Noah and the Whale have announced they are to release an EP under the name ‘The A Sides’ on the 22nd December as well as a tour and new album in the new year using their original moniker.
The A Sides EP is the result of ‘four men, one studio, two late nights and a two take limit’ and was recorded in the left over studio time from NATW’s B-sides recording earlier this year. 2500 copies will be released on vinyl on 22nd December and will be available through Young and Lost Club. The A Sides also play a one-off show at The Lexington on 22nd December to celebrate the release.
The band have also announced a new album and tour for 2009. When FFS met Noah and the Whale in Summer 2008 Charlie Fink spoke of his plan for their second album as if it were an ungraspable ideal: “I’ve got this dream. It’s a huge project and it seems like time is against us on all these things, but what I’d really like to do is have a film that runs the length of the album … It won’t be like the R. Kelly thing.”
So you can imagine how delighted we were to hear that Charlie’s dream is coming true, and that it won’t be like the R. Kelly thing. Speaking with BBC 6 Music, bassist Urby confirmed that their second album is all written and will be recorded in the New Year, along with an accompanying film.
By creating a complete audiovisual experience Urby said the band hope to encourage their listeners to experience the record from beginning to end as a complete entity. In these times of stress and hurry, we can think of little better than devoting an hour or so to the sensory this band are promising to produce. Roll on 2009.
Read FFS’s NATW interview from August here.
Noah and the Whale’s 2009 tour dates are as follows:
Thu 5th March NORWICH, UEA
Fri 6th LONDON, SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
Sat 7th BRIGHTON, St George’s Church
Sun 8th MANCHESTER, Academy 2
Tue 10th GATESHEAD, The Sage
Wed 11th EDINBURGH, Queens Hall
Thu 12th LEEDS, Metropolitan University
Fri 13th BIRMINGHAM, Town Hall
Sun 15th BRISTOL, Academy
Mon 16th NOTTINGHAM, Trent University
Check out The A Sides’ myspace here
Words: Helen True and Lynn Roberts