Music
Press
Offering swirling guitar melodies one moment (Don't Wanna Die) and testosterone-fuelled rhythms (Open My Eyes) the next.....Honey for the Soul is 60's pop at its most pure and innocent and all the more charming because of it. - Q Magazine
Rolling West-Coast psych drums, squidgy, rippling, pumping organs, loads and loads of percussive backing vocals....it can only be called pure breakfast show gold. - The Source
Don't Wanna Die completely leaves you wanting more, exactly what a good song should do. - NoizeMakesEnemies.co.uk
"I find My Federation irresistible, the combination of a groove for any dance-floor and a tune your tone deaf dad could hum, is a rare and wonderful thing."
Eddy Temple-Morris - XMF Network - XFM
About 20 minutes into this drum-tight, Brighton-based quintet's debut, you may need to step outside for some fresh air, a fag or a fight, such is its caffeinated, make-or-break intensity. The charge is led by industrious show-off, Lee 'Muddy' Baker, who writes, sings, produces and does the artwork. He may have control issues, but he knows what he's doing; his Feds start a candy-metal riot of chunky riffs, fruity synths, spunky drumming and communal choruses, which fans of early Supergrass, Super Furry Animals and even Queen will recognise as a long-lost cousin kidnapped by showbiz. Early on they cover Open My Eyes, by another pop multi-tasker, Todd Rundgren; given a contemporary polish and delivered in Baker's mellifluous tenor, it fits snuggly in. Their own material displays stadium-ready heft while also being playful, smart and, occasionally, beautiful.
**** - Mojo
My Federation sound like the Who at the peak of their mock-operatic pomp, all bluster and bombast and pretensions towards the cinematic and grand. With its castrato harmonies, disco cowbells and Stonesy raunch, potential future single Nothing To Say could be Queen's We Will Rock You remixed by Daft Punk, an orgy of synthesised, symphonic, rocked-up space-funk. It was done on the cheap, too - the 70s synths that My Federation use cost buttons from a flea market. Then there's actual next single Don't Wanna Die, which almost outdoes Super Furry Animals for sheer euphoric/anthemic psych-prog-pop. - Guardian
“Rather than lay down and mope they've got a fella rampaging around at speed with a great big bumble bee bass guitar and they're all shouting at each other cos they're having all the fun in the world. Now, I'm not saying ALL music should be more like this. I'm saying MORE music should be more like this. OK?” - BBC
“Dealers in hot psychedelic electro-rock, this is as impressive as a varied red light district and propels out of the stereo with a zeal that recalls Lo Fidelity Allstars before their reputation ruined things. A combination that amidst the darkness sets the heart beating.” - New Noise
“Keep your ears peeled for this lot, if there’s any justice they should drop like a meteor in a crowded shopping complex very soon.” - 020.com
Discography
Honey Bee EP - April 2007
Don't Wanna Die Single - March 2008
Don't Wanna Die Album - April 2008
Photos
Bio
Let’s face it the Fifa 09 soundtrack is a glitterati of the who’s who in the world of modern music. With turns from The Foals, The Kooks, The Ting Tings, My Federation, Kasabian and Hot Chip ... sorry, wait a minute …My Federwho.?? I got the Ting Tings, Kasabian yes, the Foals bien sur, but who the hell are My Federation and what are they doing on one of this years biggest releases?
Thankfully one listen to ‘My Federations’ Fifa 09 track ‘What Gods are These’ quickly answers this question. The track is taken from their debut album ‘Don’t Wanna Die’ released in April 2008. The album itself is a storming psychedelic, rock, pop, electro, synth and guitar fuelled musical romp that your ears will be sure to thank you for....if they could speak, which of course they can’t, although they do make up for this muteness by being great listeners. We digress....If you haven’t yet heard My Federation, you’ll be sure to soon, so why not get ahead of the curve and find out what all the fuss is about!
My Federation are:
Lee ‘Muddy’ Baker - Lead Vocals/Guitar
Neil MacKenzie - Vocals/Bass
Dylan Amey - Drums
Robin Waterson - Keys/Vocals/Guitar
My Federation are an art rock outfit like no other, their frontman Lee ‘Muddy’ Baker is a man of many talents who gave up his exploits in forging fine paintings and thieving cars to join the band. He confesses: “I used to get shed-loads for copying fine paintings; but it was soul-destroying. I gave it all up for music!” He also wrote and produced Tim Booth’s last album, produced both Chungking and Clearlake, has worked with the national beatbox champion Beardyman and is currently working with Rose Dougall (formerly of The Pipettes).
If that’s not enough he also produced the new James album ‘Hey Ma’ and then My Federation were invited to support James on their 2008 spring tour. Lee still manages to put his artistic talents to good use but in a non illegal way, he is an enthused visual artist and designs the bands colourful, cutting edge imagery which is found plastered across the bands records and merchandise.
Their sound is a concoction painlessly birthed from their various disparate influences, which range from The Who, The Flaming Lips, Timbaland, Jean Michel Jarre, Mozart, and the day Lee bunked off a trip to Windsor Safari Park to hang outside the house of, and eventually meet, Jimmy Page. “If our second album can sound like something between The Raconteurs and The Flaming Lips I’ll be a very happy man” he declares.
Most of all though, the music - and everything My Federation do - is injected with a supersized hit of fun. From the sticks of Brighton rock with their name in to some hand-painted silk screens to accompany the next album, their merchandise and image is unusual to say the least. They even got covered in black paint and jumped in the bath for a recent photo shoot.
All this doesn’t mean they’re strangers to debauchery though. “We set fire to our dressing room once.” Neil declares, “although it’s not as rock and roll as it sounds. Lee’s suit carrier was hung round the bulb above the mirror…”
To date My Federation has played over 120 live shows all over the UK, including a 13 date UK support Tour with James in April 2008, supporting INXS at the Brighton Dome, ball busting sets at Guilfest, Ben & Jerry’s Summer Sundae, Brighton Live 2007/2008, and The Great Escape Festival 2007/2008 and headlined the Brighton stage at Beachdown Festival 2008. The band has also performed overseas at Le Trans Musicale and Calvadose de Rock (France), Cultura y Vanguardia Festival (Spain), The Caribana Festival (Switzerland) and Positivus Festival (Latvia).
My Federation have been played on both local and national radio in the UK with support coming from XFM London; BBC6 Music (Winner of Band Aid feature on Shaun Keaveny’s Breakfast show); Steve Lamacq BBC6 Music; Zane Lowe Radio 1 & Eddy Temple Morris XFM Network; Juice FM Brighton as well as various European radio stations (Radio Naba/ Radio SWH (Latvia), Radio FM4 (Austria), Couleur3 (Switzerland), Radio Le Mouv’ (France) and a college radio campaign in the US.
Having released their first album in April 2008 to great reviews 2009 sees the band back in the studio working on their second album.
My Federation are gearing up for a showcase at SXSW this coming March with support from the UK PRS Foundation for New Music.
A BRIEF HISTORY
"What Gods Are These" used in new Dreamworks film due out 2009.
"Don't Wanna Die" used on BBC Eastenders, Nov 2008.
"What Gods Are These" has been picked for EA Games Fifa 2009, released Autumn 2008.
My Federation performed at EA Games "Be The One" event in Trafalgar Square, London, Nov 2008.
"What Gods Are These" and "Don't Wanna Die" used for promo for all UK ITV Channels for the Primeval Weekend Special.
"Honey Bee" used on new Puma Fragrances campaign, August 2008.
The band recorded the pilot for the BBC's The Culture Show, available on
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