Talk To Angels

In this day and age the sheer amount of rock, indie, metal bands etc are a dime a dozen. So when something like this comes my way it always brings me a feeling of fulfilment knowing I’ve found something great in the seething masses. I can honestly say I am surprised that this band hasn’t been brought to my attention before, either by them themselves or those who have heard them play.

With a six week tour and various festivals such as South By Southwest, Leeds and La Ferme Du Rock under their belts it came as no surprise that their upcoming single Hickory Dickory, due for release on January 3oth, is a song worth checking out. With influences from artists such as Biffy Clyro and Manchester Orchestra they have managed to create a sound that is a pleasure to listen to.

In regards to their video there is one thing I need to get out of the way with first. I love sepia. The feel you get from a video done in sepia is fantastic when done right and the creators of this have done it beautifully. As I have mentioned in previous articles a band like this needs their video to focus on them which is what they have done here. The video perfectly gives you a great impression of each member and makes you want to witness them live in action.

There are times when I feel depressed spending so much time on my computer filtering through a ridiculous amount of inane E-mails. Then a band like this comes along and it makes it all worthwhile. It is bands like this that have kept me going throughout all these years and I am truly grateful. - Big In The Game website

Hickory Dickory is three and a half minutes of unadulterated fun. These guys are the potential of the Nirvana of the 2010's. Wander out to many venues and you will hear this pouring from the speakers, but is it done with such aplomb? No. After coming up to 5 years, Talk to Angels rise a head and shoulder above the mosh-pit. Chanting oesophagus stretches over the bounding guitar as the drum snaps fast on the heels with a bass given plenty of space to sweep up the stragglers, but of key note is the keyboard which is used to raise what passes for a smile on my face. That keyboard, which I recall someone setting up one day on one of my band practices and being met with such derision, it was destroyed and the suggester removed with less politeness from the studio, is used to immense effect, like the necessary salt on a bag of chips.

I thought I would also take the opportunity to review another track by the band - Off the Radar, well this takes the band from being a leading local band to a national contender. Here we find a highly competent construction with all the elements necessary for a feel-good factor. While the track runs for just over four minutes, the elements combine instantaneously and your ears know they are listening to something special, enabling the track to wallow around the head, as Talk to Angels ratchet up the depth (if that is possible) and stake their claim to what has been a sublime start to new releases in early 2012. - Indie Bands Blog

October/November 2008 and Talk To Angels follow up their acclaimed
performance at CMJ New York with
a club tour of the USA. The band booked their own dates and drove a hire van down the East Coast then from Florida to Texas across to LA and wound their way back via Denver and Chicago. Highlights
included a Historic Election Night Show in Austin Texas, a fantastic honour for a British band. Word about the bands live performances spread and at only 2 days notice The Knitting Factory, LA asked the guys to Headline their own show. Following the gig the venues management were so impressed they re-booked the band immediatley for a gig which will follow SXSW in 2009. Also in LA
The boys were photographed by Getty whos directors fell in Love with their music and style! - Circular

SXSW have sent an official invite to Talk To Angels to play at the March 2009 event in Austin Texas.
The band immediatley accepted and cant wait to return to Austin, the scene of their historic Obahma election night show!

With a 3 year US Visa Granted to the band, on Artistic Merit, Talk To Angels intend to work hard in the US with further tours already in the pipeline! - Circular

The Timeless Music Project in association with Yorkshire forward have invited Talk To Angels to headline the first ever Yorkshire Region Party at SXSW, at the British
Music Academy! Last years similar Liverpool event was a great
launchpad for the careers of bands
such as The Wombats and The Whip. - Circular

" I saw talk to angels at sxsw and I was struck by their energy and ability
to entertain the crowd while having loads of
fun. I booked them for T.I.M.E.2009 immediately. I had to" Walter Combi Director of A&R
www.time2009.net

- TIME

"Talk To Angels from Bradford.
This weeks best unsigned band with their track Off The Radar"

BBC 6 Radio presenter Steve Lamacq played Off The Radar and interviewed Craig Kaye Live on air Friday 2nd October 18.15 - Steve Lamacq

