Ejector Seat Arts - FREE festival in Southampton

Hey peeps,

our mates (and super promoters) Ejector Seat are this year running a free arts festival in Palmerston Park on June 5th.

As well as music, performances and exhibitions, there's going to be loads of interactive arts events and workshops, including two by us: Jimmy will be running a 'How Not To Start An Indie Label' session, while Lonely Joe Parker and Andy Harris (Haunted Stereo) will be doing a songwriting workshop.

The whole thing goes on all day in the sunshine! Wahey!!

More info all the time, check it out here:
http://www.ejectorseat.co.uk/

May Day FREE Show + Get records delivered to your door!

Ello peeps,

Lonely Joe Parker here. We've had a hectic few months to kick off 2010, with releases by Haunted Stereo, Moneytree, JayEtAl, the Beaux Hardts, Moulettes, nato and myself to get off the ground, plus not one but two 'Curates...' nights at Hamptons (thanks to everyone who came and partied, got any pictures?)

But! We've still managed to put together an AMAZING free show for you all on May Day, and we're also very excited to tell you that this week we're launching a brand-new mail-order service.

Get Sotones records! Wherever, whenever!

We have always wanted to respond to your demands and make our artists' music as widely available as possible. Although virtually the whole back catalogue is available online through all good stores and Spotify, nice things like CDs, tapes and vinyl have, up till now, only been available at gigs and a few stores in the South (like Rough Trade and various Oxfam Music stores). We know this has been pissing you off, because you keep emailing us to say so!

Having discussed all the mail-order options available we decided to keep costs down. By working in-house we can manage this, and stay true to the DIY ethos of labels that inspired us, heroes like Dischord and Chemikal Underground. We're really excited that now our fans can get high-quality physical releases at the lowest possible price, wherever they are.

So, as of TODAY you can order acclaimed releases by Moulettes, Haunted Stereo, Moneytree, Jackie Paper and Lonely Joe Parker - the service will expand over the coming weeks to include the entire Sotones back-catalogue.

To get the ball rolling, with every order placed this week we'll stick in a free copy (while stocks last) of our very first ever sampler, the individually-numbered, hand-assembled, Kruger-Magazine-endorsed 'Vol.11', which includes early tracks by Blakfish as well as Band Of Skulls...

What are you waiting for? Go hit the store now: http://www.sotones.co.uk/shop.php


May Day FREE Extravaganza!

Every year we like to throw a big free party for everyone to welcome in the summer, and this year is no exception. It will be exceptional, though, in that we're also celebrating our third anniversary! So we've pulled in a brilliant bill of bands we all love, as well as some genuinely exciting emerging talent (and you know how picky we are)...

So on May Day (thats, like, the FIRST of May...) we're taking over the Hobbit in Southampton for an entire day of music and festivities. It's totally free whether you dip in to catch a few bands and enjoy a BBQ in the sunshine-y beer garden at the back, or hang tough for an unbelievable 8 HOURS OF MUSIC. We very much hope you manage to catch every single artist though as they are all very talented people that will aurally pleasure you in various diverse ways. There will also be cheapo drinks and BBQ in the garden. Plus Bank Holiday sun*.

Line-up confirmed so far includes: Anja McCloskey, Moneytree, Lonely Joe Parker, Pete Lyons, Sons and Lovers, El Raccoon, Baku Bankai, Viva Sleep & Nato

Join the Facebook event to get updates about the line-up, stage times and Campbell's top burger combo predictions.


So that's all for now, see you on May 1st for a big fat party!
Oh yeah: don't forget to vote!

Love, laters, ludo,
Sotones xx


*I'm actually going to go out on a limb here and guarantee good weather. Sue me.

Right, okay...

Right, despite what it looks like, I have done a blog in these past two months. So don't feel neglected! But for some reason, the other blogging sight (podbean) the bastards, seemed to have locked me out of our account for some reason. So Im redirecting my blogging efforts to this reliable site!

So, whats been happening the past month and a bit? I inevitably hear you ask...

To tell you the truth, not much. Although, what is happening soon (tomorrow) is the release of Lonely Joe's single shanty with the Moulettes. Which I love, by the way! Its so shanty and jaunty, it actually smells like rum... Go buy it! Go! Go! Go! 

Anyway, so my month has been pretty boring. And haven't been to the office as much as I would like, so Im gonna work on that, but the few times I did, I pretty much annihilated the PRS work. I think we're pretty much finished with it, which is a relief. For both me and you, as, unless Im wrong, Ive gone on about it in every post to date. 

