South of France

Since the release of their debut EP Kings, Colorado duo South of France has undergone some huge changes. After announcing the name of their debut LP (it's titled Another Boring Sunrise) and releasing a teaser video, the band expanded to three members. During recording, though, one of the original members was replaced, only to see that third member leave. The band is back to being a duo, and now comprises of Jeff Cormack and Kelly Lueke, who have re-recorded and re-mixed the entirety of their recent work. They have brought in a drummer, Ryan Simpson, to expand their sound, and have even gotten their hands on producers Jeff and Raymond Richards, who have worked with band such as Local Natives.

Now that South of France finally seem to be on the right track, they've released the first single from their forthcoming debut full-length. Premiering on Listen Before You Buy, "Lost in the Morning" captures the carefree, summery sound made the band stand out in the first place, but there is now a sense of cohesiveness. Every shake of a tambourine, every snare hit, every line sung and every guitar string plucked sounds like it should be there, like it belongs, and this results in a much cleaner sound. Listen to the song below, and if you like what you hear then stay tuned for more on South of France in the coming months. - Some Kind Of Awesome

Since the release of their debut EP Kings, Colorado duo South of France has undergone some huge changes. After announcing the name of their debut LP (it's titled Another Boring Sunrise) and releasing a teaser video, the band expanded to three members. During recording, though, one of the original members was replaced, only to see that third member leave. The band is back to being a duo, and now comprises of Jeff Cormack and Kelly Lueke, who have re-recorded and re-mixed the entirety of their recent work. They have brought in a drummer, Ryan Simpson, to expand their sound, and have even gotten their hands on producers Jeff and Raymond Richards, who have worked with band such as Local Natives.

Now that South of France finally seem to be on the right track, they've released the first single from their forthcoming debut full-length. Premiering on Listen Before You Buy, "Lost in the Morning" captures the carefree, summery sound made the band stand out in the first place, but there is now a sense of cohesiveness. Every shake of a tambourine, every snare hit, every line sung and every guitar string plucked sounds like it should be there, like it belongs, and this results in a much cleaner sound. Listen to the song below, and if you like what you hear then stay tuned for more on South of France in the coming months. - Some Kind Of Awesome

Two days ago, we posted about "Lost in the Morning," the brand new single from Colorado/L.A. duo South of France. After undergoing numerous changes, the band has finally found their footing again and are gearing up for the release of their debut album Another Boring Sunrise. Now, the band has released the official video for the single, which comprises of footage of their recent visit to Brooklyn for Northside Festival. It's a simple video, but perfect for the duo's simplistic, easygoing approach. - Some Kind Of Awesome

A lot has changed for South of France since we first introduced them. In fact, a lot has changed since we posted the video for the album teaser just a couple months ago. To start with, the album has been delayed until later this summer, and is now expected in late July or early August – we’ll keep you posted on that, and you should watch something special from us right around the release date.

The choice to delay the album hasn’t been gratuitous, though. Over the last couple months (since that album teaser) the band first expanded from two to three members and then, after replacing an original member and losing that extra third member went back down to two. Now the band is just Jeff Cormack and Kelly Lueke, who have gone back and re-recorded all the female vocals on the original debut album. As far as I know it’s still called Another Boring Sunrise, but after re-recording and re-mixing it actually sounds a lot better (you’ll just have to trust me on this one, since I doubt the original recordings will ever see the light of day).

Jeff tells me that hopefully this incarnation of the band is the one that takes the far, and I really can’t see why not. The band dynamic has changed – Jeff and Kelly now write together as opposed to the former by him self – they’ve incorporated a drummer, Ryan Simpson, and the album is actually being co-mixed by Jeff and Raymond Richards, who has worked with the likes of Local Natives, no less.

For now, until Another Boring Sunrise is released, you can stream the first single from it, titled “Lost in the Morning”. It’s a catchy piece of indie pop/rock, which continues the trends we saw in the Kings EP which put the duo on the map in the first place. It does expand on it though, with much more present drumming and much clearer vocals. That means it’s a must-listen for fans of Cults, Real Estate or even Youth Lagoon. - Listen Before You Buy

Dans le Colorado, il n’y a pas que des ranchs et des cow-boys. Il y a aussi South of France et leur son pétillant et rafraîchissant. Le duo formé par Jeff Cormack et Kelly Lueke nous sert un son pop avec ces guitares rétro que Jeff aime tant. Mais South of France n’a pas toujours été un binôme. C’est Jeff qui est à l’origine du projet : c’est à partir de ses voyages à travers le globe que le songwriter s’est constitué une série de titres. Au fur et à mesure de la création des chansons, Jeff a réalisé qu’une voix féminine apporterait un petit quelque chose qui ferait la différence. Après un premier EP Kings en novembre dernier, South of France vient de sortir le 26 juin dernier leur premier album Another Boring Sunrise. « Lost in The Morning » en est extrait. On vous laisse savourer. - Now Playing Magazine

