MANCHESTER: Hey! Manchester @ The Castle Hotel

Monday 20th November, 2017

7:30pm

Event information

Indie-rock trio William the Conqueror to release their debut album, Proud Disturber Of The Peace, via Loose on 4 August 2017.

Hailing from the coast of Cornwall, multi-instrumentalists Ruarri Joseph, Harry Harding and Naomi Holmes channel classic blues and singer-songwriter influences through a grunge/indie filter drawing influences from bands and artists as diverse as The Doors, Ryan Adams and The Lemonheads, with Mark Guarino from the Guardian describing them as ‘stomping country rock veering into stoner grunge’.

Praised for their grit and authenticity by the likes of the Guardian and NPR’s Ann Powers, the three-piece have already made their mark across the pond in Nashville performing at the influential AmericanaFest, which led to a nomination for best song at the UK Americana Awards and a chance to share the stage with the likes of Jools Holland and Van Morrison.

The debut album charges through ten raw tracks, asserting itself with opener In My Dreams, a song about destiny, disappointment and defiance; driving drums and heart racing bass setting the tone. Other standouts include the confessional and timeless Pedestals, the mysteriously triumphant Cold Ontario and epic future single Tend To The Thorns with its earworm guitar hooks, blistering drums and ethereal harmonies.

Sculpted off the radar with no one to answer to but themselves the band ended up recording the album in Joseph’s garage (literally disturbing the peace) after plans to record it on the Isle of Lewis were hampered by a hurricane killing the power. Undeterred and embracing the ethos of roots based producers such as Ethan Johns and Ryan Hewitt and with input from Slowdive’s Neil Halstead, they were adamant they wanted to keep the edges loose, opting for single live takes and avoiding excessive overdubs, focusing on the vibe. The results sing with the confident energy of a band comfortable in their own skin, striking a vein of creativity and running with it.

‘Whatever you want to call William The Conqueror does not matter. All that matters is that this group is good. Damn good’ – The 405

66 Oldham Street
Manchester
M4 1LE

www.heymanchester.com