait to get my hands on the album! 

Also, congratulations to our friends Los! Campesinos, Islet, Future of the Left, Cate Le Bon, Kutosis and Truckers of Husk on being shortlisted for the Welsh Music Prize - they’re all blimmin great albums.  There’s a lot of Welsh music to get excited about at the moment.

Right then, off to End of the Road festival.  See you there?

h!tp x

(good) news

I keep meaning to write a blog about Holly being able to sing again; that she’s been acting all ‘Julie Andrews’ (think The Sound of Music) since finding out that the cause of the throat problem was that she WASN’T talking or singing or using her voice muscles and that as such they became tense and painful; that the best cure is to start doing the exact things (singing and talking) that she’s been avoiding over the past 5 months; that now we can get the new EP finished; that we’re back rehearsing, writing new songs and getting excited about being a band again; that we’ll be starting to play gigs again next month.

I think this might have been it.

Here is a picture of Holly doing a celebratory sit-down in our garden:

It’s nice to be back,

h!tp x

(bad) news

It is with a great deal of sadness and disappointment that we must announce that we’ll no longer be supporting Islet at Clwb Ifor Bach at the end of the month.  Holly is still struggling with a vocal injury, which doesn’t seem to want to go away.  We’re really gutted to miss out, but it cannot be helped.  We’re staying positive, though - writing new tracks, and continuing to make plans for the EP release.

Our replacement will be the wondrous H.Hawkline, so not all bad.  I like this track a lot:

We’ll be back soon,

h!tp