Talk To Angels hail from Bradford and Leeds, and so impressed local promoters on a recent support slot, they were asked back to headline a gig at The Cockpit - Jackie Hitchen went to see them.
The Cockpit is packed with people wanting to see this exciting band. Talk to Angels hail from Bradford and Leeds and despite their youth, they play with the aptitude and conviction of a band much older and more experienced.
They start with "To Maria", a song that starts slowly and builds up to a cacophony of rapid drumming, noisy guitars and the sudden change in tempo can catch you off-guard if you've not heard the song before! It's also the first opportunity for lead vocalist and guitarist Craig Kaye to demonstrate his vocal talents.
He possesses an excellent vocal range and has the sonorous voice of the classic rock singer. Other songs on the set included "Emily", a song about the anguish of young love, the upbeat "Hickory Dickory" and the one they call their 'sad song', "She". The band can turn their hand to rock songs of various tempos combining clever guitar riffs and percussion with deep, meaningful, sometimes angst-ridden lyrics.
Alongside Craig, bassist Chris Robbins' own vocal performance was great, his voice complimenting Craig's perfectly. Drummer Jamie also gave his all. His rapid drumming style shows a talent beyond his years. A bit of drumstick twiddling was thrown in as well, just what every good rock drummer should learn to do!
Also helping out tonight is Mickey Dale of Embrace. Working with Talk to Angels is an individual project for Mickey whilst Embrace take a break and he's been assisting the band with engineering, arrangements and song writing contributions as well as helping them put together a forthcoming album.
Then he hopes the band will find a deal. Having someone as experienced as he is in the music business, can only help this band who already have so much potential. Just a little tweaking of the live performances, which apart from a little feedback now and again, was pretty much spot on and record companies will be queueing up to sign them. Watch this space!

Jackie Hitchen saw Talk To Angels at The Cockpit on Sunday 29 July 2007. - BBC Regional News

We are pleased to announce that Talk To Angels have been selected to play
the prestigious CMJ "Brits In Brooklyn" Showcase on 23rd October 2008, at Studio B in Brooklyn, New York City. - Circular 2008

Chicago Rock Cafe hosts the Yorkshire
region showcase at "In The City",
Manchester on Sunday 5th October. Playing live and following in the footsteps of Embrace, Kaiser Chiefs, The Pigeon Detectives and The Cribs is Bradford's finest band Talk To Angels, proving West Yorkshire is still the place to spot great talent!
- Circular 2008

The Talk To Angels army of fans will
converge at The Liverpool Sound City
festival and conference in May 2008. Organiser David Pichilingi quotes "The band are my first choice to cross the
Pennines and join us at the home
of UK popular music. We want to introduce to the world the best young UK bands and these lads are destined
for big things." Talk to Angels join bands from all over the globe at the
UK's most prestigious music industry
event!
- Circular 2008

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/leisure/tamusic/rockpop/musicrpopfeatures/4159310.Angels_have_a_fighting_spirit/ - T & A

One o'clock in the afternoon is not a normal time for a gig usually. However this isn't a normal day. It's the Live at Leeds annual multi-venue event, which always brings along a little bit of the extraordinary.

Talk To Angels sympathise with the time they've brought music fans out at, entering the room in their pyjamas, with an ornate bed the centre piece of their stage set-up. Word of the mouth has been spreading with this band, creating enough hype to see the function room upstairs in The Library nearing full; impressive considering it's barely the afternoon, and the venue itself is a good fifteen minute walk from the city centre.

With a pretty simple set up; guitar, bass, keys and drums, I was hoping the 'hype' would mean bringing a fresh element to the sound, defining it from other bands on the current scene. Fortunately, it did, very much so. The sound was very tight, right from the start, which with the combination of the acoustics within the room, intensified the music and especially the vocals. Powerful melodic rock combined with strong guitar rhythms capture myself, as well as the rest of the audience. Feet were tapping, heads nodding, the exchanging of looks that said 'These are something else.'

Each song is defined by a unique twist; a strong vocal, a gripping drum sequence or a harmonious guitar piece. Lead vocalist Craig Kaye is a charismatic front man, drawing the audience in to his lyrics, and wearing his heart on his sleeve. 'This Broken Home', the final song of the set, really showed the raw emotion, etched across his face and within his voice. Building to what can only be described as a guitar crescendo, the final release of energy crashes around the room merging into the crowd's cheers.

Only ninety minutes into the Festival and we're already found pure talent. Talent which, I suspect soon enough will come to be showcased in much larger venues.
- LEEDS MUSIC SCENE