Black Country, New Road set to visit Bristol as part of 2023 UK tour

Black Country, New Road set to visit Bristol as part of 2023 UK tour

Posted on: 14 Dec 2022

The experimental rock outfit are still reeling from the success of their triumphant second album Ants From Up There, albeit with a completely fresh roster of songs.

 

Black Country, New Road will play The Marble Factory in Bristol on Saturday 13 May.

 

Ants From Up There, the follow up to BC, NR’s Mercury Award nominated debut For the First Time, was released back in January 2023 to critical acclaim and the record is currently featuring heavily on various end of year lists.

 

Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday 16 December at 10 AM.

 

BUY TICKETS HERE

 

 

Black Country, New Road was formed by Isaac Wood (vocals and guitar), Tyler Hyde (bass), Lewis Evans (flute, saxophone), May Kershaw (keys), Georgia Ellery (violin), Luke Mark (guitar) and Charlie Wayne (drums) from the ashes of previous band Nervous Conditions when they split in 2018.

 

Thanks to their unusual makeup and skilful musicianship, the band quickly began to attract a cult following with their debut single, ‘Athens, France’, released on esteemed indie label Speedy Wunderground in early 2019.

 

However, it was their second single, ‘Sunglasses’, that began to draw critical acclaim with The Quietus’ John Doran labelling BC, NR the “best in the entire world”. Off the back of this success, the group signed to traditionally electronic label Ninja Tunes, releasing their debut album For the First Time in 2021.

 

 

The album drew widespread acclaim for its dynamic approach to the post-punk genre, dipping into math rock, free jazz and even klezmer. Despite its experimental sound, For the First Time proved a success and was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize.

 

In October 2021, BC, NR announced their sophomore album, Ants From Up There, with the record’s three singles suggesting a radical musical switch to a post rock/art rock sound and move away, on the part of vocalist Wood, from the spoken word of previous songs and more introspective lyricism.

 

However, in November the group cancelled their upcoming European tour due to a band member’s illness and, five days before the album’s release, Wood announced his immediate departure from BC, NR with an emotional message that cited mental health struggles. 

The band also stated that they would be continuing, however, live shows would not feature any of the tracks from their first two albums.

 

Ants From Up There proved yet another major critical success for the Cambridge band with weighty comparisons to legendary records such as Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and Television’s Marquee Moon. The album has also featured highly on a number of end of year lists.

 

Since the release, BC, NR have toured extensively, playing festivals all over the world and touring the US with close friends Black Midi. Bassist Tyler Hyde has adapted her solo work for main singing duties; however, vocals have also been shared between Evans, Kershaw and Ellery. 

We had the pleasure of reviewing the band’s intimate show at Strange Brew back in May, when they were testing out new material. Read our five-star review here.

 

Black Country, New Road will play The Marble Factory in Bristol on Saturday 13 May with tickets on sale this Friday 16 December at 10 AM. Buy yours HERE.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.