But its on to bigger and better things now! Things Im not quite sure what they are, but they are bigger and better none the less! Not that spreadsheeting and such for hours isn't fun...I'm just saying...

And Im pretty sure soon it must be time for Moneytree's new album right? You bet I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if I have to buy this one? Or theyll just give it to me... Either way, Im getting my hands on that album. Make sure the second it comes out, you go find somewhere and get hold of it! Or spotify it...whatever....

'til next time, Sam the Intern (STI)

Sotones 90-minute special on Resonance FM

This saturday, acclaimed London arts & community station Resonance FM will be devoting a 90 minute show to a special look at what we do!

Moulettes, Campbell Austin (Moneytree) and Lonely Joe Parker will all be LIVE in session, and there is also a short documentary (which you can hear here)

Tune in to the Dexter Bentley Hello Goodbye Show from 11am on Saturday 13th February

Last Night...

Last night I went to the Haunted Stereo curates the Hamptons, my first proper Sotones event, and was pretty impressed! I wondered how a place that, lets be fair, is as small as the Hamptons could hold such events, but I was wrong to doubt it! It wasn’t cramped, but there were plenty of people there.

My favorite band of the evening (no offense to the others) had to be the Little Philistines. Having not had time to see Moneytree (which is actually such a shame) Little Philistines were a good substitute! Their whole set full of surprises, including one of the guitarists pulling out a trumpet mid song. And, I was lucky enough to get the last of their free CDs, which i will enjoy soon enough!

Saying that, the other bands were good! So Say So and Not Made In China certainly got the crowd tapping their feet! Good choices from Haunted Stereo, really. Of course headliners Moneytree, I’m sure were brilliant, but this isn’t first hand information, so don’t quote me on that. But how could they not have been??

Anyway, I really hope none of you are reading this the day that I have written it, because really, you should all be at the Hamptons for the second night of the Haunted Stereo Curates weekend. With headliner Peter Lyons and an array of other acts. And Its Free! So you actually have no excuse not to be there.

I on the other hand was a little too ill to get there tonight for the second night. But will most definately be at the Lonely Joe Parker Curates evening this friday! Can’t wait…I wonder if they let me into this one for free again…

Until next time, Sam the Intern!

Here we are again...

decided today would be a good time to come into the office. Its been so long I thought I would offer my services once again, which today included uploading 134 photos and name each one of the separately. It was quite mind numbing really…

Ive only been here like, two hours today, but already Joe has dismantled a computer, which was interesting to watch. Especially when he came back from a battery run for the keyboard to find he had the wrong size. But Im sure there’s a purpose to it all.

I’ve also only had one cup of coffee today, which is a depressing number, but it was good. Hampton’s sure do the finest instant coffee around. No lie.

This is only going to be a short one today, because Im running out of things to talk about. I swear this is like talking to a brick wall, god, you people!

Anyway, Im sure I will post another one sometime this week, but until then, how about reading this one again on www.sotones.podbean.com?

Anyway, til next time! Sam!

My Contribution for the week...

Hi! I haven’t been to the office for over a week now, so I thought I would input some kind of contribution so they don’t think I’ve forgotten them. This being it…

So christmas is over, which sucks. New year festivities is also over, which also sucks. What a depressing way to start a new decade. But ah well, I hope everyone had a very merry festive season.

2010 is looking to be a good year for not only myself, but for the whole of Sotones. They start with a whole load of pretty sick things happening. First off, they are brought into the new year with awesome reviews of Haunted Stereo’s new EP ‘Cross the Sea’, which, from personal experience, I can tell you is worth all the Hoo-har. I may need to beg/steal/borrow myself a new copy due to it being over played in my stereo. But enough about me…

Its also looking good for Moneytree who have the launch of their third EP ‘The Great Indoors part 3′, and from previews and even the strength of the single ‘Wake Up and Pay your Overheads’ alone, I can tell you it is well worth the wait, and I may even pay for this one…

But the first thing to scribble onto your newly obtained 2010 calendar should be the Haunted Stereo curating a whole weekend at the Hamptons with acts such as Peter Lyons and Moneytree etc. I’m gonna make sure I’m down there anyhow!

So overall, this year sets to look good for everyone. Even myself as I am forced to choose universities already. I swear I only left for big school two weeks ago! ah well, onwards and upwards. Now…do I take Art, Music or Physics..? But, I’m sure you all skipped this paragrah, so I’ll see you all on the 16th and 17th at the Hamptons!

Until then, your favorite intern, Sam!