Infectious indie-pop purveyors South of France created quite the buzz in the indie community last winter with the release of their stellar EP Kings, and now they’re back to liven up our summer. The Colorado-based trio has released a video for “Lost In The Morning,” the first single from their debut full length, Another Boring Sunrise. The video features the band’s two lead vocalists, Jeff Cormack and Kelly Leuke, traipsing about New York City in a carefree, almost childlike manner that fits perfectly with the song’s dreamy, nostalgic tone; one that hearkens back to 50s and 60s guitar pop. The album, which was scheduled for release on June 26th via Cormack’s own Play Plus Record, has yet to debut. - All Things Go

Infectious indie-pop purveyors South of France created quite the buzz in the indie community last winter with the release of their stellar EP Kings, and now they’re back to liven up our summer. The Colorado-based trio has released a video for “Lost In The Morning,” the first single from their debut full length, Another Boring Sunrise. The video features the band’s two lead vocalists, Jeff Cormack and Kelly Leuke, traipsing about New York City in a carefree, almost childlike manner that fits perfectly with the song’s dreamy, nostalgic tone; one that hearkens back to 50s and 60s guitar pop. The album, which was scheduled for release on June 26th via Cormack’s own Play Plus Record, has yet to debut. - All Things Go

Those that have been following the site for a bit have probably figured out that, since Introducing them in December based on the strength of their “Kings” EP, we’re fans of Colorado duo South of France. So much so, in fact, that their debut album, which supposedly to be ready at the end of January (whoops!), was on the most anticipated albums of this year list, and we named them Ones To Watch for 2012. It looks like our wait for new material from the band is, thankfully, almost over.

A few days ago, the pair announced their debut album, titled “Another Boring Sunrise”, via a video that included a new song, “Choix [Choice]“. The surprise is, though, that said song, which features lyrics in French, won’t actually be appearing on the album, and was written exclusively for the video. Stay tuned, though, because in the coming weeks you may just be able to snag a copy…

Along with the lighthearted, summery video, the band have also given us the cover of the album, which you can see above. As of now, the debut album is meant to be released in “summer”, which would be fitting considering the music style, but my sources tell me it may be a bit sooner. Those same sources say that you should definitely stay tuned, because we may just have some exciting announcements soon…

Watch the video below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to “Another Boring Sunrise”! And if you haven’t yet, be sure to download “Kings” on their Bandcamp. - Listen Before You Buy

South Of France have been labeled one of our Ones To Watch for 2012 based on the strength of their “Kings” EP which they released last year. The three songs on “Kings” were very much in the Cults vein, with a seemingly upbeat, 60’s pop influenced style loaded with hooks, although done in a more distorted manner. The music contained a lot of subtleties, though, which kept the three short songs interesting even on repeated listens.

When I contacted the band about a full-length, anxious to hear more, they told me that it was definitely in the works, they were very happy with it, and they were hoping to have it out at some point in February. So far, there’s not much news coming from their front, but my eyes, and ears, are peeled. - Listen Before You Buy

South of France, actually based in Boulder, Colorado, is so new and fresh that their website is a skeleton of information but by no means is this a metaphor for their music. In fact, their short 3-song E.P., released on their Bandcamp webpage is everything but lacking. They describe themselves as melodic noise pop – three perfect adjectives to properly introduce their style, regardless of how common this genre is becoming.

Almost a direct derivative of their influences, Emily Ashley and Jeff Cormack play off the call & return technique that The Cults and Summer Camp are popularizing. Incorporating well-timed and well-pitched harmonies, both of their voices are less flat than their peers but they keep the distortion tuned up to retain the lo-fi design.

The most impressive aspect of this E.P. is its production – ordinarily E.P.’s are raw peeks at a band’s potential, but South Of France offers nearly flawless recordings that leave little room for skepticism. Granted, the muffled vocals could use more volume, the minor imperfections will likely be smoothed out by their full-length release at the end of February. What’s more impressive? Jeff produced, mixed and played every instrument on the E.P.!

Most of their sound resembles the Peter Bjorn & John combination of perky instrumentals with scruffy vocals but the last track, Ghost Driver, is the most pop-y they get with a Vampire Weekend-esque electric guitar riff and a clap-along beat.

