March 2014
IN less than a year, Amber Run have gone from playing their fourth gig at a key UK music festival, to getting a major label deal, Radio 1 airplay, TV exposure and over 100,000 views on YouTiube for one of their videos.
The anthemic rock quintet could easily be Nottingham’s next big thing.
And should that happen then frontman Joe Keough is prepared. At least for the enthusiastic attention of female fans.
“I played a show at the Approach; it was just me, before started the band,” says the 21-year-old, who came to Nottingham to study, as did the rest of Amber Run.
“And there were two 40-year-old women shouted me down and said ‘we’ve got something for you’. And threw their pants on stage both with their phone numbers on.
“I didn’t know where to look or what to say.”
At the time, he was performing as Josh Keough (“my family have always called me Joe”) but soon realised he enjoyed the bigger sound that a band could give his songs.
Enter a few of his uni friends: Will Jones (guitar), Tom Sperring (bass), Felix Archer (drums), Henry Wyeth (keyboards).
Within a year, Amber Run were playing their fourth and fifth gigs at the Leeds and Reading Festivals and signed to RCA.
They are on their first headline tour of the UK, which comes to Nottingham Contemporary tomorrow night.
They’ve also been supporting Kodaline playing to crowds of up to 3,500 people.
“We didn’t support them but we went to see them at the 02 in Dublin the other night and there were 15,000 people there,” he says.
“They’re like the softer side of Coldplay and they can pull in quite a crowd.”
Which is fitting as Amber Run are big fans of Coldplay and their influence is clear in the band’s sound.
“I love Coldplay,” says Joe, who is the band’s vocalist and chief songwriter.
Next month, Amber Run release Spark, their third single, following Noah (100k views on YouTube) and Heaven, both supported by Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton on Radio 1.
“Their vast sound has Coldplay stadium ambitions,” said The Independent, while The Daily Star described them as “epic tunes that sound destined for arenas”.
The quintet are working on their debut album with producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, Jake Bugg), due for release later this year.
“It’s finished,” says Joe.
“I think it will be out in October but don’t hold me to that because you never know. It’ll be after we’ve done the festival circuit and released another single.”
Festival appearances already confirmed are the Great Escape, Y Not, Isle of Wight and Liverpool Sound City.
He adds: “There are more than enough tracks there that we could release it tomorrow but we may go and do some more new songs to go on it. We’re always writing and always trying to get better.
“Either way I can’t wait to get it out there and for people to hear it.”
Amber Run play The Space at Nottingham Contemporary tomorrow from 8pm. Tickets are £6 in advance from alt-tickets.co.uk or at the door.
IN less than a year, Amber Run have gone from playing their fourth gig at a key UK music festival, to getting a major label deal, Radio 1 airplay, TV exposure and over 100,000 views on YouTiube for one of their videos.
The anthemic rock quintet could easily be Nottingham’s next big thing.
And should that happen then frontman Joe Keough is prepared. At least for the enthusiastic attention of female fans.
“I played a show at the Approach; it was just me, before started the band,” says the 21-year-old, who came to Nottingham to study, as did the rest of Amber Run.
“And there were two 40-year-old women shouted me down and said ‘we’ve got something for you’. And threw their pants on stage both with their phone numbers on.
“I didn’t know where to look or what to say.”
At the time, he was performing as Josh Keough (“my family have always called me Joe”) but soon realised he enjoyed the bigger sound that a band could give his songs.
Enter a few of his uni friends: Will Jones (guitar), Tom Sperring (bass), Felix Archer (drums), Henry Wyeth (keyboards).
Within a year, Amber Run were playing their fourth and fifth gigs at the Leeds and Reading Festivals and signed to RCA.
They are on their first headline tour of the UK, which comes to Nottingham Contemporary tomorrow night.
They’ve also been supporting Kodaline playing to crowds of up to 3,500 people.
“We didn’t support them but we went to see them at the 02 in Dublin the other night and there were 15,000 people there,” he says.
“They’re like the softer side of Coldplay and they can pull in quite a crowd.”
Which is fitting as Amber Run are big fans of Coldplay and their influence is clear in the band’s sound.
“I love Coldplay,” says Joe, who is the band’s vocalist and chief songwriter.
Next month, Amber Run release Spark, their third single, following Noah (100k views on YouTube) and Heaven, both supported by Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton on Radio 1.
“Their vast sound has Coldplay stadium ambitions,” said The Independent, while The Daily Star described them as “epic tunes that sound destined for arenas”.
The quintet are working on their debut album with producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, Jake Bugg), due for release later this year.
“It’s finished,” says Joe.
“I think it will be out in October but don’t hold me to that because you never know. It’ll be after we’ve done the festival circuit and released another single.”
Festival appearances already confirmed are the Great Escape, Y Not, Isle of Wight and Liverpool Sound City.
He adds: “There are more than enough tracks there that we could release it tomorrow but we may go and do some more new songs to go on it. We’re always writing and always trying to get better.
“Either way I can’t wait to get it out there and for people to hear it.”
Amber Run play The Space at Nottingham Contemporary tomorrow from 8pm. Tickets are £6 in advance from alt-tickets.co.uk or at the door.
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