CULT FAVOURITES RELEASE THE NEW EP ‘MAKE IT REAL’ – LISTEN HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR DUCK AND COVER HERE
FEATURING THE NEW SONGS ‘MAKE IT REAL’ AND ‘YOU LOVE ME TOO MUCH’
HEADLINE THE BULLINGDON ON NOVEMBER 19TH – ALSO ON TOUR WITH THE BOO RADLEYS
“It might easily turn out that we love The Samurai Seven.” – John Peel, BBC Radio One
“Speed-crazed pop bunnies making like The Buzzcocks ripping through The Beach Boys’ book of summer hits.” – NME
“Pristine velocity pop… Spanning the distance between The Beatles’ first flourishing and the pop-centric nous of The Undertones.” – Nightshift Magazine
The Samurai Seven were a hot tip in the late ‘90s, earning acclaim as they recorded five Peel Sessions and released via influential indie labels Fierce Panda and Shifty Disco. Their rise was halted in shocking fashion when vocalist/guitarist Simon Williams was shot in the eye during a random drive-by attack. While the NHS saved his sight and the band eventually released their debut album ‘Le Sport’ in 2002 after a long recovery, their momentum was ruined. But now they’re back making up for lost time with today’s release of their new EP ‘Make It Real’. Listen HERE.
Their first new release in almost 25 years, the ‘Make It Real’ EP has been previewed by two singles. First was the rampaging, vocal harmony-layered pop-punk attack of ‘Punching Down’, a fierce rebuttal of right-wing attitudes. And then ‘Duck and Cover’ saw the band slow down from their usual 100 mph, with swampy guitars driven with hypnotic urgency, while its lyrics exalted the joys of living in the moment while the world is again threatened by potential armageddon – just as it was as when they were growing up towards the end of the Cold War.
The EP’s two new songs continue the high-standard set by their long overdue return. The title track melds ‘60s pop melody with the punch of ‘90s power-pop with a statement about authenticity and integrity in the AI age, while ‘You Love Me Too Much’ encapsulates Nightshift’s famous description of them as blending The Beatles with The Undertones. In short, the ‘Make It Real’ EP sees The Samurai Seven living up to their early potential.
Simon Williams says, “Playing together again was so joyful and thrilling. I started having new song ideas almost immediately; which was more exciting to us than just rehashing old stuff”
As life so often goes, The Samurai Seven drifted apart following the release of ‘Le Sport’. But the band – completed by Simon’s brother Matt (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jimmy Martin (bass, vocals) and Chris Hayward (drums) – remained friends. It wasn’t until 2025 that they reconvened as a band when they booked a rehearsal session, with no other expectation but to play together once more. Recalling their original era of storming Radio One’s Oxford Sound City and recording the theme to John Peel’s TV show ‘Sounds of the Suburbs’, the rehearsal reignited the joy of playing together and why they started the band in the first place.
The standard of the new songs they were writing convinced them to return to the studio. They worked with the Grammy-winning producer Hugo Nicolson (Primal Scream, Radiohead, Björk), at Runway Studios, before mixing the set at Fairport Convention’s Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire.
Later this month they support The Glorias in Portsmouth, before embarking upon a wider UK tour as guests to The Boo Radleys in November. They will then play a homecoming headline show at The Bullingdon, Oxford on November 19th. Remaining tickets are available HERE.
SEPTEMBER
20th – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms (with The Glorias)
NOVEMBER
6th – Manchester, Night & Day (with The Boo Radleys)
7th – Leeds, Brundell Social Club (with The Boo Radleys)
8th – Glasgow, Stereo (with The Boo Radleys)
13th – Lewes, Con Club (with The Boo Radleys)
15th – London, Oslo (with The Boo Radleys)
19th – Oxford, The Bullingdon (HEADLINE SHOW)
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