After releasing the stellar single “Don’t Stop Me” late last year, Manchester’s Corella have now announced their plans for their eagerly-awaited debut album ‘Once Upon A Weekend’, showcased by the anthemic new track “Drifting”.
Continuing to explore more of that explosive indie-rock sound they have cultivated for themselves over the years, ‘Once Upon A Weekend’ looks set to become one of the more impactful debut LPs for the year ahead. Produced and mixed by Ady Hall and Lee McCarthy at Sugar House and featuring the newly unveiled offering “Drifting”, the four-piece is turning the swagger all the way up on this fresh and explosive guitar-driven belter.
They said about the new offering, “Drifting is all about being younger and completely carefree. Exploring the jungle that is your neighbourhood, getting up to no good with your friends and making memories that last a lifetime. This transpires through later life as you try and find your path but never seem to find it, you just bounce from day to day doing as you please as you did when you were a kid.”
The single is accompanied by an uplifting and contemplative video directed by Jay Brasier-Creagh “We wanted to capture the stories of our upbringing and childhood, but through an older man’s perspective of reminiscing on his fonder, younger years.” The band explains. “Portraying the metaphor of drifting through life, seeing where your path takes you, but then ending up here- a care home. It’s the little things in life that trigger flash backs and all of sudden you’re encapsulated in your 10 year old self again, roaming care free with 0 responsibilities, out with your mates and living for the moment. We wanted the viewer to question – is it really reliving the past, or is it the reality of an old, tired mind losing sanity and longing for that free spirit it once had.”
Watch the video for ‘Drifting’ – BELOW:
Following three sold-out UK headline tours in September 2022, March, and October 2023, Corella today announced a UK headline tour alongside a plethora of festival dates to support their upcoming album. Tickets for their UK tour will go on sale Friday, February 9th @ 10am, and the full list of confirmed performances are below.
Corella Live Dates – *headline shows
30th Mar – Stockton Calling
2nd May – Dublin, The Grand Social*
3rd May – Belfast, Limelight 2*
5th May – Liverpool Sound City
6th May – London, Rough Trade East (instore event)
8th May – Edinburgh, The Caves*
9th May – Nottingham, Rough Trade (instore event)
10th May – Birmingham, Mama Roux*
11th May – Leeds, Stylus*
12th May – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms*
14th May – London, KOKO*
15th May – Bristol, Thekla*
16th May – Brighton, The Great Escape Festival
18th May – Utrecht NL, Ekko*
19th May – Cologne GER, Hellios37*
20th May – Hamburg GER, Hebebühne*
21st May – Berlin GER, Prachtwerk*
29th May – Norwich, Arts Centre*
31st May – Manchester, O2 Ritz*
26th July – Tramlines Festival
28th July – Truck Festival
3rd Aug – Kendal Calling
9th Aug – Boardmasters
17th Aug – Hardwick Calling
23rd Aug – Leeds Festival
25th Aug – Reading Festival
It’s a universally accepted truth that music brings people together. That was certainly the case with the Manchester-formed band Corella, who are now intent on creating unity through their own inspiring, anthemic songs.
Comprising frontman Joel, bassist/vocalist Ben, guitarist Jack and drummer James, the pop-rock group formed while its members – all hailing from northern towns – were in their first year of university studying music. They met after being placed in the same university halls, bonding over their shared love of indie bands such as Foals and Two Door Cinema Club, along with classic pop and rock including The Beatles, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Dire Straits.
On the cusp of releasing their debut album, Corella have already established a devoted following thanks to their formidable live shows and singles including “Don’t Stop Me”, which recently received airplay on BBC Radio 1. The track is a blast of pure defiance, pushing back against social apathy and yearning for something greater: “Lately I’ve been giving my everything to make it,” the Grimsby-born Joel sings over thrashing guitars, and drums that propel the song higher and higher.
“We were determined not to make a middle-of-the-road indie record, but equally, we still wanted to make something that made people feel good, that they’d love listening to,” Ben says. He and Joel share songwriting responsibilities: “We’re really like-minded, and I guess formed a bond straight away – we clicked instantly,” says Joel.
Living together during lockdown and with little else to do, the four-piece began working on ideas for what would become their highly praised debut EP, 2022’s Today, Tomorrow, Whenever, as well as sharing live-streamed performances with fans who tuned in each weekend. “The only thing we could do was write music,” Ben says, “so we had all these ideas we were bouncing off one another, and the second studios opened again we were in there recording.”
“I think the EP speaks to what we were all going through at the time,” Joel adds. “Some points were chilled out, others we were crawling the walls – that’s why there are so many different moods.” Today, Tomorrow, Whenever also speaks to the band’s willingness to experiment until they landed on the sound that would shape their debut album. Early songs such as “Do You Want It” have an Oasis twang, laden with reverb and led by Joel’s natural, gravelly burr, while “Monday” has more of a contemporary rock sound.
The album itself delves into the band’s experiences growing up in northern towns, along with classic tales of love, lust and misadventure. Produced by Sugarhouse, the band’s trusted collaborators, it bursts with life: “Some of the tracks were ones we just wanted to have fun with,” Ben says, “while others are definitely more reflective of the last seven or eight years.”
Over time, the band have grown to realise that every single song on their debut reflects their experiences over the years. Themes of loss also strike a chord with Ben, who lost his dad just before lockdown: “We’ve never been shy about saying how we feel,” he says. “Everyone struggled during lockdown – Joel’s really vocal about mental health awareness – and we just say how it is. We’re not afraid to put that in a song.”
“We’ve known each other a long time,” Joel agrees. “We’ve all gone through loss, through breakups, a lot of things. That’s something that only makes our bond stronger.”
Once Upon a Weekend’s release will coincide with Corella’s biggest headline tour to date, meaning old and new fans will experience their chemistry in real-time. Because whatever happens, the band are friends for life, tied together by the bond their music has created for them. “There’ve been moments for all of us where we had to pull each other out of the rubble,” says Ben. “We’ll always be there for each other, no matter what.”
‘Once Upon A Weekend’ Tracklist:
1. Don’t Stop Me
2. Let Me Go
3. Drifting
4. Head Underwater
5. Lady Messiah
6. Hometown
7. Didn’t Know Your Name
8. Tommy Loser
9. Say You Wanna
10. Laidback
11. Rock The Boat
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