In short, once you give your ears a taste of South Of France, they’ll be aching for that full-length! You can grab a free download of the Kings E.P. on their Bandcamp. - indierockreviews.com

Welcome to the fist installment of Discover The Undiscovered for 2012! We’re proud to introduce South of France, an indie pop band consisting of Jeff Cormack and Emily Ashley from Boulder, CO.

South of France was formed in 2011, Jeff a producer/composer who stays busy doing commercial, film and television work has been trying to convince Emily to sing with him for years. Finally, the stars aligned and she said yes and the rest is indie pop history.

Our main influences:
Peter Bjorn and John, Pavement, Tame impala, Arcade Fire, Tennis, Cults, Beach House, Bobbly Fuller Four, Miike Snow, New Order, Belle and Sebastian, Blonde Redhead, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Mark Ronson, Lyyke Li, Metric, Dave Fridmann.

How we met:
Emily used to work at a grocery store by my house and I (Jeff) liked talking to her. I would always wait for her line to open up so she could bag my groceries. We just became good friends and would hang out, talk about music, take pictures, etc.. We kept in touch and stayed friends for years.

Biggest achievement?
We are really proud of the way our debut album is sounding. It will be released at the end of Feb. and we have been putting a lot of time into the writing, recording, and production of it. Jeff has produced, recorded, mixed, and played every instrument that you hear on the album.. So we are proud to have created this record on our own from start to finish. Aside from that it just feels great to get some recognition from some major magazines and blogs and to have promotors reaching out to us from around the world.

Where did the band name originate?
Originally I had planned on doing a solo record before Emily and I decided to collaborate. I had come up with the name because I had just travelled to the south of France before writing all of the songs and the experience spawned a lot of the writing. The name just fit the sound and the writing very well... Emily liked it so we decided to keep it.

Favorite bands?
Peter Bjorn and John, Youth Lagoon, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, Tennis, Cults, Belle and Sebastian, Lyyke Li, The Horrors, Metric, and anything that Dave Fridmann produces.

Plans to tour?
We are planning to play quite a bit after the album is released. We are headed to Emily's homeland in the UK in May to play some shows and then hopefully we'll be playing a lot around the U.S.

Plans for next release?
Our next release will be our debut full-length album at the end of Feb. - Filter Magazine

Our song "Ghost Driver" was selected for the year end sampler in Under The Radar Magazine released in Jan of 2012 - Under the Radar Magazine

New and Notable 2011

It’s been a fantastic year for music. It was so fantastic that I couldn’t narrow down everything into a Top 10/20 (though I probably could if you really wanted me to). Here, instead, is an alphabetical list of every album and EP that was released in 2011 that I managed to get my hands on, accompanied by some of my favourite songs from each.

Songs are linked to Spotify unless they are unavailable on there, in which case it will be linked to somewhere else. If you don’t have Spotify then I suggest you download it, pronto.


South of France- Kings EP
Top Tracks: “Kings” / “Reflections and Shadow Casting” / “Ghost Driver” - jenksy music blog

When I saw the BBC Sound of 2012 list, my heart sank ever so slightly. Don’t get me wrong, I see the commercial potential in almost all of the acts shortlisted, it’s more that the entirety of the list is shockingly predictable, and in some cases, bizarrely misguided. Take Frank Ocean, one of the most highly sought after acts in world hip-hop, having featured on tracks with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Tyler the Creator, as well as writing hits for Beyonce, the 24 year old is hardly a rising star. Elsewhere, Azealia Banks is another strange choice, having been kicking about for almost three years now, and little needs to be said about the inclusion of dubstep parody act Skrillex.

However, all that said, I love the debate these articles bring about, and in this case, the BBC Sound of… has spawned a host of ‘alternative’ lists. Again, I’m yet to be completely enamored with any of the selections I’ve seen, with most websites choosing to pick artists they’ve spent the last twelve months salivating over, rather than attempting to predict whom they will be falling head over heels for in 2012. My selections aren’t as such acts whom I believe will break into the mainstream consciousness, more artists that I perceive may well look back upon 2012 as a vitally important year in their musical development. So without further ado, in no particular order, here’s a selection of acts I’ll be watching out for 2012.

South Of France

Colardo duo South of France create the most lively, danceable indie-pop around, and their debut three track release showcased exactly that. Comprised of Jeff Cormack and Emily Ashley, there’s a wonderful chemistry within their music that so few bands manage to translate to their records. Of the tracks from their EP, Kings stands out, with it’s infectious chorus and fantastic male/female split vocals. With a debut LP in the works, and expected out at the beginning of next year; South Of France deserve to be heard. - crackintheroad.com

South of France hail from Boulder, Colorado – far from the allure that the name of their band carries with it. Comprised of Jeff Cormack and Emily Ashley, the duo easily recall the intersecting vocals of indie-pop darlings Cults, though Cormack is far more present in South of France’s material than the male vocals that Cults employs.

