ARTIST: Battle
TITLE: Break The Banks
LABEL: Transgressive
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 231kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 42min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-09-11
RIP DATE: 2006-08-11
Track List
----------
01. Wicked Owl 2:55
02. Tendency 4:13
03. Isabelle 3:16
04. Demons 3:56
05. Children 3:12
06. The Waltz 2:37
07. Takuya 3:58
08. North Sea 3:34
09. One More Night 2:52
10. Beautiful Dynasty 2:54
11. Sit With Me 5:06
12. Stop 4:03
Release Notes:
The band known as Battle began to form a decade ago outside a school in South
London. Bunking PE to play guitar, Jason Bavanandan and Jamie Ellis were
inspired in equal measure by The Beatles, Motown, Britpop and Nirvana. In 2000,
the pair left school for Kent University in search of a band. It took time.
After myriad line-ups and unfortunate blues-rock excursions, they met Pixies
enthusiast, Tim Scudder and, later garage-head, Oliver Davies. The four
instantly clicked. Yet after two years of committed practice and sporadic
gigging in both the cathedral city and metropolitan London, the group remained
unheralded. Leaving Canterbury, the band repaired to a disused bank vault under
Luton High Street to continue their work. Finally, things began to change. After
a brace of rapturously received gigs in Lewisham, the people who talk began to
talk. The band secured new management and studio time, leading to the demo,
'Tendency' and wider interest. They changed their name to Battle in an attempt
to convey how they fought for their dreams. This ideal of struggle and
aspiration pervades much of their work.
In 2005, Battle embarked upon a series of small tours, releasing the singles,
'Isabelle/ Feel The Same' and 'Demons/ Damascus', both of which sold out within
days. Support slots with the likes of Bloc Party, The Rakes and British Sea
Power followed. It was not all blue-skies, however. As the band looked towards
recording with greater intensity, they found few who shared their vision.
Sessions and production teams fell like swatted flies. And, as if this were not
enough, Bavanandan was cruelly struck down by a mysterious virus - rumour has it
through the machinations of a rival organisation. Yet the singer fought through
bravely; the year ended with Battle ensconced in a Lincolnshire Chapel,
recording their debut LP with producer, Gareth Jones.
In February, 2006, relocating to Jacobs Studio, Surrey (where their beloved
Smiths recorded much of The Queen Is Dead), the band pushed themselves harder
than ever before, insisting that only great live takes would make the recording
grade. In a ten-day heave of energy, as winter turned to spring, the band
finally captured their debut, to be entitled Break The Banks. April saw a track
lifted from the Chapel sessions hit the charts. Fittingly, this first hit was
'Tendency', which had so long ago earned the band acclaim. The very same week,
the band journeyed to the United States of America for the South By South-West
Music Convention and headline performances in New York and Los Angeles. They
found the people of Texas to be hospitable, though perhaps overly fond of
French-fries. Culinary questions aside, America was a triumph, with famous
cultural commentator The Sun calling Battle the best thing there. Since then,
they have perfected the fine details of the LP, released a further single,
Children and embarked upon their most extensive headline tour to date.
In July 2006, they began recording a four-track EP of new songs. This collection
will be released in the autumn as a precursor to 'Break the Banks'. Battle can
be seen at a variety of festivals this summer.
http://www.thisisbattle.com
http://www.myspace.com/thisisbattle
http://www.transgressiverecords.co.uk