4 posts from February 2008

Hello.

Well, I was going to pass comment on IB's blog today about how much promoting we should all be doing on the internet in order to market ourselves to record labels these days, but I have to say after a weekend of gigging and being out and about, I really haven't got the energy to launch into the debate. I think the bottom line is that there are only so many hours in the day and the best use of your time changes depending on the demands of the project at any one time. I still feel there is a very valid role for record labels and would hope that our chances of (dare I say it) commercial success would increase rapidly should we get some decent investment from a label, if nothing else because I want to spend time touring and recording, not logging into CDbaby or whatever everyday. There is only so far you can take a DIY project via the internet due to the vast quantity of (often shit) bands who are all logging onto the same thing (e.g. MySpace) Anyway, if anybody wants to read the debate it can be found here: http://indieboy.vox.com/library/post/fair-play-to-those-who-dare-to-dream-make-art.html

First things first, many thanks to everybody who came down to see us on Friday. It was a sell out and it went really well. I wasn't expecting to see so many people there but I can only be delighted with the turn out and especially all those people who hadn't seen us before and expressed their delight and interest after the performance. I think it was probably our best gig yet. Thanks to all those at Thriller Killer who put us on, and Johnny who did the sound. Next up, an acoustic show down at Trof, in Fallowfield, Manchester, at a night called "While Other Bands Park Vans", and after that, back down to London, and yes I will be harrasing all you London A+R folk to get down there. Its at The Troubadour, which I understand is near Harrods and therefore is probably very posh, on the 3rd April. .

Can I remind everyone that we have a profile up at XFM and I've just spotted that they've got another one of these rating things - if anybody has a spare moment and wants to give us a rating, we can be found at http://www.xfmuploaded.co.uk/thismorningcall. It should only take a moment and we'd be very happy! You don't have to be logged in or register in order to leave a score. Lets hope they like it sufficiently to spin a tune on the unsigned show and then we can all get excited once again!

We were also featured in the South Manchester Reporter this week - a lovely article and a photo which filled the best part of a page. There doesn't appear to be a weblink to the article, so I'll just reprint a paragraph here that I did find funny: The band say they are inspired by an array of musical talent, ranging from Goldfrapp to Bowie. But even recording sessions at Ben's home in Levenshulme - just around the corner from the McVities factory - have helped get the creative juices flowing. "Yes, biscuits have been an inspiration, we were considering releasing a record called Hobnobs", Ben joked.

Well, there you go - my words afterall and not something I hope I'll one day find printed in the pages of NME. I do like Hobnobs though, well nice.

Here's a tune some of you might not have heard before... Its called Romance and its a ballad.

Romance

This Morning Call

3 comments

enjoy... this is the one our french friends said they enjoyed the most.

best wishes,
Ben

Hi everybody,

Well, no excuses for the lack of posts recently, but there has been loads going on.

We've been spending the time working on new material and booking gigs.

Here's some confirmed forthcoming dates:

Friday 22nd Feb, 22:30, "Thriller Killer"  at Charlies, Manchester. A club for alternative music lovers in the heart of Manchester's gay village. Check it out at: http://www.myspace.com/thrillerkillerclub. This Morning Call to do a headline show.

Wednesday 12th March, "While Other Bands Park Vans", Trof, Fallowfield, Manchester. An acoustic show. Check it out at:  http://www.myspace.com/whileotherbandsparkvans  Another headline show.

Thursday 3rd April, a LONDON show at The Troubador. On stage 9.30pm. Full band. Full details can be found at the venues websight.... http://www.troubadour.co.uk/ .... but give them a day or two 'cos I only confirmed it today! All you industry people, this is the show to be at!

23/24/25th May MAPS Festival, a big one for Manchester artists, as the city gets taken over by tons of great bands, performers, visual artists and so forth. Based in and around Mcr's Northern Qtr. All mcrs biggest promotors are involved. And so are we. Venue and stage times tbc. Further details at http://www.myspace.com/mapsfestival

Plenty more in the pipeline... watch this space.

And our photos have come through from the recent Black Cherry photo shoot.... here's one I particularly like...

Ben Portraits 012

1 comment

and another....

Ben Portraits 017

Thanks to Matthew and Lisa at Black Cherry Photography for these. They are ace.

I do hope some of you can make it too the gigs... message me if you can to let us know... don't be shy!

best wishes,

Ben

Hello Voxers and friends:  

We've had one or two reviews recently and overall they've been great. I thought it was time to post a few of them. Here's a choice selection of quotes, with links….

“Is it too late to tip a band for success in 2008? Perhaps we should wait until Adele is crowned the more important person in music and then quietly suggest that This Morning Call are one of the most wonderful bands we have heard this year…. Putting a quiet rocket under the traditional guitar band set-up, This Morning Call have been described as 'Portishead on anti depressants' although ‘LCD Soundsystem with a hangover’ might be more appropriate - although a sense of bleak brilliance applies to both descriptions…” (Michael Baggs, Channel Four)

http://www.channel4.com/blogs/page/music?entry=band_of_the_week_this

A health dose of electronica blended with the soft pop-rock vocals of Ben Heyworth make This Morning Call a wonderful dream-like experience....When I listen to This Morning Call, I cannot help but think they sound a little like The Postal Service. Now I know there are a lot of Ben Gibbard fans (and Gibband haters) out there. I am no way saying that Ben Heyworth sounds identical to his namesake Gibbard...but he sorta does... the similarities do exist.... I am fairly certain that This Morning Call are here to stay and will be appearing on a radio station near you in the future.