Musically, the band is similar as well, with a darker take on surf rock, bolstered by the reverb that is omnipresent in the landscape of modern indie rock. This might make it seem like I find the duo not to be enjoyable, or that they’re simply derivative. Neither is true; my reserved response here is simply that I’m becoming more cautious of falling in love with bands who just have a single without much more – especially after the disappointment of both the debuts of the aforementioned Cults and Tennis this year. I’ve been hurt before, South of France. You’re going to have to woo me a little more.

That said, the three songs on South of France’s EP are promising, certainly. And we luckily won’t need to wait long to see what else they may have in store. The duo is releasing their debut album in February, so I’ll reserve my higher accolades (hopefully) for use upon its release.

Kings EP is available for free through the band’s Bandcamp page, and I’d encourage you to take advantage of the offer. Below is the title track from the EP. - Tympanogram.com

Cults’ debut, released in June, is one of my favorite albums of the year. The New York duo share a lot of common traits with Colorado band South Of France, so understandably, I’m really digging their debut, “Kings EP”.

The band’s origins revolved around music, as the duo, long time friends multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Cormack and singer Emily Ashley would sit around, listening to music and making CDs for each other. That is, until the day Emily brought a song she had written to Jeff that she wanted to him to produce. The song impressed the producer, who, after completing it decided that it would fit nicely amongst the songs he was working on and the two decided to form a band.


The result is the second track on the EP, “Reflections and Shadow Casting”, a tune that, after a seemingly upbeat opening, turns sombre for a small intro and then hits its stride just past the 30 second mark, when the drums kick in and both voices sing in unison. Musically, it sounds like something Cults’ might have put together, with male-female interplay and voices slathered in reverb and noise that evoke the sounds of the ’50s and ’60s while sounding very much present day.

The strength of the EP comes in its consistency. At just three songs, all roughly the same length, the songs flow incredibly well, and have just enough variation to keep things interesting. Opener “Kings” comes is much more upbeat than the other two, presenting a straight-up pop song in which voices trade off until the chorus, where Cormack takes charge, leaving his female counterpart to background “oooh’s” which add just the right amount of color.

The closing track “Ghost Rider” opens with a guitar riff that becomes a motif for the song and would not be out of place on a surf-pop record (in fact, it reminds me of a song that I can’t quite place). The song is layered with handclaps, the noise/reverb combination I mentioned earlier, and incredibly catchy melodies that make the tune hit all the right spots.

One thing the band should keep in mind for the future is to let their own voice shine through, because the EP’s biggest fault is that it teeters on the copycat line at times. The tunes are good, but are sometimes lacking in a bit of originality, considering how recent the Cults album is.

The band’s influences strike me as varying from the usual clichés up-and-coming artists usually name (note to those seeking coverage: classics are great, but they’re overdone, seek something new), and list Peter, Bjorn and John, Arcade Fire, Beach House, Cults, Sleigh Bells or Tame Impala as such.

A common factor among those bands is that they all created and insane amount of buzz when they started and were able to follow through with solid debut efforts (I personally don’t like Sleigh Bells, but our editors considered it the best album of last year, so that’s saying something). I’m just hoping South Of France’s debut, which will be completed by the end of January, follows suit. I’m looking forward to it. - Listen Before You Buy

“Over five thousand miles lie between Colorado, the home of noise-pop duo South of France, and the area from which they take their name. Now I’ve got that rather pointless fact out the way, let me tell you just how awesome their music is. Formed earlier this year by friends Jeff Cormack and Emily Ashley, today sees the release of their debut EP Kings. The title track is a gloriously upbeat lo-fi inspired number, combining twee and brash pop-rock into a rather delightful effort. The reverb laden vocals switch between male and female sections, showcasing a romantic dialogue with Cormack proclaiming, “I can feel your heartbeat, all the way across the street” and Ashley wistfully replying “I can see it in your eyes, you’re the one that never cries“. And just wait until you hear that chorus.

Elsewhere, there’s the funky swagger of Ghost Driver, heavily percussion orientated and swirling with dreamy harmonies and the unabashed pop of Reflections And Shadow Casting, which again utilizes the intertwining vocals to scintillating effect. This is gritty pop for your broken heart at it’s very best. Check out Kings below, and head over to the South of France bandcamp for a free download of their debut EP.” - crackintheroad.com