IVORY WAVE announce debut EP and release new video for ‘Uptown’ – Watch Now

IVORY WAVE announce debut EP and release new video for 'Uptown' - Watch Now

Birmingham quintet Ivory Wave has already established a reputation as local heroes. Their exuberant, party-starting mix of swaggering indie attitude, dancefloor-filling beats and glistening synths inspire chaotic scenes wherever they go. Their songs speak of the experiences of youth across the country, but their gigs offer pure escapism with a sea of fans singing along as smoke-bombs amplify the hedonistic vibe.

Ivory Wave’s current single ‘Uptown’ has raised the game for the band, earning them Track of the Week on Radio X, plus further plays at BBC Introducing and Radio 1. They soon followed that by playing Birmingham’s most vital event of the summer, the all-star Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival. Now Ivory Wave builds towards an even bigger future by announcing that their debut EP ‘Dream Nights’ will be released on November 8th.

The EP makes an immediate statement of intent with opening track ‘The Middle’. Kicking off with rave-tinged synths, it builds into a towering beat-fuelled anthem which contrasts its life-affirming energy with a darker tale of living for the weekend. ‘Pale Moonlight’ is just as insistent, spinning an acid house-flavoured vocal loop as if Happy Mondays were born in Brexit Britain. Vocalist George Johnson deploys a huge hook on ‘Weigh Me Down’, supported by the band’s dynamic grooves and deep house piano keys.

While Ivory Wave are natural party provocateurs, the EP’s closing track ‘Young Blood’ captures another side to them. It’s a slow-burner that gradually builds in intensity before it erupts into a wall-of-sound, with a final, rousing contribution from the Birmingham Community Gospel Choir accentuating the song’s feeling that better times are just around the corner.

‘Dream Nights’ was produced by Matt Terry (The ProdigyYou Me At Six) and recorded at VADA StudiosWarwickshire. It was mixed by the Grammy Award-winner Adrian Bushby(Foo FightersMuseEverything Everything).

“Three years of work have been saturated down into 25 minutes of pure Ivory Wave,” says frontman George Johnson“It’s time for people to pay attention – this is the best Birmingham has sounded for years”

In addition, Ivory Wave have today shared a new video for ‘Uptown’. It’s about growing tired of endlessly living for the weekend – you spend all week planning a big night out only to wake up with a hangover and an empty wallet. The video captures that routine of spending every Sunday in lazy recovery mode, the only benefit of which is epic FIFA sessions on the Xbox. In fact, the band have been embraced by the football community, with adds to the Official Premier League playlist and Soccer AM’s New Music playlist plus match day plays at West Brom.

 Watch the video for ‘Uptown’ – BELOW:

Ivory Wave is five long-term friends in their early twenties who share an eclectic range of influences – from Oasis and The Stone Roses to Bowie, Sex Pistols and Human League. Based in a lock-up in Birmingham, their mission statement was to blend those influences into a modernist sound which would connect with their own generation.

The band – completed by Connor McMinn(guitar), Luke Morris (bass), Seb Baldwin (drums) and Rob Clarke(synths) – have developed a growing but devoted fanbase with a string of independently released tracks as well as gigs with the likes of the DMA’S and The Twang. It’s a grassroots approach which has further flourished through festivals including the Isle of WightTruck and Y Not.

Ivory Wave recently announced their biggest headline show to date at Birmingham’s O2 Institute 2, in association with new music champions This Feeling. Now almost sold-out, any remaining tickets are available from Ticketmaster. First, they’ll play the Shiiine On Weekender where they’re the youngest band to feature on the main stage. They’ll then join fellow Birmingham boys JAWS on tour.

The dates are:

NOVEMBER

15th – Shiiine On Weekender(main stage)

16th – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2(headline show – in association with This Feeling)

21st – Liverpool, Hanger 34 (supporting JAWS)

22nd – Edinburgh, The Mash House(supporting JAWS)

23rd – Newcastle, Riverside (supporting JAWS)
29th – Leeds, The Wardrobe(supporting JAWS)

30th – Coventry, The Empire (supporting JAWS)

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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