(Ryan at WeHeartMusic.com)

http://weheartmusic.vox.com/library/post/this-morning-call.html

Imagine heartfelt vocals set against a backdrop of beeps, loops and crunching samples. An electronic landscape of sound and emotion. If you can picture this then you’re somewhere close to the world of This Morning Call…..   Whistle While You Work is a revelation, by losing the lyrics you are completely drawn into the music, but nothing is missed. The song is so full it is only towards the end you realise the lack of words. You’ll be whistling this tune for days afterwards. (MJ Hardman, Guestlist Manchester)
http://guestlistmusic.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-morning-call-deserted-tides.html

…Helping us ease into the swing of this remarkably familiar yet supposedly 'new' year are downbeat electro band This Morning Call – without doubt one of the most remarkable bands to emerge from the indie dead-zone of Manchester in recent history. Like a restrained and melancholy Hot Chip with the lid screwed on, This Morning Call specialize in soft, haunting electronica. Even when the band reach top speed on standout track 'Deserted', these northern lads are more likely to make you stop for a long, hard think than they are start to dance. Even when they verge towards generic guitar balladry on tracks such as 'Clockworks' and 'Romance' the experimental electronic production stands this unusual quartet from the crowd. In a very short time we've fallen very much in love with This Morning Call but also feel a great sense of appreciation for the band for simply making music so amazing that we had to pull our big lazy finger out and write something explaining this.The most wonderful band we've heard this year and if we were tipping anyone for success in 2008, it would be this lot and not that bloody Adele woman...

Link - unknown

Pop is not a dirty word. It is with some people. Usually I find with people who have no idea what they're talking about. This Morning Call is pop music in it's best sense. Accessible and easy, yet intelligent and sophisticated…..

…'Romance' features the best and most suited vocal music juxtaposition and a catchy chorus. Pick for me however is 'Whistle While You Work', an instrumental not completely dissimilar to Air's 'Alpha Beta Gaga'. I'll be playing this demo again. It's not always the case.

Sandman Magazine – Jan 2008

"If you're a fan of sweeping electronic landscapes, ambient pop-edged melodies and the occasional dark crunchy beat, start paying attention. This Morning Call take the atmospheric aspects of Coldplay which stop them being purely guilty easy listening, channel them through the bleeps and angular squawks of the New Order/Daft Punk school, and produce an experimental, light, electronic pop…. hurry up and check them out before they explode onto the wider scene, because that's looking increasingly likely." (Jennifer at WeHeartMusic.com)

http://weheartmusic.vox.com/library/post/this-morning-call2.html

More to come!

And here's a tune, in case you've not heard it yet!

Tides

This Morning Call

4 comments

best wishes,

Ben

(two posts in one day - bit bored in the office right now...)

(never mind its the weekend in an hour or so)

(thank god)

Here's the behind the scenes action from Sunday... words by Matthew Dines http://blackcherryphotography.blogspot.com/

This Morning Call photoshoot

Sunday 27th January 2008 saw the photo shoot of 'This Morning Call'.

This Manchester based group are described in one review as a six piece alternative electronic pop band, with synths, drums, guitars and laptops and sound a bit like Portishead on decent anti-depressants. With this in mind, we knew we could do something special and a bit unique for their photos.

We decided on a location for the shoot just south of Manchester deep into the countryside near Congleton surrounded by fields, the odd tractor and a faint whiff of excrement. Perfect.

The day started off in an amazing abandoned house, still intact with the original peeling wall paper and authentic early 1900's furniture - brought right back up to date with an I POD speaker system blasting out the likes of Kings Of Leon, Maximo Park and of course.. This Morning Call - just to get them into the swing of things!

We went with ideas obtained from the style of their music - for example a mix of electro and acoustic pop and decided to bring this out in the photos - mixing the old grandeur of the house and glitzing it up with some jazzy lighting and an oh so classy disco ball!

Throughout the day we saw the band in rusty sheds, climbing trees and it went slightly Narnia at one point when we photographed them all in a wardrobe. Even when we had them outside under a 100 year old beech tree in the freezing cold as we set up the lighting, the cheery mood carried on with the usual larking about and everyone getting involved attaching baubles and lights all over the place. There seemed to be a real buzz from both photographers and musicians about the ideas we were coming up with.

The final shots saw the whole band set up under the tree just as the sun was going down - a perfect time to light the scene with lamps and fairy lights.. it really did look like a scene straight out of a Tim Burton film.





Lisa, accompanied by Nick, shot some footage for an animated music video (go here http://www.myspace.com/lisarisbecfilms for updates) capturing the band under the lights, while I stood below shooting some stills.








All in all a very successful shoot was had.. we were happy, the band were happy (if not a little cold!) and the finished versions of the pictures will be on our website very soon!

Final thanks to the band for working so well with us, considering the freezing temperatures - i think this was probably helped by a mid day cup of tea. Sorts everything out!